What happens in a typical session?
Counselling/psychotherapy is essentially a conversation. Because the conversation is about your life, you will probably do most of the talking and I will do most of the listening. There is no fixed structure to the sessions, but if you would like a structure I am happy to discuss what would be helpful and to create a structure together with you.
Could counselling make me feel worse?
Working through difficult feelings usually involves talking about those aspects of a person’s life that they find upsetting, which for some people is itself upsetting to some degree. If a person’s main coping strategy is to avoid difficult feelings by various forms of distraction then they might initially find this a challenging process. However, often people also experience some relief in sharing their experiences with a therapist and in the course of therapy they usually come to feel better because they have worked through their feelings.
How many sessions will I need?
Some people find that approximately 6 sessions are sufficient, others choose to have therapy over several years. As the work progresses, you will probably get a sense of the right number of sessions for you.
What happens if I don’t arrive on time?
There isn’t a dedicated waiting room, so please don’t arrive more than 5 minutes early. If you arrive late for your session, the session will still need to end at the agreed time.
When will the sessions take place?
I currently have availability only at weekends: Saturdays 10am-5pm, Sundays 10am-5pm. My preference is for sessions to happen weekly or fortnightly at a regular time slot, but if this isn’t practical for you then we can make alternative arrangements.
Is there wheelchair access at the practice?
There is a gravel drive and some steps, so wheelchair users would find access problematic.
Do you offer couple counselling?
I currently offer counselling sessions only to individuals.
Do you offer counselling to children?
I currently offer counselling only to people over the age of 18.
A good friend of mine has recently seen you as a client and recommended I see you. Is that a problem?
Generally speaking, it tends to cause boundary issues if closely connected people see the same therapist individually. Please let me know in advance if you think there may be such a conflict.
How confidential is counselling?
Counselling is confidential, with some caveats. You can see my confidentiality policy here.
