These FAQ outline the general questions that people most commonly ask me when they first come for counselling. If you have further questions or would like more detail please get in touch with me. I'm always happy to help.
What sort of issues can you help me with?
Talking about things that are painful, private and may feel shameful can be challenging. Yet research suggests that it is helpful to talk through your difficulties. You may be seeking counselling for any number of reasons but, typically, there is likely to be at least one thing in your life that is not going the way that you'd like it to.
The range of issues that I can help with include:
🌳Trauma
🌳Anxiety & depression
🌳Bereavement and loss
🌳Relationship difficulties
🌳Stress
🌳Loneliness
🌳Obsessive-compulsive Disorder (OCD)
🌳Neurodiversity
🌳Religious/spiritual concerns
🌳Anger management
Working with individual parents of children/adults with additional needs are particular areas of clinical interest and experience.
What will happen at the first appointment?
🌳I will provide a private, confidential space for you to talk about the issues that brought you to counselling
🌳I will take some personal details from you and briefly explain my privacy policy, contracting and the counselling process
🌳I will give you an opportunity to ask any questions you may have about counselling
🌳The first session will be a mutual assessment opportunity for you to consider if you would like to work with me and for me to consider how I can best help you
🌳You are under no obligation to rebook after the first session
Is your service confidential?
As a counsellor, I have a professional duty to record client information and to treat it in complete confidence. Your privacy is very important to me and you can rest assured that your personal information will be kept safe and secure and will only be used for counselling purposes.
Please see my Privacy Policy in the drop-down menu under the FAQ heading. I am happy to chat through any questions or concerns you might have about this.
How long am I likely to need counselling for?
This varies from person to person and includes factors such as what brought you to counselling and what you hope to achieve from it. I offer both time-limited and open-ended counselling. Change is a process and it takes time for new habits to form. Some people may want to take longer to explore underlying issues that may be contributing to current challenges in their lives. Others may want short-term help to work out strategies to deal with something specific that they are struggling with. You are in control at all times and I offer regular reviews to discuss how you think the counselling is going.
How often should I need to see you?
This can be as flexible as you would like it to be. Some people like to start with six sessions of 50 minutes a week; others prefer a two-hour session once a fortnight and others still may choose to have 'top-up' sessions after ending regular counselling. You may also find that more frequent appointments are helpful during particularly difficult times.