Counselling With Alison Somerset West  

Hi, I’m Alison, Ali for short.
I am a Registered Counsellor, registered with the Health Professions Council of South Africa (PRC 0041831).
I have always been fascinated by nature, our bodies, pathology, the human psyche, emotions, relationships, imagery, metaphors, art, colours, shapes, and forms. These interests led me to study Radiography after high school and to study further in Psychology, Art, Yoga and Counselling.
I’ve spent the last 13 years vacillating between clinical and corporate work environments, only to reach a point time and time again where I felt that there was so much more that I needed to offer the world, that there was so much more within me waiting to be shared and explored; I really felt called to work with people more intimately and make a more tangible difference in our society. So, that is what led me to leave my career in Radiography and pursue becoming a Registered Counsellor, where I now run a private counselling practice offering individual and group counselling and psychoeducational workshops, both in person and online.
I work within a person-centred framework and have a particular interest in trauma, self-esteem issues, stress and burnout; I often draw from art, mindfulness and body-based approaches, as well as cognitive-behavioural, solutions-focused and narrative techniques.
I have also walked my own journey with therapy and mental health, and so I know first-hand how much courage it takes to seek support and, how overwhelming it can feel to search for the right mental health professional who feels like a good fit.
I encourage you to reach out, ask the hard questions, and make the investment in yourself. Nothing changes if nothing changes. You will only know for sure, if you give it a try.

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