Counselling is a form of emotional support that is facilitated through talking. A trained counsellor will listen to the challenges a client is going through in a non-judgemental and confidential way to support them in opening-up about experiences and feelings that may be causing them distress. The counsellor is not there to ‘fix’ a client or advise them what to do, but will support them in finding greater clarity and resources to draw upon to maintain good mental wellbeing. Alongside listening attentively, a counsellor will also use techniques such as reflecting a client’s words back to them, asking gentle questions and summarising what a client has shared. Some forms of counselling may also involve practical exercises such as breathing techniques and visualisations, as well as worksheets and diagrams. Counsellors may also use metaphors or creative tasks, such as drawing, as a way of expressing and exploring emotions. Counselling can take place over several weeks or up to several years and can be used to reflect on events in the past as well as the present. There are no ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ topics to talk about. The counsellor is not there to judge, but is instead there to listen and support you.

For more information, please see some additional resources below:

• BACP - What is counselling?

• Counselling Directory - What is counselling?

The terms ‘counselling’, ‘psychotherapy’ and ‘therapy’ are often used interchangeably as they have a shared purpose of using talking a form of emotional support. ‘Therapy’ can present an umbrella term used for both counselling and psychotherapy and practitioners will often refer to themselves as ‘therapists’ whilst practicing either counselling or psychotherapy, or both. Some suggest that counselling differs from psychotherapy as counselling can often involve shorter-term work, focused on a particular challenge, whereas psychotherapy can present a more long-term in-depth exploration of who you are and the patterns within your life. Some practitioners also attribute the terms ‘counselling’ and ‘psychotherapy’ to the counselling theory they have studied and work in alignment to. However, in general, the three terms hold the same meaning. It is always important to check with a therapist what type of support they offer and whether this fits with the support you are looking for.

Person-centred counselling originates from the work of Carl Rogers in the mid 1900s and is a humanistic approach.

Person-centred theory is based on the idea that a client is the expert in their own experience and, when met with empathy, congruence and unconditional positive regard in a therapeutic relationship with a counsellor, has the ability to to find greater understanding and grow to live in a way that is true to who they are, also known as ‘self-actualisation’.

In practice, person-centred counselling, as the name suggests, puts the person (client) at the centre of the work. The client, and what they would like to talk about, lead the counselling sessions. The therapist’s role is to walk alongside the client, supporting them in finding greater clarity about themselves, their experience and how they would like to move forwards.

Where other approaches to counselling may include practical exercises, a focus on the past, or a focus on the present, person-centred counselling can feel somewhat ‘unstructured’ and the aim of this is to enable a client to navigate towards areas that feel most relevant to talk about, and determine where best to focus their time within the sessions. Person-centred counselling can be effective in both short-term and long-term work.

To learn more about person-centred counselling, and the theory underpinning the approach, please see some resources below:

• Counselling Directory - Person-Centred Therapy

• Counselling Tutor - The Person-Centred Approach to Counselling

• BACP - What is Person-Centred Counselling?

• BACP - What is humanistic therapy?

I am a person-centred counsellor and can offer person-centred counselling sessions. Please see About for more information.

There are many different types of counselling and each approach has it's own structure, philosophy and purpose. There is no 'better' or 'worse' type of counselling. The effectiveness of each approach depends on a client's therapeutic needs and personal preferences. Some of the most common types of counselling are Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT), Person-Centred, Psychodynamic and Solution-Focused Therapy. Many counsellors also describe themselves as 'integrative', meaning that they may combine and draw on multiple approaches to counselling in their work, depending on what is most appropriate for the client. It is important that you know what type of counselling your counsellor offers, so that you understand the approach and structure of your sessions. As everyone is unique, finding the right type of counselling for you is a personal decision.

Below are some additional resources with more information about different types of counselling:

• Mind - What different therapies are there?

• BACP - An A-Z of therapeutic approaches

• Counselling Directory - Types of therapy

Please note that I am person-centred counsellor and currently only offer person-centred counselling.

This is a very personal decision and one to consider with thought before starting counselling sessions. It is important that you feel at ease with a counsellor and will be comfortable to open up to them. Before starting counselling it can be helpful to consider what challenges you are going through (what has brought you to counselling) and what you are hoping counselling will help with (what do I hope will be the outcome). The answers to these questions may help to steer you towards the type of counselling that may be most beneficial for you. You can also consider what type of counselling sessions you would find the most relevant, e.g. would it be completing practical exercises, or having open time to explore freely?

If you are uncertain, all reputable counsellors will offer an initial consultation, usually free-of-charge to meet briefly and discuss how they work. There is no obligation to continue to counselling sessions after this, so arranging initial sessions with several counsellors can be a helpful way to find a counsellor and type of counselling that is right for you. Counsellors also anticipate and encourage this, so won’t be offended if you attend an initial consultation and decide to work with someone else!

Please see Counselling for a step-by-step guide of how to begin counselling sessions.

More generally, please also see the below resource from Mind about how to access counselling through services such as the NHS, local organisations or privately:

• Mind - How to find therapy or counselling

Simply, whatever you would like to! Counselling sessions are a space for you to talk openly and at a pace that feels most comfortable for you. There is no ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ way to talk about your experiences and you are in control of how much you would like to share. Some may worry that they are talking ‘too much’, but this is the space to do so! Others may find it difficult to know where to begin, and it is ok if it takes a bit of time to open-up, or put your thoughts into words. Counselling sessions are the place to express what you would like to, however ‘rambling’, ‘messy’ or ‘complicated’ it may sound. The counsellor is there to listen and support you in being able to speak openly and honestly.

Before starting counselling sessions, a counsellor will complete an assessment with you. The purpose of this is to gain a better understanding of your wellbeing and what you hope counselling will help with. The purpose of the assessment is not to diagnose or test you, but instead make sure that the counsellor has the right experience and training to support you safely and effectively.

Assessments can vary depending on the counsellor and organisation, but will usually include questions about what has brought you to counselling and your mental and physical wellbeing. Assessments will usually follow a set format, but will be conversational and an opportunity for you to share what you feel is relevant for a counsellor to know about.

An assessment may be the first time you have spoken openly about your experiences, so can sometimes be challenging. However, the counsellor will work through the assessment at a pace that is comfortable for you and you are welcome to take breaks.

After the assessment you may feel that the counsellor, or their approach, is not right for you, and there is no obligation to continue on to counselling sessions. In turn, the counsellor may feel that their style of counselling, and experience, are not suited to the topics you would like to explore in counselling. In order to act ethically, they may share that a different counsellor or organisation could be a better avenue of support for you.

Please see Counselling for more information about how an assessment fits within the process of starting counselling.

A counselling contract, also known as a counselling agreement, is a written document that sets out how and counsellor and client will work together. This will include practical information, such as the date and time of the sessions, as well as information about boundaries within counselling, such as the limits of confidentiality. The contract is also a working document and can be referred back to, and updated, at any point during counselling sessions. The purpose of a contract is to ensure that both the counsellor and client are clear about how your counselling sessions will work.

It is very important that you have access to the counselling contract and have plenty of time to read it and ask any questions you may have about it. Agreeing to and signing the contract, also known as contracting, must take place before any counselling work begins, so it is completed at the start of the first counselling session. A contract is usually shared ahead of the first session to ensure that you have time to see it beforehand and please don’t hesitate to ask about anything you are unsure about. You are also welcome to add to the contract, if you feel there is something you would like to share or agree before beginning counselling work with the counsellor, such as requesting a specific time for a Zoom link to sent, etc. A contract will usually refer to other policies that will be in place during your counselling sessions, such as the confidentiality policy and safeguarding policy. If you wish to find out more about these, the counsellor should be able to share copies of these with you.

Please see Counselling for more information about how a counselling agreement / contract fits within the process of starting counselling.

Counselling sessions are 50 minutes in length.

There is no ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ number of sessions to attend. Some find that they feel comfortable to end counselling after a handful of sessions, whereas others choose to attend over a longer period. It is important to not feel rushed, but also feel comfortable to share if you would like to end counselling.

It can be helpful to start by booking six sessions, and see where the sessions lead. There is no obligation to complete all six sessions if you feel ready to finish earlier. However, when approaching the sixth session, both client and counsellor may have a better idea of how many sessions may be suited for ongoing work.

If working open-endedly, without a fixed number of sessions in mind, it is often helpful to check-in about this roughly every 6 sessions.

I can work both short-term and long-term in my practice and this is something that can be discussed prior to starting counselling sessions and agreed as part of contracting (please see question above for more information about this).

Counselling sessions typically take place once a week. Attending weekly supports consistency in the work, as well as providing several days between sessions to reflect.

Some people find that they would like longer between sessions to process what they are working through and choose to have sessions every two weeks.

It is also possible to change between weekly and fortnightly sessions, as well as taking a break from sessions, depending on how the counselling unfolds.

Please note that changing between weekly / fortnightly sessions may require a change of day / time due to session availability.

Yes, for consistency, a time and day for your sessions will be agreed when starting counselling sessions and this slot will be yours for as long as you need it.

There will, of course, sometimes be unexpected circumstances, commitments or holidays that mean a session time or day may need to be moved as a one-off.

However, it is important that changes to session dates and times are kept to a minimum where possible. Depending on availability, it may not be possible to move a session to a different time within the same week.

I aim to be as flexible as possible in my practice, so session dates / times are something that can be discussed and agreed prior to starting sessions, as well as during ongoing work, especially with changes to working hours / shifts or other responsibilities.

For details of current available session times, please see Counselling.

The fee per counselling session is £45.

I also offer a reduced fee of £35 for students and individuals in full-time education (a valid student ID will be required to confirm this).

Fees are to be paid by bank transfer by the end of the day the counselling session takes place.

Session fees may change during our work together, however you will be given 3 months notice of any fee increases.

Yes, counselling sessions are confidential and the content of the sessions will not be discussed externally, apart from in specific circumstances, where confidentiality may need to be broken either with or without your consent. For more details, please see Confidentiality Policy.

Before starting counselling sessions, we will complete a counselling assessment which will include your contact details and information about your wellbeing. This assessment form will be kept for the duration of our work and for 7 years after ending sessions. During counselling sessions, brief notes will be kept about each session as a summary of topics discussed and any signposting / safeguarding information. Again these will be kept for 7 years before being destroyed. Information is stored confidentially and steps are taken to anonymise information as much as possible. You can request to see any or all information about your and your counselling sessions at any time and you can also request for this information to be destroyed before 7 years have passed. For more information, please see Privacy Policy.

This is very unique to each individual and their experience of going to counselling. It is important to remember that counselling is not a ‘quick fix’, and whilst talking openly may feel like a release, there may also be times where you find it challenging, confusing or overwhelming. It is important to always be honest with yourself and the counsellor about how you are finding counselling, so that relevant adjustments can be made. Counselling aims to support you through exploring upsetting, confusing or unsettled experiences, which in practice may lead to greater clarity, awareness, acceptance, resilience and hope for the future. Generally, counselling is ‘working’, if you feel comfortable to be yourself and share without judgement, which in turn is generating greater understanding of yourself and your experiences.

Yes, there is no obligation to complete a certain number of counselling sessions, or attend for a specific length of time. Deciding to end counselling should be a decision that feels right for you. You may find that counselling sessions come to a natural ending point, or that sessions are no longer right for you at this time. Deciding on when to end sessions can be a really helpful conversation within counselling sessions and counsellors are not offended if you say you would like to end!

When stopping counselling, it can be helpful to give at least two weeks (or four weeks for fortnightly sessions) notice to provide chance to talk through an ending within a session and for you and the counsellor to bring the sessions to a close in a structured way.

Absolutely! Counselling is not intended to be a one-time ‘fix’ and it can be something helpful to return to at several points in life. There is no ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ number of times to attend counselling. If you have attended counselling before, it can be helpful to spend some time reflecting on why you would like to start again, what you found helpful or not helpful before and if you would like to approach the sessions differently, or seek a different type of counselling. If you have had counselling before, it can also be useful to share this with your counsellor during your assessment so that they are aware that you may have experienced a different type of counselling, and that

The BACP is the British Association for Counselling

I only work with adult clients (aged 18+).