Counselling

What is counselling?

Counselling offers the opportunity for you to express your thoughts and feelings about your personal difficulties in a non-judgmental atmosphere and then to look at ways of working through those difficulties to a place of freedom and choice. In working together in this way I would not be offering advice; neither would I take your problem away. But I would help you to understand your life better and enable you to make whatever changes that you feel are right.

I work with an integrated model, which means that I use a variety of different methods and insights to help you explore what is troubling you. As a result I tailor what I do to the individual and his or her needs at that moment in time.

As well as counselling individual adults, I counsel couples who are experiencing problems in their relationship, and young teenagers and children. I have enhanced CRB clearance.

How safe is it for me to talk to you?

Very. As a counsellor and psychotherapist I am accredited by the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP – number 573729) and am bound by its Ethical Framework for Good Practice in Counselling and Psychotherapy and subject to its professional Conduct Procedure. That means that anything you say to me will be in the strictest confidence. Your family and friends will only learn that you are being counselled if you choose to let them know, as with any counsellor. There are a very few extreme circumstances when I might need to seek further advice, and break confidentiality, in line with BACP guidelines, but I will explain this to you at the very beginning before you tell me anything. If you have any concerns about this, or anything else, I hope you would raise it with me.

What happens after I make contact with you?

Following your initial contact with me, we will make an introductory appointment within which I hear something of your story and you get to meet me. Together we will decide if counselling is appropriate for you, and you will be free to say if you want to continue. I will send you a confidential questionnaire to complete before you come; this will provide me with basic factual information that will save time in both the introductory session and later if we agree to proceed. The fee for this session is the same as for normal counselling sessions. Furthermore, we will discuss together if it would be appropriate for you to see me or one of my colleagues.

You have other people working with you. How will I know who will best suit my needs?

I have carefully interviewed the counsellors who work with me, checking out their references and qualifications. They are all members of BACP, submitting themselves to its ethical code for good practice, and have CRB clearance. I also ensure that they are happy to work within the framework and ethos of my practice. You will pay a reduced amount if you see them.

Your initial session will be with me; within that appointment I will ascertain which of us would be best suited and available to help you with your issues and we will discuss this together. Ultimately it will be your decision as to how you move forward.

What happens if we agree to proceed?

Having agreed to continue we will then work out a mutually convenient time. This will normally be at the same time each week, but can be flexible if your situation prevents you from making such a regular commitment. My colleagues and I offer both daytime and evening sessions, Tuesday to Thursday. I also offer fortnightly sessions, if necessary, although this is not ideal.

How long is a session, and how many will I need?

A session is usually 45-50 minutes. This will be conducted within the comfortable rooms that I rent in Agriculture House, in the strictest confidence. It is always difficult to say how many sessions a person with a specific goal in mind may need. Some find their issues dealt with after 8 or 9, while others may need as many as 20. We can discuss this together in the introductory session. Ultimately it is your choice and you are in control.

I don’t have a particular issue but would still like to talk to someone, sharing my day to day struggles, on a more open-ended basis. Can you help?

Yes. Many people find that having someone to talk to on a regular, ongoing basis can be of great benefit. Again, you will be in control of what you bring and how many sessions we meet for.

What issues do you counsel for?

Together we will work out what issues need attention. The following are examples of the issues that I have helped people with: