FAQs
What will happen in the first session?
The first session is a chance to meet each other and see if we both feel we could work together. It is important that you feel safe and comfortable with your therapist. You will be able to outline what you would like to get out of therapy, and will be able to ask any questions or voice any concerns you may have. You can then go away and decide if you would like to book more sessions.
How long will I need counselling for?
This varies from person to person and the length of our work together is up to you. Some people find they would like to do some short term work in six sessions, whilst others feel they would like to take more time to explore underlying issues and look at any repeating patterns and come for a number of months or years. In the case of longer term counselling we review our work together regularly to check that we are going in the right direction and that you are happy with the focus of our work.
Isn't counselling just like chatting with a friend?
In some ways it is similar but it also a very unique kind of relationship. Counselling psychotherapists have specific training which enables them to understand why people behave or relate to others in ways that may be unhelpful. They are also able to draw on techniques and theories to enable them to support clients to talk through feelings and experiences in order to gain a new perspective on their lives. A counsellor carefully listens with warmth and empathy and with no judgement, and they will not try to impose their advice or opinions on their clients. They may gently guide and sometimes challenge a client to think about things from a fresh stance, but they will never try to control the sessions or coerce a client to talk about something they don’t want to.
Why is a session 50 minutes long?
Research has shown that the 50 minute therapeutic hour is the optimum time for you the client to get the most out of a session and for me the therapist to be able to give their best.
What is the difference between counselling and psychotherapy
The terms counselling and psychotherapy are interchangeable rather than two completely separate terms. Counselling generally refers to shorter term therapy where we focus on the here and now, whereas psychotherapy tends to be longer term and may include exploring your childhood and any past patterns that are repeating in the present. I offer both which is why I call myself a counselling psychotherapist.
