How can counselling help me? 

 

Counselling provides you with time to talk about things that are proving difficult or painful.  You may want to talk about things that have happened to you in the past or your focus might be on how things are right now.

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Talking with a counsellor and feeling really listened to, in a non-judgemental way, can help you:

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• explore what is going on for you and your feelings about that

• understand your past [and how it might be impacting on the present]

• look at things differently

• find ways of coping better

• improve relationships

• decide how you want things to be

• establish what change/s you want to make

• work towards those changes. 

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Is it confidential?

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Confidentiality is a very important part of counselling and I work in accordance with guidelines set out by the British Association of Counselling and Psychotherapy:  www.bacp.co.uk

 

Briefly, everything we talk about is kept confidential.  The only times I'd have to break confidentiality is if you or someone else was at serious risk of harm, and I would always try to talk to you about that first, or if the law required it.

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How many sessions will I need? 

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The honest answer is – it depends.  Unfortunately there's no magic wand - otherwise there would be lots of very rich wand-waving counsellors!  

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Some people feel happier after a few sessions; others need more.  We will regularly review progress to check whether you are ‘done’ or to confirm that we are still on the right track and establish what is still left to do.

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What will I talk about?

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The sessions are your opportunity to talk about whatever you want.  At the end of the day there is no 'right' or 'wrong' thing to bring, and no issue is too big or too small.​

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How long is each session?

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Sessions are 50 minutes long [60 minutes for instant messaging sessions]. In certain circumstances I can do 25 minute sessions but these tend to feel too short!

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How are sessions conducted?

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Online sessions can either be in real time i.e. via Zoom: using Instant Messaging or video call at an agreed time each week; or via e mail - which gives more flexibility i.e. in terms of when you write your e mail.

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How much does a session cost?

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A session costs £60 for a 50 minute session and £36 for a 30 minute session.  I ask that sessions are paid for via bank transfer 24 hours in advance of your session.

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Is it really worth it?

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There seems to be a growing recognition that looking after our mental health is just as important as looking after our physical health.  

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It is recognised that when we don't look after our mental health this can spill over into affecting our physical health and can come out in symptoms such as heart disease, eczema, irritable bowel syndrome, depression, chronic pain with no medical explanation, and many other symptoms/conditions.

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When you break a leg you get a cast and some crutches to help you while it heals.  When you are struggling because of your mental health then counselling can be the equivalent of that cast and crutches.

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How do I get started?

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If you’d like to give me a try I'd love to hear from you - just send me an e-mail and I'll send you some further details.