About Counselling

Counselling gives you an opportunity to stop for a moment, to sit with an empathic, understanding, and non-judgemental professional who is outside of your situation and explore at a deeper level what is really going on for you. It is about the counsellor helping the client to understand themselves better and find the necessary tools to make change in their life.

In my counselling sessions I aim to help my clients think about the feelings and behaviours that are troubling them, and support them as we explore what might be happening behind the problem. I offer a calm, confidential safe setting for them to do so, and listen to their stories thoughtfully and sensitively, so that they feel effectively heard and listened to. This helps my clients gain a new understanding of themselves and/or of their situation, and enables them to view things in a different, more constructive, perspective. It allows them to re-evaluate their past and/or present challenges and move forward/grow from them.

As the saying goes, “It helps to talk!”, and I feel that it usually does. In my experience, if someone feels able to speak freely, knowing that they are being attentively heard by someone who will think alongside them with what they bring, make them feel safe and valued, and not judge them, tell them what to do, or break their confidence, then things become more bearable and the potential for growth and progression is immense.

As a person-centred counsellor, the focus for the counselling in my sessions is whatever is most important to the client – what they want to work on, or what they feel they need support with. My clients and I work alongside each other to bring about the changes they would like to see in their life, and we do so at my clients' own pace. During the sessions, I will not lecture, judge or advise my clients, I believe that they are the only people living their own life, and that only they know what feels right for them. My role is to instead listen and support my clients in any way they require to allow them to gain clarity, develop, grow and find their own way. I also help them to prioritise what is most important in their life, and gain relief from the unstructured turmoil they may have found themselves in.

Duration of counselling and number of sessions

I currently offer online (via Zoom, Skype and FaceTime) and telephone sessions, with therapy being long-term, short-term, open-ended or time-limited, depending on each client’s needs. Sessions last 50 minutes on a weekly, fortnightly, or more frequent, basis, as agreed with each individual client.

Initial session

Before committing to therapy, I offer an initial, no obligation first session. In this first session I will do my best to put you at ease because I am aware that starting counselling can be challenging. I will ask you to tell me about yourself, the worries you are experiencing and what brings you to counselling – your needs and goals for therapy. This first session will give you the opportunity to experience therapy first-hand, and will help us decide if we can work together. It will also allow you to establish if you feel my approach to counselling meets your needs. If you do decide to continue working with me, we will agree on a time to meet during this initial session.

Subsequent sessions

Following the initial session, should you wish to continue counselling with me, we will agree a simple contract together, and then I will ask a few assessment questions so that I can get an overview of what your life is like for you. This will allow me to understand your world more quickly, and enable us to work better together. After this the focus of the sessions will be whatever is most important for you, the client – what you want to work on, or feel you need support with. I will work alongside you to help you bring about the changes you would like to see in their life, at a pace determined by you.

Review sessions

I will hold regular review sessions during our time working together, which will enable both myself, and you, to reflect on how our sessions have been going, what you have found useful and what else you may like to work on.

Fees

I am currently offering the initial session at a discounted rate of £40. Subsequent sessions are £50.