Getting Started
If you’ve never had counselling before, you probably have a lot of questions. From my years of experience, here are my Top 10 Questions that everyone ought to ask (but almost never do!).
If you have any further questions, you can contact me.
Will my counselling affect anyone else?
Probably, someone, somewhere will notice the difference! They may not detect a positive change to begin with, but that could be because you’re re-thinking a lot of stuff or have been recalling past memories and experiences that have been challenging.
How will it affect my relationships?
You may start to think about your relationships differently, and hopefully the whole experience will lead to healthier ways of relating to others.
What will it involve?
It usually involves you expressing, in whatever way feels right, what’s not working for you and how you’d like it to be better. This may mean looking a bit at your past as well as how you manage what’s going on now.
How will it affect me in the short-term?
There may be times when the difference isn’t necessarily a positive change initially. Things may surface for you that you need time to think through and make sense of. You may even feel unsettled or frustrated to start with but, hopefully the whole experience will lead to a more satisfactory outcome.
Will you expect me to do 'homework'?
A lot of the work is actually done by you between sessions as you process the things that emerge so, I suppose you could call that ‘homework’. There may be times whenI might ask you to do something a bit more structured like looking out for certain behaviours and patterns that you have adopted over the years, for example.
What happens if I don't feel we get on?
It’s really important that the relationship between counsellor and client is a trusting and respectful one. If you feel, for whatever reason, that the relationship or the way I work is not what you want, then of course you are free to leave whenever you wish. It is helpful though to bring it to my attention as it may be something that we can work through or that I need to address for myself.
Why do we need to sign a contract?
We both sign a contract so that there’s an agreement between us that’s open and up-front. It says something about the way I work, and the expectations that we both may have of each other.
Will you pass on the things that I disclose to you?
We would have a similar kind of understanding about confidentiality that you would expect from your doctor. There are one or two areas that I would be obliged under the law to share, but otherwise any disclosures would remain between us.
What kind of experience and qualifications do you have?
I am an accredited member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) which means they consider that I practice in a competent and ethical way. I have a postgraduate diploma in therapeutic counselling and qualified to give clinical supervision to other counsellors.
I have a disability, can I access your premises?
I’m afraid that I do not have wheelchair access to the property and I also use a room on the first floor for my work, so if climbing stairs is difficult for you, please take this into consideration. Under these circumstances, I am happy to work via Skype if this is more appropriate for you and you are happy to do so.