Y Sesiwn Gyntaf - beth i'w ddisgwyl
Yn eich sesiwn gyntaf, byddaf yn awgrymu ffordd y gallwn gydweithio. Does dim angen dechrau siarad yn syth oni bai eich bod chi eisiau. Byddaf yn esbonio sut rydw i'n gweithio a beth allwn ni ei ddisgwyl gan ein gilydd. Yna byddaf fel arfer yn dechrau trwy ofyn i chi beth ddaeth â chi yma a beth hoffech chi ei ennill o gwnsela. Efallai y byddaf yn gweld bod angen i mi wrando ar eich stori yn y sesiwn gyntaf, felly efallai na fyddaf yn siarad llawer wrth brosesu a meddwl am y cyfarwyddiadau y gallwn eu cymryd. Byddaf yn trafod y rhain gyda chi yn y sesiwn nesaf.
Efallai y byddwch yn siarad llawer yn y sesiwn gyntaf os oes angen ichi ddweud popeth wrthyf, neu efallai nad ydych am siarad cymaint â hynny. Mae'n iawn. Rydym yn ei gymryd ar eich cyflymder. Byddaf yn gwneud nodiadau ar dudalen fawr o A3 y gallaf, gyda'ch caniatâd, Whatsapp neu e-bostio llun atoch wedyn. Fel hyn mae'r ddau ohonom yn cofio'r hyn a ddywedwyd, a gallwch weld unrhyw nodiadau ychwanegol a wnaf. Mae hyn yn caniatáu ichi siarad yn rhydd heb feddwl bod yn rhaid ichi gofio’r hyn a drafodwyd ac i chi gael golwg ar y nodiadau, os dymunwch, yn ystod yr wythnos wedyn. Mae fy nodiadau bob amser yn cael eu cadw'n ddiogel mewn cwpwrdd ffeilio dan glo.
Adolygiadau
'Mae Elise wedi fy helpu trwy sefyllfa anodd iawn yn fy mywyd a bydda i’n ddiolchgar am byth. Trwy ei charedigrwydd, ei chefnogaeth a’i harweiniad arbenig teimlaf fod gin i bellach yr hyder i fyw bywyd nad oeddwn yn dychmygu 'mod i'n ei haeddu. Mae hi hefyd wedi rhoi sgiliau ymarferol imi sy'n helpu rheoli fy mhryder ac iselder.' (Mawrth 2024)
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Mae'r mab (9 mlydd oed) wedi bod yn methu cysgu (am y peth), felly roedd y sgwrs bore ma yn ffisig orau! Dwi’n methu credu sut y llwyddoch i drafod efo fo dros sgrîn mor dda. Mae o MOR hapus rwan. Diolch o galon (Mawrth 2024)
''Roedd Elise yn wych am gynnig ffyrdd i leihau pryder, ac i roi cynnig arnynt gyda’n gilydd yn ystod y sesiwn. Anfonodd ymarferion a dolenni defnyddiol i mi ymarfer yn fy amser fy hun. Roeddwn yn teimlo bod rhywun yn gwrando arnaf. Roedd Elise yn ofalus i ddod i adnabod fi dros amser a dysgu am elfennau gwahanol fy mywyd, hyd yn oed pe bai wedi bod ychydig wythnosau rhwng sesiynau. Roedd yn gwneud i mi deimlo bod rhywun yn gwrando. Mae gan Elise ddull tyner a charedig iawn ac roedd yn hawdd iawn cyd-dynnu a teimlo’n gyfforddus gyda hi, hyd yn oed pan oeddem yn cael sesiynau ar-lein’' (A.B. 2023)
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''Wrth siarad am bethau a oedd yn gwneud i mi deimlo dan straen, gwnaeth Elise helpu fi i ystyried penderfyniadau o wahanol safbwyntiau a fy helpu i weithio trwy benderfyniadau. 'Roedd bob amser yn amyneddgar ac yn sylwgar. Byddai Elise yn fy helpu i rannu tasgau mawr yn dasgau llai, a thrwy siarad drwy bob cam, helpodd Elise fi i weld llwybr clir – boed yn dasgau gwaith, yn deimladau o bryder, neu ymarfer sgyrsiau anodd. Dw i’n teimlo’n gyfforddus iawn yn siarad ag Elise ac fe wnaeth y sesiynau i mi sylweddoli be dw i'n tueddu gwneud, a rili meddwl sut y gallaf helpu fy hun i beidio teimlo cymaint o ofn am wneud pethau'' (2023)
Yn Saesneg:
''I was so sceptical, I never thought it would work for me. I tell other people now to get some help, I always said before ‘it’s not for me’. I always recommend it to people now after this. I have spoken about things that I never told others, but now I can open up to my husband and other people as there’s nothing to be ashamed of. I told them how bad I was in January, suicidal, and they were shocked, but I know if ever I feel like that again, I don’t have to fix myself, I can go to counselling.'' (2022)
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''You have helped me so so much. Honestly, without you, I don’t think I would even be here ‘cos I was in such a hard place, I have come out the other side. You have helped me so much. You should get a gold star! You have sent me all these things that follow up the sessions, I have used this to look at through the week, I was never without nothing. I just feel completely….I feel like I am more in control now. You sent me other things as well, and you have been so comfortable to talk to. Some people are hard to talk to, but once I start talking to you it just flows. And another thing, you have helped me with my faith, I feel more connected, more into it, I feel like I’ve opened my arms more to it. I was so angry before, and now I embrace things more.'' (KJ 2022)
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''Thanks again for all your help and support this year. You have made a huge difference in a life I had given up on living'' (2023)
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''This was a very positive experience for me that restored my faith in verbal therapy after struggling to get anywhere with a previous therapist. You brought the right balance of practical tools and gentle exploration of issues so that I always felt supported and never overwhelmed. Elise gave me two things - perspective and practical tools. I now have knowledge and experience of a number of strategies for coping with stress: mindfulness and breathing exercises like the body scan and 4-7-8 breathing, shaking exercises to calm the nervous system, getting the front part of the brain back online by verbalising and engaging logic. I also have more self-awareness through defusion (stepping back from what I am experiencing), awareness of my values and how they affect my actions, and the difference between self-compassion and self-esteem.'' (AJW 2023)
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''Elise was phenomenal right from the beginning. She listened to me and understood me. I have made more progress than I ever thought would be possible for me'' (LH 2023)
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''It’s been nice to have someone to talk to, and good to have an outsider’s perspective. It’s given me an hour each week where I can talk about how I’m feeling and given me tools to do something about it. On how I’m feeling and how things that have happened might affect me – that I can sort of try help mitigate things, maybe try and take a break before I react to anything. I use my grounding techniques and monitor how I’m feeling so that I can tell when I’m feeling worse, so that if anything happens, I can acknowledge that to myself. I keep it in mind, so if anything happens to make me feel worse, I ask myself the three questions (‘is it true, any alternatives, how can I test it out?’) Any negative thoughts that I may be feeling is not caused by anybody else, it’s just that when I feel sad, it’s just that I feel sad. I know that for me, I can go from -4 or -5 for sadness to +7 in happiness. I am awaiting an Autistic Spectrum Assessment and I feel I have more insight into myself now.'' (RS 2022)
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''I have gained: New resources, New Practices and New Concepts / ways of looking at (observing + assessing + regarding) my feelings and mind. The above helped me to better overcome and work through my bad mood swings and particularly bad habits like catastrophising, paranoia and giving into these and reaching hopelessness. I now feel despair and hopelessness and extreme sadness far less, if at all. I am much more positive. While I still have mood swings and low points, these are far less intense and are more manageable. I also don’t become as destructive and paranoid because I can better assess my feelings and learn that I am more than my feelings. I also have resources to help me test the reality of my feelings in the world.
I communicate better with my partners and don’t put on false masks with them due to fear of rejection. I know that I am loved, and my self-esteem is better. I feel less worthless. I hope to build on these mental resources in the future and continue to apply the practices to help further improve my mental wellbeing and life. Counselling was so positive. The advice, interpretations, and offered solutions feel relevant to me, my brain, and my life setup. Not only do I feel better and more in control, but the methods are improving my relationships with my loved ones.'' (2022)
(All anonymised)