Here’s everything you need to know about starting counselling with me.
First, simply book an initial 30-minute introductory session. In the introductory session we can discuss your counselling needs and go through my counselling contract. It also gives us the opportunity to get to know one another and see if we are a good fit.
The cost for the introductory session is just £15 and there is no obligation to continue afterwards.
If you do decide to continue, we can book regular sessions at a mutually-convenient time. I do suggest we start with an hour session each week as it helps us build a relationship and keep the thread going.
After this initial period, some clients opt for fortnightly sessions while others prefer to keep to weekly sessions. As always, the power to choose is in your hands.
What to expect from the counselling process
While counselling is unique for everyone, there are some common things you can expect from counselling:
- Initial sessions focus on exploring – It’s like drawing a map of your world so we know the lay of the land, the important features, as well as any dangerous, difficult or scary areas.
- Things may get worse before they get better – Stirring things up can be difficult. It is often necessary to open old wounds, explore uncomfortable experiences, and confront difficult thoughts and feelings.
- Things can get messy and confusing – Unlike TV, not every thread is neatly tied up and not everything makes perfect sense. Life is messy and complicated.
- I offer metaphors, spot patterns, and draw links – This makes the sessions quite active rather than just passive listening. However, it’s important to push back if what I offer doesn’t ‘fit’ with your experience so we can further explore and clarify together.
- I will sometimes offer suggestions but never ‘advice’ – It can be useful to have some things to try out if you want to. These are never mandatory, are not ‘advice’, and I won’t judge you if you don’t do them. I trust you to do what feels right and true for you.
- There is no magic wand – As much as I would like to magic away your problems, I can’t. Any easy solution to complex and messy issues like life should be treated with scepticism.
- You have power – Counselling is collaborative work. If you don’t like something, you can change it. If you want something specific, you can ask for it. If you want to change focus, you can.
Further questions around counselling, what to expect, issues like confidentiality, etc. are explored in my FAQs page.