Counselling with me

I like to think of counselling as a collaborative journey, where counsellor and client work together towards your desired outcome, combining both of our resources and knowledge. I often tell clients that they are the ones in the driving seat, choosing the pace, focus and depth of the work. My role as counsellor is to support you on that journey, helping to navigate a steady course.

My aim is for clients to gain a greater understanding of themselves as a whole, and to feel more empowered and equipped with the right tools and resources to cope better with life.

What kind of counselling do I offer?

My training is primarily in Gestalt relational therapy, which holds the belief that our experience of relationships – with others and with ourselves – is central to who we are in the world, to our ability to function well and feel fulfilled.

A safe and trusting relationship between counsellor and client creates a space for us to learn to be authentic and real, and to test new ways of relating with openness and honesty.

Gestalt therapy also pays attention to those places where we feel stuck in our lives, maybe because of a limiting belief about self (e.g. “I’m not good enough”) or from a sense of not being able to move forward and take action (e.g. procrastination or depression).

Is counselling right for you?

Counselling can be many things to different people. Some people seek help for relationship difficulties, anxiety or depression, and are able to learn creative strategies for coping better. Others find these early sessions grow from looking at the initial issue into a longer and deeper enquiry. In this process they discover new aspects of themselves that had previously been hidden, and uncover a greater meaning to their lives. Bringing together all parts of the life story into a narrative that finally 'makes sense' can be very healing. Each of us has a unique story to tell.

How much does a session cost?

I charge £50 for a one-hour session of individual 1:1 counselling. A one-hour relationship counselling session costs £60. I have a limited number of low-income spaces available at a reduced fee. Please contact me to discuss this further.

"I understand that finding the right counsellor may feel daunting so I offer a free 30 minute session in which you can ask questions and get a sense of who I am and how I work. We can then decide together if counselling with me is the right option for you at this time."

How long does counselling take?

There is no set number of sessions, counselling can be as long or as short a journey as you feel ready to take. In the first session I will spend time exploring what you are hoping to gain from counselling, and in later sessions we will review how it is going so that we can see how your counselling experience is meeting your needs and expectations. I will support you in deciding when you are ready to end counselling, and at that point we can use the last session to bring our therapeutic work to a clear ending.

How often are the sessions?

Sessions are usually weekly. Being able to meet once a week provides a sense of flow and continuity, it allows for trust and safety to develop between the client and counsellor, and also creates an inner momentum of awareness and insight.

What if I miss a session?

I ask clients to give me as much notice as possible if they are unable to make their session. If you need to cancel your session with less than 24 hours' notice, I will charge 50% of the usual fee. Equally, if I have to cancel a session, I will contact you as soon as I possibly can.

Further information

For more information on how counselling works, and what to expect from your counsellor, click on these links:

http://www.itsgoodtotalk.org.uk/what-is-therapy

http://www.counselling-directory.org.uk/what-is-counselling.html

For more general information on Gestalt therapy please click here:

http://www.counselling-directory.org.uk/gestalt-therapy.html