Our Dogs and Us
Our Dogs Feel Us
Our dogs feel what we feel even when we can’t. This is an important aspect of living with dogs and the impact is generally not fully appreciated. As humans we can ignore, or be totally unaware of how we feel, but our dogs can’t NOT feel us.
Working with this concept I developed counselling for dog people. This means that I work with you on the difficulties you are having in your relationship with your dog. Being able to talk about the things that are bothering you, in a safe non-judgemental environment, can lead you to a better understanding of what is going on between you. It might help you get a different perspective and better understand what choices you have . It can also help you in other areas of your life.
We do the things we do for a lot of reasons, but for our dog, who studies our every move, it doesn’t matter what we do, say, or think. What matters is what we feel and the emotion that’s invested in the things we do, say, or think.
Kevin Behan, Your Dog is Your Mirror
I provide one-to-one hour long counselling sessions where you can talk in a confidential, non-judgemental, safe environment, about the difficulties you are experiencing.
Sessions are by appointment at a mutually agreeable time. You can choose on-screen or phone, whatever feels better for you.
One session might be all you need to get things clearer. Alternatively you might want to have a few sessions to talk things through. It is entirely your choice. I will be led by what works for you.
In 2006 I started to be curious about how dog and human energies interact. This led me to the work of Kevin Behan. Since then I have been researching and studying how our dogs’ behaviours are linked to our emotions. This led me to train with Behan and other dog trainers and behaviourists and then training to become a person-centred counsellor.
I have a Diploma in Counselling and Psychotherapy and I am a member of COSCA (Counselling and Psychotherapy in Scotland). I work within their ethical policies.
Before becoming a therapist I worked as a manager in the Scottish National Health Service.
No, I won’t tell you how to train your dog. Instead, my focus is on supporting you, working on the things that you bring to the session. I believe that you have the resources you need to resolve your difficulties but sometimes it can be helpful to have a skilled listener to join you.
My standard rate for an hourly session is £45 (pounds sterling).
