SELF-HARM noun “physical injury deliberately inflicted to oneself.”

That is the dictionary definition of self-harm, but the dictionary can’t define you, that is why I say that every chair is different. Through counselling I will walk alongside you, I will see you as you.

Self-harm can be caused through many reasons such as relationships, abuse, sexual assault, bullying, stress or financial worries.  None of these reasons define why you self-harm.

I fully acknowledge you are an individual person with your own feelings and needs, together in our safe and confidential counselling space we can slowly explore at your pace, whatever you wish to talk about, no judgement, just you, me and time, because ultimately that is what counselling is. Together, we can learn to understand the intention behind you self-harming and what it means to you, to self-harm.

At times your emotions can feel overwhelming and become too much. Self-harm is a violent act towards yourself, it may be that you are feeling aggressive towards someone, maybe a parent. You may be struggling to find another way to express these feelings and so by acting out the feelings on yourself, you may start to feel a release of tension or pain. Through this struggle, you may feel that self-harming, provides you with an alternative way to communicate the distress you are feeling? Self-harm can be a form of self-punishment for feelings of guilt. Self-harm knows no cultural, class, educational or social boundaries. Anyone may self-harm.

People often associate self-harm with attempted suicide, however this is rarely the case. People suffering emotional distress may feel suicidal but as self-harm is a coping mechanism its function is predominantly to survive. 

It may feel very difficult for you to stop without learning new ways of coping. Recovery can be a slow process. But I can offer you Your Space Today – counselling from a safe, confidential and private space from my consulting rooms in Storrington, near Steyning West Sussex, and together we can start this journey. You might also find some of the information available via the websites on the links page useful.