Counselling | Therapy Can Help

Frequently Asked Questions

What is counselling therapy?

Counselling is talking therapy and is a safe, non-judgmental space for you to explore and process difficult emotions that you may be experiencing.

You may be feeling lost, numb, hurt, fed up, stuck in a negative pattern, angry, dissatisfied, anxious, stressed or depressed. Whatever that may be counselling can help ease off emotional pain and help you feel in control again.

What counselling is not...

Counselling is not about being given advice or being told what to do. Whilst I cannot make decisions about your life and I cannot answer certain questions i.e. should I end this relationship? should I change job or not?, I can help you to see things from a different point of view and I can introduce you to techniques and skills that may help you to find answers to these difficult questions.

What is your therapy approach?

I am trained in Person Centred Counselling which means you will be at the centre of therapy and I will help you explore whatever challenge you may be facing at this time in your life. My role is to guide you through this very personal exploration, in a safe, non judgmental and empathetic way. Given the extremely personal nature of counselling, I believe that working together as a team is crucial which is why I like to work in a honest, transparent, equal and collaborative way.

As result of the counselling process, you might feel relief and empowerment, you might be more accepting and aware of yourself and feel in control again. Ultimately you may feel more confident to take action towards your goals whether that's having healthy relationships, a satisfying career, living your life authentically for who you are, you name it!

I offer both short term/solution focused counselling as well as long term counselling if you feel this would meet your needs best.

How much does therapy cost?

please refer to my prices page or click here

How long will it take before I feel better?

I really wish I could give you a precise time frame but I want to be honest with you, it really depends on so many different factors. This is different for each client I work with. Some people I worked with reported feeling a lot better and back to their normal self only after 1 session, many others state they start to feel better around the 6-10 sessions mark and for others it takes months or years. If you are asking yourself this question I would encourage you to ask yourself 'what does feeling better mean to me? how would I know I feel better?'

How many sessions your clients usually attend?

Generally speaking, as many as they wish and for as long as they decide therapy is needed. This is for you to decide, it's your therapy therefore, it's in your hands really. You can stop therapy at any point when you feel you got what you needed and have achieved your goals.

To help you with with self assessment, I usually suggest that we review the progress of therapy around session 4/6. This give us the chance to talk about what's working well, what's not working and if anything needs changing. It can help us to tackle any possible obstacle early on in the therapy process. If you feel it's not getting you anywhere and we are unable to find a resolution you can terminate it at any stage.

Please do not wait for your therapist to tell you when to stop, I'd hate for you to feel like you have to attend our sessions when in reality you already got everything you needed from it.

What is your training and experience as psychotherapist?

I have graduated with distinction in Counselling & Psychotherapy from the University of Salford and right away I begun working as counsellor for the NHS talking therapies service and never stopped practising since. I have also worked with charities and at present I'm working self employed full time. You can find out more here

Have you been in therapy yourself?

Absolutely! It is not only a mandatory requirement to qualify but for me personally it's good practice as it helps me maintain my emotional fitness which not only benefits my personal life but also my psychotherapy work. I have had therapy following the end of my training and I know I will access it again when the need arise. Life happens for therapists too and we are just as human as anybody else.

What do you specialise in?

I'm really passionate and specialise in self esteem, self confidence building and supporting recovery from childhood emotional abuse/neglect and relationship issues such as relationship anxiety, avoidance, jealousy, self sabotaging behaviour, communication and boundaries

Is it just talking therapy or can you teach me some skills, techniques or coping strategies?

Whilst my main approach is based on emotional processing through talking therapy, I do and can introduce you to techniques, reflective exercises and strategies that you may find helpful and that are relevant to you. You are welcome to use them in between sessions and even following the end of therapy to help you carry on with your growth indipendently.