Counselling is a talking therapy and is an opportunity for you to share what is on your mind. It provides a safe space to explore your thoughts, feelings and behaviors. We look at what is going on in your life now and, where appropriate, consider what has happened to lead you to think, feel and behave in the way you do.
As it is a therapy, you should feel better after you've been through counselling. At times, it can be challenging but the positive results and changes you can make in your life should be worth the hard work.
Our first session is a further chance for me find out about you. I will ask you a few questions about your personal circumstances and we will talk about confidentiality, recap on the frequency and cost of the sessions and make sure we're both clear on how the therapy is going to work.
Then we start by discussing whatever you want to share about why you decided to see a counsellor.
You don't have to give your whole life history in one go; we go at your pace and only discuss whatever you are comfortable with.
Each session lasts 50 minutes and we meet weekly.
For some people, 6 - 12 sessions is all they need. For others, who wish to explore more, counselling can continue for up to a year or more.
There is no fixed number of sessions; no right or wrong. We will have regular reviews to check how we feel the work is going and ensure that it is beneficial and helping you move forward.
During the pandemic, I am only meeting clients online (using Zoom) or over the phone.
When it is safe to do so, we can meet in my lovely, peaceful therapy room in The Crescent, Plymouth. The room has lots of natural day light and is a very calm space, which is perfect for taking the time to reflect and think about how you're feeling.
It doesn't matter. As your therapist it is my job to help you find your way and we may start by looking at how you're feeling in the here and now. This is a great way to begin therapy and often leads us to why you decided to see a therapist and what's happened in your life up to this point.
For some people, the first session is all about offloading everything on their mind, and that is also OK.
There is no set agenda or script we need to follow; we'll follow whatever feels natural and comfortable in the moment.
Contact me by using the button below or text/call/email me to arrange a free 20 minute chat. We can find out a little bit about each other and you can ask any questions you may have about me or the counselling process. We'll discuss timings, price, confidentiality etc and then book in our first therapy session at a time that suits us both.