What is Counselling and Psycotherapy?

The terms Counselling and Psychotherapy are often used to describe the same thing.

Talking Therapy is the time set aside by you and me to look at your issues and to find a way to help you resolve your difficulties, or find a way to cope with life events, feelings and emotions.

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Therapy is not about giving advice. My job is to help you develop understanding about yourself and others and to help you find your own answers. Talking with a therapist is not like talking to friends or family, who might have an opinion about the issues being discussed. I work in a non-judgmental way and aim to build a trusting and respectful working relationship with you. Therapy is a very personal experience and the working relationship is vital in effective therapy.

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How Can Counselling Help?

Counselling can help you understand yourself and the difficulties that you are going through. It can help you feel more able to cope with life events. Counselling can also help you look at, and understand, other people and how you interact with them. Counselling offers you the chance to explore your own thoughts and feelings with someone who is trained to listen and help you to improve things. You may find that you only need a few sessions to look at a specific issue, or you may need longer. I offer open-ended sessions, which means you can have as many sessions as you need. 

 

I offer Counselling for a wide range of issues including, but not limited to: anxiety, depression, trauma, relationships, bereavement, loss and change.

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Bereavement, Trauma and Change

Bereavement, trauma and change are a fundamental but often difficult part of life. Many people seek counselling when they are struggling to cope with a transition in their lives. It can be difficult to adjust to the changes that are happening. It can leave you questioning everything about your life, your beliefs and who you are. Talking to a Counsellor can help you make sense of what has happened and begin to adjust to your new life.

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What happens at the first session?

We will use our first session together to explore what has bought you to therapy and how we might work together. It may be that you are not sure about your reasons for counselling and we can look at this uncertainty.

 

We will look at any questions or concerns you may have about the counselling process. The more you understand the counselling experience the more comfortable you will be.

We will also take some time to look at our working agreement. This agreement is important in establishing a secure framework for the sessions. We will look at confidentiality, number of sessions, fees, missed sessions and any other related details.

I fully appreciate how difficult it can be to take the first step into counselling and aim to enable you to be listened to and supported in our work together.