Frequently Asked Questions

Yes, this is completely normal, especially if this is a new experience, entering into counselling can mean many things for many people and it's common for counselling to bring on feelings of anxiety, but you are not alone. It's a scary prospect, talking to someone about the things we find the hardest, but whatever feels hard right now, I am here to support you.

In our first session,  I will ensure that we have gone through all the necessary paperwork and that you are happy with all of the details. All of our counselling sessions will be 50-minutes, including our first session and it's common for clients to have some questions, which I'm always happy to answer. While we are getting to know each other you will have the space to talk about the things that have been troubling you. As an integrative counsellor my aim is for you to feel safe, seen, heard and understood and it's important for you to ask the questions that you need in order to get know me as your therapist. Lots of thoughts and feelings can come up in a first session but this is normal, all feelings are valid and have a reason for being there. Counselling is a process and we may not find the answers to world hunger in this first 50-minute session, but you may feel lighter after sharing your struggles in the right place.

This can vary on the reason or reasons you are attending counselling, if you have had counselling before and your commitment to the process. If therapy is new to you or you are starting with a new therapist, weekly sessions are recommended to offer maximum benefit but as the work starts to unfold you will know what frequency is best for you. There will be various points within our sessions to discuss your feelings about the work that we are doing and there might be occasions where the frequency of therapy would need to be increased, or decreased, depending on what is coming up. Whatever happens, as your therapist I am here to support you in whatever is right for you.

As a trained and approved integrative therapist  I use a collective range of complimentary theories to find the best fit for you. This means that I do not solely use one main approach and in my professional career I have seen that this method offers greater exploration of the mind for longer lasting results. 

Counselling is a process and that process varies greatly person to person. There are lots of things to consider, your personal situation, the reasons you are attending therapy, your goals of therapy, if you've had therapy before, how honest you are in your therapy, your commitment to the process and how long you have been carrying the things you want to talk about. All of which will have an effect on the length of 'time' you may be in therapy, this is why it's difficult to give an answer to this question however, I do believe that therapy is one of the greatest investments you can pursue. The positive effects of therapy can help you change your life which will last a lifetime. 

Costings do vary depending on the type of therapy you are looking for however, all sessions are the normal 50-minutes which is commonly referred to as 'a therapeutic hour'. 

For more information on costings, please visit the 'Fees' section within this website. Alternatively, please feel free to get in touch, there is an option to book a free 20-minute consultation to discuss your individual situation.

Deciding whether counselling is for you can be daunting and there are lots of reasons to want to run from our discomfort but the question remains...... what brought you here today? 

I will always respect any decision to stop therapy however, I do ask for 2 weeks notice when making a decision to end. This just ensures that we can end our sessions safely and we have discussed everything that we need to before our final session.

Whatever you want, as a therapist I am here to listen with empathy and I will treat all thoughts with the compassion you deserve, no matter what comes up in session.