Peace of Mind and Soul

About

Hamsa Counselling

Hamsa Counselling offers counselling to children, adolescents and female adults, aiming to help you find your inner strength and for you to gain assurance, contentment and love, providing you with peace of mind and heart. Hamsa Counselling is a service offered by Salma Mousavi, a counsellor offering a confidential and non-judgmental space for you to feel safe in an environment filled with respect and empathy. Help is available in 3 languages: English, Arabic and Persian.

Hamsa Counselling offers counselling to young children using creative therapy. One of most effective therapies that is used with children is sand tray therapy. Sand Tray involves the therapeutic use of a collection of miniatures in a sand tray. It is a non-verbal, expressive and projective mode of psychotherapy where the sand tray and the miniatures are the medium of communication.

Salma Mousavi, obtained a BA (Hons) Degree in Counselling and Psychotherapy from London and is a Registered Member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP). She undertakes ongoing professional training, which to this date includes working with trauma, cancer counselling, anger management, BPS-approved Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) training, domestic abuse, relationship issues, pre-marital counselling, divorce and separation. Salma is insured and adheres to the BACP Ethical Framework – a copy can be found on the BACP website.

Counselling

What is Counselling?

Counselling allows you to discuss your problems and any difficult feelings you encounter in a safe, confidential, and non-judgmental environment. Counselling is a process you seek when you want to change something in your life or when you simply want to explore your thoughts and feelings in more depth. There are various approaches within counselling. One main approach is the person-centred approach, which means you are empowered to discover solutions to issues within a supportive setting.

In counselling, you will be encouraged to talk about what’s bothering you in order to uncover any root causes and identify your specific ways of thinking. You will be helped to find your ways of coping, whilst uncovering your own insight and understanding of your issues. Counselling often requires you to discuss upsetting emotions and painful memories. Bringing up these thoughts can feel difficult to start with and, initially, you may feel worse. This process is necessary to move forward and, in time, you would start to feel better.

In the majority of cases, a single session will not be enough to help overcome any issues you may be facing. Counselling is a journey and a process that requires a strong relationship between us. It takes time and consistency to work effectively. Therefore, it is recommended to have at least six sessions to be able to benefit from counselling.

Hamsa Counselling also offers Islamic counselling as an option for Muslim clients. Islamic counselling is a form of counselling that incorporates spirituality into the therapeutic process and is based on an Islamic understanding of the nature of human beings. Problems are addressed from a faith-based perspective and solutions sought based on the love and fear of Allah and a duty to fulfill responsibilities as a servant of Allah.

Trauma Intervention

Trauma and Attachment Therapy

Salma has completed training in the Integrative Trauma and Attachment Model (ITATM)® by the Attachment and Trauma Treatment Centre for Healing in Canada.

Individuals of all ages can experience trauma, including infants and children. Even when we do not consciously recall our trauma experiences (because of our age or protective functions such as repression) our body holds memory, as does our mind. Trauma is a sensory experience and, regardless of the level of perceived intensity of effect on an individual, treatment promotes resilience later in life.

Treatment focuses not on avoiding unpleasant or uncomfortable emotions but rather on building awareness and tolerance to hold these emotions and reflect on them with compassion. As a result, the strategies we use focus on regulating the nervous system which is very important to ongoing resiliency and optimal development. To do so we incorporate mindfulness meditation and various other holistic wellness practices to increase attention span, regulate the body and mind, and optimize the individual’s ability to regulate their emotions and behaviours. Current neurocisence research is demonstrating that mindfulness is changing the brain in the areas most effected by trauma.

Our Services

We can help you with these situations

Counselling could help at times of:

• Abuse
• Anxiety
• Bereavement
• Depression
• Emotional abuse
• Low self-confidence/self-esteem
• Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)
• Panic disorder
• Relationship issues
• Spirituality issues
• Stress
• Suicidal thoughts
• Trauma

Fees

As we believe in the importance of the therapeutic relationship, we offer a free 20-30 minute phone consultation. This provides you with the opportunity to ask any questions and to see if you would feel comfortable working together. Thereafter, if you decide to work together, counselling sessions would be weekly over an agreed period, with a typical session lasting 50 minutes. The fee for each session is £60. If you are not in a position to pay the full fee, there is a reduced rate for people on benefits, or in special circumstances.

The Meaning of Hamsa

A Universal Sign of Protection

The Hamsa hand has various meanings throughout the many cultures and religions in which it is represented. Its most universal meaning is that of unity and protection, and is known for uniting the good, dispelling the bad, bringing about positive energy, and thwarting negative energies.

The word ‘hamsa’ literally means five, referring to the five fingers of a hand. In the Islamic faith, the hand represents the hand of Fatima (peace be upon her), the daughter of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). Symbolising power, bravery and defence, it is an icon of protection.