During your counselling sessions, you’ll be encouraged to express your feelings and emotions. By exploring your concerns I can help support you gain a better understanding and awareness of your feelings and thought processes, as well as identifying ways of finding your own solutions to problems and difficulties.
Assessment Meeting
This first session is a ‘getting to know you’ session and last approximately 30 minutes. I will ask you some questions, fill in a form, and then it’s for you to talk about what’s brought you to counselling. This is to see whether the model of counselling that I offer is the most appropriate method to suit your needs.
After the assessment if you decide to continue with the counselling sessions we will discuss a ‘contract’. This is a mutual agreement negotiated between the counsellor and the client, which has to be discussed and signed prior to the commencement of counselling. It articulates the responsibilities of the counsellor towards the client, and also the client’s responsibilities in the counselling relationship.
Counselling Sessions
The counselling sessions last 50 minutes to 1 hour and are usually weekly, however, I understand that weekly sessions may not be viable for everyone and this is something that can be discussed in the assessment.
It’s very important that our working relationship is two way and that you feel comfortable with me. I believe it is important to empower and provide a confidential and supportive space you require to address the issues and difficulties that you are facing.
What will happen when I’m ready to end my counselling?
When you feel ready to end the sessions I will talk to you about an ending. Some people find endings difficult. We will complete a review and discuss the positive work that you have done and encourage you to realise that this is all your hard work. In some ways counselling stays with you a long time and you can use those memories to help you deal with difficult times in your life, if they occur again in the future.
All of my clients are welcome to contact me should they wish to enter back into counselling at a later date.