What to Expect:
Whatever your reason is for coming to counselling, it is rarely an easy road to start. It can feel uncomfortable, anxiety inducing and sometimes alien. We are not always used to having the space to truly speak our minds, free of feelings of judgement, and be given the chance to explore our own inner-workings. In our day-to-day we may try and push down our true feelings and give way to what is easiest, or safest.
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Counselling is a place where you are given the freedom, encouragement and support to explore these thoughts and feelings. A place where you can begin to see yourself in a new light and better understand who you are and why you act the way you act. It is not always fun, it may not always feel safe, and sometimes it can hurt. Change isn't always easy, and if it was, nobody would need counselling at all!
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Counselling allows you to re-evaluate, explore, change and develop your way of looking at life, at others and at yourself. My job isn't to give you the answers, but to help you look at things in a new light, from a new angle, with a fresh, unbiased lens. A metaphor I like to use is; if we were in a car together, you are in the driver's seat, I am simply there to be a navigator and help guide as required. I am there to support, to hold and be curious about where you are at, free from judgement and to provide compassion, empathy and understanding, but you are at the wheel.
I offer counselling on a weekly basis, and typically start with the mindset of short-term work. I offer 12 sessions initially, with a review on session 6 to see how you are feeling and finding working with me. This is to help give more structure to the therapy while we begin work together. Should you decide you feel you would like to keep working with me and you could benefit from more sessions, then we would discuss this around session 10. Should you choose to continue for longer term work then we would review our progress periodically. Longer term work may lead to us meeting only fortnightly as you feel your need for the sessions decreases until eventually you and I feel ready to end.
Initial Meeting:
It is important to remember that being ready for counselling is only one step. Another step is finding the right counsellor for you. People are all different and sometimes you simply may not feel like the match is right and that's okay. Counselling is a very vulnerable and exposing space and it is important to feel comfortable with the person you are working with as you want to be able to trust them.
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For that reason, I offer a free 10 minute consultation meeting online where you are free to ask questions about what working with me would be like, what issues you are hoping to explore and find support with and to better get a feel of what it might be like to work with me and if I would be the right match for you.
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You are under no obligation following this to start with me if you don't feel the fit is quite right. I can do my best to help signpost you to other places that may be better suited. Should you decide you want to start working with me, we can work on organising regularly scheduled sessions together, and the frequency of our meetings.