Frequently asked questions
What is counselling?
Counselling provides a safe and confidential space for you to talk to a counsellor about your concerns. A counsellor will help you explore your thoughts, feelings and behaviours, to help you gain a better understanding of yourself, of what is happening in your life and in your relationship with others.
A counsellor will not give you their opinions or advice or prescribe medication. They will help you find your own solutions – whether that’s making effective changes in your life or finding ways of living more easily with life events.
What can counselling help with?
Counselling can help with a variety of life events, helping you explore what is happening and why, to find your way through to your own answers and solutions.
- Anxiety or depression.
- Difficulties in relationships, whether from childhood or more recently in your life.
- Bereavement and grief can cause severe disruption to daily life, leading to numbness or a confusion of feelings and thoughts.
- Perhaps you or a loved one has had a sudden serious illness
- A relationship has unexpectedly ended, leading to anxiety or depression, feelings of confusion, helplessness or anger.
- Behaviours and ways of being with yourself or others may no longer be working.
- Addictions and eating disorders.
- Loneliness and isolation
- Parts of your life may feel out of control, affecting the whole.
- Life is not being lived fully.
- Life is at a crossroads and you want to explore the options, look at the potential changes each choice would bring to your life.
- Spirituality
Do I need to do anything prior to the first session?
After we have arranged a date and time for our first session, I will send you my counselling contract. Please read through the contract carefully and, if you have no questions, please sign and return the contract to me via email. If you have questions, these can be discussed at our first session.
Do I offer on-line or telephone counselling?
Yes, I do. This is useful if you cannot attend in person or if you prefer to use Zoom or telephone for your sessions.
I use Zoom, which is a secure video conferencing platform. I will provide you with a link to our waiting room prior to a session. Simply follow that link and you’ll be ready for your session. I will let you in from the waiting room at the start of our session.
To work on Zoom or by telephone, you will need a quiet and private place, where you won’t be disturbed for the duration of our sessions. It is important that you feel able to speak freely in our working together.
Is my data kept securely?
Yes, I keep a minimal amount of information on each client, which is stored on the cloud and password protected. Information kept is in line with the GDPR regulations and I am registered with the Information Commissioner’s Office.
Confidentiality
The therapeutic relationship is based on confidentiality and I will as a rule not divulge any details of what occurs in our therapy sessions, except with my supervisor, where any personal details are anonymised.
There are circumstances where I may need to contact emergency services, following discussion with you, if I believe you are at serious risk, if someone else is at serious risk or if you are involved with criminal activity.
