How does therapy work?
Counselling and psychotherapy can provide a confidential, neutral space to explore any difficult situations or issues you may be struggling with. It can help you overcome challenges, manage life transitions, process difficult emotions and bring awareness and perspective. It can help you find your way back to yourself.
It is an opportunity to speak with someone openly who doesn’t know you. It allows you to gain insight or alternative perspectives on problems you may be facing or helps you release difficult emotions you may be holding. It involves working towards changes with someone who will support and challenge you when necessary.
What is the cost?
Ongoing weekly sessions cost £60.
I can offer lower-cost sessions and discounts to trainee therapists and counsellors. However, these places are currently full.
Who do you work with?
I work with adults and young people over 18. I am trained to work with all emotional and psychological distress in a person-centred way. I have specialist training and services for neurodivergent clients and people who have experienced trauma, including domestic abuse, sexual assault and birth trauma.
What is the first step to working with you?
If you are interested in working with me, please contact me by email, text or WhatsApp. We can then start discussing how we can work together.
I offer an initial assessment session. We can discuss your experiences with therapy and any fears you have about it. We can see if working with me is right for you before committing to regular sessions.
Once I arrange an appointment, I will email you some forms and information. You must complete the forms and bring them to/send them before your first appointment. This paperwork covers vital info I need from you, including informed consent. It lets us work together. If forms are complex for you, we can fill these out together on the first appointment.
I follow a detailed intake procedure which helps me to understand your situation, your problems and their origins. I individually tailor therapy for each client. Confidentiality is essential to me, and I work according to GDPR rules. Please see my privacy policy.
What happens in our first session?
Our first session begins with an assessment appointment. In our first meeting, we’ll discuss your current issues, background, and goals.
We’ll determine if therapy is necessary. If so, we’ll decide how often to meet (usually once a week) and for how long. Six to 12 counselling sessions (or less) work well for some people and usually focuses on a specific difficulty or some stuckness that needs resolving.
Whereas sometimes, longer-term psychotherapy ( six months to a year, or longer) where we look at your relationships, life patterns and history may be more appropriate. I tailor each therapy session for individual clients. Every person is unique, and therapy should reflect that. Together, we’ll co-create a treatment approach that works for you. I offer short, medium and long-term therapy. I can also offer single sessions.
I understand that therapy isn’t always easy and sometimes feels hard. Talking therapy works best if you’re honest and say how you feel if you can. Therapy also works best if you can commit to the process, do the work outside of sessions, work with goals, and be open to change.
I offer a non-judgemental space and time to do this work. I review our progress every few sessions. I do this to ensure you get what you need from the process and are happy to continue. When you feel ready to end, let’s discuss this and find the right time for your last session.
What will my sessions be like?
Our therapy sessions will be 50 minutes long, and our time together is confidential.
Our sessions usually involve two people talking. Yet, we can also include other ways to express ourselves. For instance, we can draw, write or use paints or modelling clay. We can also add deep breathing and new ways of moving. It can help you relax and regulate your nervous system. I use various tools, such as breathwork, music, somatic exercises, and grounding meditation.
I offer you a fixed time each week to meet and check how things are going for you. I’ll listen carefully to understand how this affects you. I’ll ask questions to help you explore this at a comfortable pace.
How many sessions will I need?
People sometimes feel they experience change or a ‘shift’ in just 6 to 12 sessions, where others choose to come to therapy on a long term open ended basis, to work deeper on their life experiences and relationships.
How does therapy for trauma work?
I have been trained in a three phase approach to trauma treatment, which includes:
- Safety and stabilisation
- Processing traumatic memory
- Consolidation, integration and reconnection.
I am trained in the Rewind technique and the Flash technique, which I can offer as part of other therapeutic work or as a single-session trauma treatment.
You will often hear me ask you how the emotions you express in our work together can be ‘felt’ in your body and where. This is a way to help you better understand the connections between your mind, your emotions and your body. You might struggle to know how how emotions are felt in your body and this can be achieved with ongoing grounding and somatic work.
In our first assessment session, we will agree the pace we begin the work at and we will review our goals often.
How does creative therapy work?
If you find it difficult to put your thoughts and feelings into words creative therapy may help. Creative therapy can include doodling, writing, using paint, buttons, therapy cards, games, fairytales and stones. Or working with visualisation, metaphor and play. These are there as a way of exploring feelings that can often be difficult to put into words.
Do you need to be artistic? No you don’t. Please see this as a way of letting you inner child free, and a way to express yourself and process what is happening for you.
Can we do this online? Yes. It’s good to have a journal and pens and paper handy. We can negotiate how we will work and with what and work to your needs.
What is email therapy?
Email therapy involves a weekly exchange of emails between you and me, with both parties committing to crafting thoughtful and reflective responses similar to a standard therapy session.
We each send a maximum of 500 words once a week. I will spend the same time writing to you as I would if we were meeting for a 50-minute session. And I ask that you give your writing the same amount of time.
We will agree to respond to each other by a specific time and day of the week, so you’ll always know when to expect to hear from me next. As the time delay is an essential therapeutic difference with email counselling, I take three working days to reflect, ponder and draft my reply. This allows me to thoroughly consider your thoughts and words as you wait for my answer.
How do I know if you’re the right therapist for me?
Truthfully, you may only know if I am the right fit for you a few sessions in. A successful therapeutic alliance is the relationship between the therapist and client; rapport needs some time to build.
Knowing what you need or look for in a therapist can feel confusing and daunting. In my personal therapy, finding someone I felt accepted by and could trust was essential. In our consultation, you can ask me any questions and get an idea of who I am and how you feel about me.
Do sessions have to be weekly?
No, while weekly sessions create more consistency and can mean the work can progress more quickly, I offer weekly or fortnightly counselling sessions. What works is up to you. These are generally on the same day at the same time. If this isn’t possible, let’s consider a pattern within my availability that works for your schedule and resources.
If you need shorter or longer session times, we can also discuss this.
Life is busy. Whether you work shifts, a 9-5 or need sessions that fit around childcare, get in touch. Early morning, afternoon and evening sessions are available, as well as Saturday mornings.
What happens if I miss a session?
I ask for 48 hours notice for a cancelled session – but of course sometimes life happens and things can’t be helped. If I can reschedule your missed session at a mutually convenient time, I will do my best. Otherwise the full fee will be charged.
What are your available sessions?
I currently offer daytime sessions Monday through to Saturday. I also run evening sessions on Mondays and Thursdays.
The first session of the day starts at 9am (I can do 8am sessions on request). On Saturdays these start at 8.30am until 1pm. The last evening session on a Monday or Thursday is at 8pm.
What resources might be helpful?
Explanation of Trauma: https://youtu.be/ZdIQRxwT1I0
Stabilisation techniques: https://www.traumamadesimple.com/mindful-living-coping-skills.html