Going for counselling can be tricky, especially if you’ve not been to see a therapist before. Whether you’ve done this before or just started looking, you might be wondering how I can help you. Every therapist is different; they have their way of working based on how they were trained and what theory they follow. I have been trained using the person-centred methodology, meaning you can resolve your issues by becoming more self-aware, and I can help you with this. Sometimes, this happens quickly; sometimes, it doesn’t. There are no guarantees, so before you start, you need to know what to expect.
This page is to let you know what to expect from therapy with me so you can decide whether or not we can work together.
The Basics:
Counselling is a talking therapy, predominantly with private providers, although there is some limited NHS provision. My practice is built to help you get the therapy you need in the best way. I offer face-to-face sessions, which are slightly more expensive than the online sessions, due to the overheads involved. However you would like therapy, my services are the same. My role is to provide you with a safe, confidential space to come and share what is happening with you, but you need to be ready and willing to share – you want to have counselling to look at something that is causing your mental health concerns. You, the client, discuss your issues with your counsellor in depth, helping you to work through these issues and change your life.
The client determines what is good and bad in their life. This is within the boundaries of reason and based on what they have learned during sessions. The counsellor’s role is not to tell the client what to do but to help them find their path. Simply put, I am not here to advise or tell you how to live your life. I will go through options with you, but you make your own choices, as what I might do in a situation may not work for you in yours. You are the expert on your life and ultimately responsible for your decisions. One of these is determining if this approach will work for you and if I could be the right counsellor for you.
A key factor in deciding this is the cost. My fees for face to face sessions are £55, with onlines sessions £40 per session. I also charge £20 for online sessions for trainee counsellors. Trainee counsellor should check if your course provider permits online and remote sessions. We do not have a set number of sessions; we will work together as long as you feel you need or want to work with me.
The structure of working together is below, with information about each stage of the process: