What to Expect
It's not unusual for people to feel a bit anxious when they come for their first counselling session, and I will do my best to make you feel at ease as quickly as possible. You will be under no obligation to continue working with me if you are not sure that we are the right 'fit', and you are in complete control of deciding when you would like to end our sessions.
In the first session I will answer any questions you may have about how we will work together, and then we will get on with finding out what you are hoping to achieve from counselling. Even if you are not sure about your best hopes, most people find that spending some time clarifying what they mean by 'better', 'happier', 'in control' etc is in itself very motivating and encouraging. Some people worry that they will be expected to talk about experiences or feelings that are too difficult to share, but this is not the case with Solution Focused counselling. We will go at your pace, and you will decide what is most useful for us to discuss. In my work I have found that people do not necessarily have to re-experience painful thoughts, feelings and memories in order to move on from them.
Sessions last for fifty minutes, and you will be offered a regular slot at the same time each week or fortnight. We will regularly review how things are going, so that you soon get a sense of the progress you are making, and have plenty of chances to re-focus the work if necessary.
Currently all sessions (including couples and family work) are held online via zoom. Many clients have commented that they very much prefer the convenience and accessibility of online sessions, and have adapted very quickly to interacting via webcam with no loss of personal connection. Please note that online counselling is not suitable for crisis support.
Individual sessions cost £55. Family and Relationship sessions cost £60.