FAQs

If you are considering having counselling, its more than likely that you are seeking change - wanting to change how you think and feel to feel better within yourself or wanting to change something within your current circumstances.

Counselling and Psychotherapy helps promote change in peoples lives and can help people to better cope with a wide range of experiences. Therapy can provide relief from symptoms and restore one’s quality of life. It can help you to self-discover and come home to yourself again. Anyone can enjoy the benefits of therapy, whether you want to set life goals, work on your own personal development or establish healthy relationships. You don’t need to be in a debilitating crisis to get support or benefit from counselling.

I believe that when we take responsibility for our lives, for our own healing and wellbeing and are proactive about our mental health, we can prevent the onset of any current concerns from manifesting into a larger problem. Often, we tend to push our feelings down, distract ourselves through other vices or disconnect and dismiss our problems all together which leads to deeper struggles over time, like anxiety and depression. Therapy can offer you helpful tools and strategies to promote the change you seek and help you to learn healthier coping mechanisms so that you can learn to safely be with your difficult emotions and allow them to pass through you, rather than consume you. I believe we have to 'Feel it, to heal it' and I can hold space for you to do that and to work through your pain and discomfort

with you.

I offer a FREE Discovery call lasting up to 20 minutes which can help to inform you as to whether counselling and the way that I work is right for you at this time. For more information on booking your Free Discovery Call, please click here.

Many people think that counselling is only for those who are experiencing serious mental disturbance or have endured big traumas. For a lot of people, this misconception can play a huge part in our suffering, as we put off working on our problems because 'it could be much worse' or because 'there are people who are worse off than me'. In my professional opinion, there are no shortcuts through our pain and struggles, the only way to healing, is through the pain, leaning into it and being with it in a safe and held environment such as therapy.

Just because 'it could be much worse' or 'other people are worse off than me', doesn't mean that what you are experiencing will go away, so why not receive some support and alleviate some of your mental and emotional energy and anguish?

Therapy is a different experience for everyone - why? because we are all unique individuals.

Some clients describe it as being their safe space, the only place where they can truly be themselves and express themselves openly without judgement. Others say it can be 'uncomfortable but in a good way' because it challenges them to confront aspects within themselves which they know they need to face in order to create the change they desire. Some clients describe it as being painful and exhausting one week and really uplifting and exhilarating the next. My clients have experienced as much laughter as they have tears during our work together - all emotions are welcome!

It is quite normal to feel worse before you feel better when undergoing therapy, as when we begin to unpack things together it can naturally evoke a lot of emotion that we have been suppressing for a long time. I will support you through any periods of unsettlement and guide you towards feeling better. Therapy is a process and it's such a privilege to work alongside my clients (and maybe soon, you too) and facilitate your transformative healing journey.

As a passionate person-centred counsellor, I tailor my approach to meet your individual needs and I am open to hearing when if something isn't working for you and you might like me to do something differently next time. I encourage our sessions together to be a collaborative process - I'm always on your side.

To enhance your therapeutic experience, I will email you a 'Therapy Personalisation' form to complete prior to our first session together (only if you wish to), which can help us both to identify a way of working that best suits your personality, your way of relating, your needs and learning style.

Like many things in life, we get out what we put in and so to get the most out of your therapeutic experience and to achieve the changes you seek, it requires your commitment to show up for yourself and to trust in the process.

Maintaining your confidentiality is one of my highest priorities as a qualified counsellor and registered member of the British Association of Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP).

What we talk about in counselling is confidential and what is discussed stays between us.

There are a few ethical and legal exceptions to maintaining confidentiality, which are important for you to be aware of before we begin. Prior to our first counselling session together, I will email you an information pack which contains all the information you need for the counselling agreement, including an overview of confidentiality. I will also discuss confidentiality with you at our first meeting to ensure that you are fully aware of the exceptions and are happy to continue on with the sessions.

Counselling usually refers to short term work (less than 6 months), with a focus on the issues you are facing in your present life. Some clients have a good sense of wellbeing but have one or two current problems that would benefit from some extra support.

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Psychotherapy tends to be longer term, with the therapeutic work often going deeper into exploring your early childhood and primary relationships to discover the root of the issues you have in the present. Frequently clients will come with current issues that may have been building up for years and discover patterns that are not recent but originate in childhood, so work that starts off as counselling can seamlessly develop into psychotherapy.

Yes, Absolutely! In fact many clients prefer it to seeing their therapist face to face. I have undergone special training in online and telephone counselling to be able to offer you an effective therapeutic experience.

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Some of the benefits of having counselling online or via telephone are:

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You can access therapy at a time, place and space that suits you.

• You can maintain your privacy – some people don’t like to be seen entering therapy clinics.

• You are at home at a time that suits you, which can be helpful if you find it difficult to leave the home environment due to childcare, caring or work duties etc.

• Some people find it easier to express their feelings online or by phone.

• Access to counselling can often be more immediate – you may not have to wait so long for an appointment.

• You save time, which may be helpful if you juggle different roles and lead a busy lifestyle. Some clients like to fit their therapy sessions in their lunch hour, for example.

• It can be cheaper – there's no need to pay for parking or travel costs.

• You don’t have to stress over finding parking spaces or being late from being stuck in traffic.

• It offers flexibility, as you can choose which technology you use – video or just audio.

• Its easily accessible if you live abroad or live in a remote area and have difficulty accessing local services.

• If you struggle with social anxiety, other debilitating mental health problems or mobility problems or even if you are just having a down day and want to hide away from the world, having online and telephone counselling can feel more 'doable', meaning you can more comfortably access therapy without the difficulty and discomfort of leaving your home.

Whilst I would recommend a minimum of 6 sessions, I don't offer fixed term contracts, they are open-ended because I believe in your right to be self-governing throughout the process and exercise your own autonomy to decide and so I am ultimately led by what feels right for you.

The amount of sessions undertaken varies depending on what you're having difficulty with and what your individual needs are. For some clients, a few sessions might be enough. For example, if you're struggling with a career decision and just need to play around with some ideas or you need some support on the run up to an event you are feeling distressed about, a few sessions may be enough to offer you some relief or help you choose the right path. Or, you might be experiencing some mild anxiety and you want to learn some tools and behavioural techniques to help you feel more free, so you may only need 6 sessions.

Some choose to attend counselling for far longer, for months or even years. For example, if you're working through some difficult trauma, debilitating anxiety or depression, or recovery from an abusive relationship, it may be helpful to attend counselling for several months up to a year or more. During this time we will build and develop a strong relationship and you will grow and heal, moving from survivor to thriver.

I currently work with both short term and long term therapy clients.

We can regularly review your progress and requirements throughout our work together to gain understanding of where you feel you're at within the process and to get a feel for the amount of sessions you feel you would like.

Sessions can be booked on a pay as you go/session to session basis or if you know that you would like a particular amount of sessions, then you can book a block of sessions and take advantage of the discounted rates.

Please see my Fees page for further information on block bookings.

• A safe and comfortable space that meets your privacy requirements - you might wish to consider a space where you won't be overheard or interrupted.

• A charger handy, should your device run out of battery. It might be helpful to put your device on charge prior to our sessions together

• (optional) You're welcome to bring along something you find grounding like a blanket, your pet, a soft toy, a warm drink or something else that puts you at ease.

What you will need for Telephone Counselling:

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• A landline or mobile phone. No need to worry about phone bills and usage of minutes as I will always call you.

• Headphones (Optional)

• A Notepad and Pen (Optional) - Some clients find it helpful to take notes throughout our sessions to refer to later.

What you will need for Online Counselling:

• A PC, Laptop, Tablet, Mobile Phone

• A Zoom account (If you are unfamiliar with Zoom, please let me know and I can email you a 'How to' sheet to help you get started.

• Headphones (Optional)

• A Wifi/Internet connection

• A Notepad and Pen (Optional) - Some clients find it helpful to take notes throughout our sessions to refer to later.

I work with an integrative approach that is rooted in person-centred values. This means that I place you and your needs at the core of our work together as well as drawing on different theories and therapeutic approaches that I feel would be of most benefit to you and your current situation. Whilst I may make suggestions for you to consider throughout our work together, I do encourage a collaborative approach to the process whereby I am open to hearing what works well and not so well for you and tailoring my approach and our work together, drawing on the approaches that best meet your needs in order to promote a positive therapeutic experience and strong therapeutic alliance and help you to make the progress you hope for.

Yes, I offer concessions for student counsellors in training. Please contact me to discuss your requirements.

I also hold limited spaces at a reduced fee for people who can evidence a low income.

If you are wanting to invest in ongoing therapy, it might be worth considering booking a course of sessions as they work out at a reduced hourly rate overall. Please see my Fees page for further information on my block booking bundles or feel free to contact me if you have any questions.

It is likely that you will know when you are ready to finish counselling and we will agree how we will best work towards this ending. This knowing often comes about quite naturally as you recognise changes within yourself and your progress over time.

I offer open-ended contracts as I encourage autonomy and your right to be self-governing and so I am ultimately led by when an ending feels right for you. I do encourage working towards 'an ending' so that we can together assess and value the totality of the work. It's always advisable to arrange for a closing session as it will allow for us to wrap up and bring closure to any of the work we’re doing and ensure a safe and positive ending.

Yes, you can book a FREE Discovery Call with me, which lasts up to 20 minutes, in just a few clicks by following the link below and completing my online referral form:

Book Your FREE Discovery Call here

For further information about the FREE Discovery Call and other services that I offer please vist my Work With Me page.