Sonya’s counselling master-class can boost your business

Runcorn-based psychotherapist Sonya Christensen-Murrell is offering local companies a master-class in counselling to help motivate staff, raise morale and boost productivity.

The 33-year-old mother-of-two is hoping her specialist training days and workshops will change the way supervisors, managers and HR personnel deal with their staff.

Simply listening to an employee and understanding a situation from their view point can change the fortunes of a company, said Sonya from her new SCM Counselling and Psychotherapy Clinic at The Heath Business and Technical Park.

“Businesses who listen to their staff achieve better productivity and greater results. Employers and HR staff need to see things from an employee’s perspective and by doing that, they can diffuse potentially stressful situations and tackle workplace anxieties that might be hampering an employee’s performance,” said Sonya.

After qualifying as a psychotherapist, the former telecommunications sales rep launched SCM Counselling and Psychotherapy in January and moved the business to The Heath in June. She has gained invaluable experience in the field, working with charities, a cancer hospice and two years as a bereavement counsellor.

Last year, Sonya was nominated Merseyside Woman of the Year 2009 for her services to counselling.

Sonya firmly believes that the secret to a successful business is a happy workforce. Companies, she says, can reap huge benefits by understanding the needs of employees.

“Focusing on staff and listening to their views can go a long way to relieving stress, anxiety and work-related problems,” said Sonya.

“My question to a company’s HR department is ‘have you ever been in a situation when in front of you sits an employee with a problem?’ Today it’s someone whose wife has just left him, yesterday, an employee’s drinking is affecting his performance, and last week it was a staff member who has alienated her colleagues with her constant criticisms.

“These meetings can be very uncomfortable for the employer and the employee as they decide what to say or do that helps the situation rather than makes things worse. I can help managers and HR personnel with counselling skills to enable them to say and do the right thing to ensure the company continues to run smoothly. Imposing ideas and solutions on staff will not work.”

Sonya’s unique two-day training course and workshops are designed to teach clients basic counselling and listening skills which can be utilised in everyday situations.

She added: “Counselling skills are invaluable to everyone. My two-day course aims to give managers and HR staff the basic counselling skills and confidence to conduct interviews with distressed or difficult employees.”

Apart from corporate counselling, Sonya also offers one-to-one sessions to people struggling with bereavement, anxiety, stress, depression and phobias. Unlike other psychotherapists, Sonya doesn’t insist on clients booking a minimum number of sessions.

Sonya currently has ten private clients and one company on her books. She believes relocating to The Heath will boost her business as well as provide business park residents a much needed on-site counselling service.

“This is the perfect location for me. The office facility I have is excellent and services and team at The Heath have been outstanding.”

For more information on SCM Counselling and Psychotherapy contact Sonya on
07709 406506 or go to: http://www.scmcounsellingandpsychotherapy.com/