What to expect
If you have not had counselling before, you might find the thought of it daunting as you may not know what to expect. It can be quite natural to feel nervous though as counselling involves speaking to a stranger about issues that are troubling us and impacting our life. I have been through the counselling process myself, and I hope that I can offer you the warmth, understanding, care, without any judgement, that my therapist gave me. Here is some more information to give you some idea of the first steps towards us working together and what you can expect from our first counselling session together, whether it be on zoom or over the telephone.
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Once you have contacted me, I will get in touch with you to arrange a suitable time to call you for a quick chat. This provides an opportunity for me to get some background information from you and for you to tell me what you might wish to work on. It allows us to get a feel of what it might be like to work together. If we both feel comfortable, we can then arrange a first counselling session over Zoom or the telephone.
Our First Session
Counselling sessions are normally 50 minutes in length. There is no fixed number of sessions but we will usually review together how we feel the sessions are going approximately every 6 weeks.
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During the first session we will explore in more detail how the sessions will work (including confidentiality) and how I work as a counsellor. This allows you to know what to expect from the sessions and to understand what you can and cannot expect from me as your counsellor.
This initial session will also involve an assessment which allows me to learn a little about your history and current situation, your aims and expectations of counselling and it allows you to think about whether what I offer is appropriate for your needs. There will be time for any questions you may have to be discussed.
During subsequent sessions, I will be led by you, and what you choose to bring and talk about.
Ongoing sessions
After the initial session, we will arrange a regular time for future sessions. Most clients prefer and benefit from weekly sessions to start with, though fortnightly sessions are available if you prefer. I can offer flexibility if you work shifts too.
There is no obligation after our first session to go ahead with counselling. Some people change their mind or feel that therapy is not for them and that's ok. In order for counselling to be successful, you have to be ready and willing to engage fully with the process.