Mrs Maggie Morgan

A conversation with Maggie Morgan

• What led you to choose psychotherapy or counselling as a profession?

  I went through counselling myself and it changed my life. When you 'click' with a counsellor you don't feel judged. You feel a genuine closeness. You feel free to talk about anything. You're challenged and you genuinely like going to therapy. And that is how I felt.

• Which philosophical approaches have influenced your professional development?

  'Treat others as you would like to be treated yourself.' That's the humanistic approach I use for both professional and personal development. With person-centered therapy it operates on the humanistic belief that the client is inherently driven toward and has the capacity for growth and self-actualisation.

• Which particular aspects of health or the human journey are you interested in?

  The overall wellbeing of a person. So the combination of their physical, mental, emotional and social health concerns.

• What methods do you use?

  Humanistic/Client-Centered Counselling. In this way, the client experiences a sense of acceptance, openness, and unconditional positive regard.
  Cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT) that focuses on how thoughts and behaviours dictate a person's feelings in a given situation.
  Rational Emotive Therapy which focuses on how faulty thinking relates to distress

• When do you think the client will start to feel that progress is being made?

  Some clients have that 'light-bulb' moment in just one session and that is so gratifying to see. Others may need a few more sessions, but in each session a positive step will be taken.

• How has therapy made a difference in your life?

  I can't say enough about positive thinking and how, by maintaining a more positive outlook on life, you can cope better with stressful and anxious situations. This is how therapy made me a better person.

• What do you like most about being a therapist?

  There's nothing more powerful for a therapist than successfully helping people improve their lives and overcome challenges. To see someone transform into a healthier person due to your professional assistance, is what we hope for.

• Do you ever have 'bad hair' days?

  Of course. I'm human. I make mistakes, just like anyone else.

• What do you think is the most significant problem we face, in the world today?

  There are so many- like loneliness and homelessness. Loneliness can be a fixable problem by giving people the means to find their people, friends, community. But homelessness, which is on the rise, is a political and social nightmare.

• Can you share the name of a book, film, song, event or work of art that inspires you?

  I love reading and watching films as well as songs, love to sing, and art - the mixed media kind. Schindlers List and the beautiful violin piece by Itzhak Perlman, the innocence and despair in the Diary of Anne Frank and the love in the film Beaches. It's about having hope. And that is what inspires me to be a good counsellor, to give hope to people, that their life can be a happy one again.