Talking therapy involves speaking in confidence with a trained counsellor or mental health professional about your individual struggles. In the first instance, we suggest booking a free, confidential initial consultation. During your initial consultation, your counsellor will ask you some questions about why you are seeking counselling, what you feel you need help with and what you hope the outcomes will be. Your counsellor may ask you a few questions to get a feel for whether we have the right skills and experience to be able to help you. If we feel we can help you, we will suggest you book your next session via our website at a day and time that suits you. If you are happy to go ahead, click to book your session.
When you book your first session, your counsellor will send you a copy of the counselling agreement and all the information you'll need. On the day and time of your session, you will either attend in person or online. If online click on your Zoom link to take you to your online meeting. Simply follow the instructions to connect to your counsellor.
Your counsellor will talk you through the counselling agreement to ensure you understand the content, in particular regarding confidentiality and you will be asked to sign the online agreement. *You are not bound by this agreement and you can end counselling at any time.
This is your confidential and safe space so you can talk through your concerns in confidence. Online sessions are fully encrypted. Sessions normally last for 50 minutes, with 10 minutes at the end for review.
After the session has ended, you can go online and book and pay for your next session. We suggest a minimum of six sessions. This gives you chance to build a trusting therapeutic relationship with your counsellor. You and your counsellor will review your progress together every six weeks.
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Your counselling sessions
Your counsellor will provide a safe, supportive and neutral space for you to explore your innermost fears, doubts and struggles.
You can tell your counsellor what has brought you to counselling. You can take your time and talk about it in your own words. Your counsellor may try to find out a little bit more about you but will mostly be listening. Your counsellor will help you figure out what you want to achieve from counselling and agree some outline goals.
The sessions are guided by you. You can talk about whatever you want or need to talk about in your session. It's your confidential space and time to explore whatever you want to explore. Your counsellor is trained to listen carefully, to help you make sense of what you're struggling with and to help you find your way to feeling better.
By providing caring, compassionate and non-judgemental support, your counsellor will help you work your way through your problems to the right solutions that will work for you.
Online counselling is a valuable source of support. We understand you may be anxious but we're here to support you all the way. We can address any issues or concerns in our first session and we can work out how we can continue to work together along the way. You can raise any issues or concerns at any time.
At week six, your counsellor will review your progress with you and agree more sessions if this is working for you and you feel you need more. There is no obligation and you can cancel your counselling agreement at any time. We recommend that if you're thinking of ending counselling you discuss this and explore this with your counsellor as this could form an important part of the work you're doing together.
You Will
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Be given a private, confidential online space and time to talk at your own pace
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Be respected
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Experience warmth, kindness, empathy, compassion and understanding from your counsellor
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Be supported to build a trusting, therapeutic relationship with your counsellor
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Feel seen, heard and understood
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Be helped to make sense of things that feel messed up and confused right now
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Be helped to understand yourself and to recognise any unhelpful patterns
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Feel ok again, at your own pace, in your own way, when you're ready to feel ok again
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You won’t be judged or diagnosed and we won’t try to fix you
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You won’t be rushed, you will be supported to go at your own pace
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Stand by you, be in your corner while you face up to the hard stuff
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Help you find ways to process difficult, complicated or scary thoughts and feelings
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Encourage you to be open and honest about how things are for you
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Help you find ways to come to terms with how things are
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Help you to figure out how you want things to be instead
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Help you find ways to overcome your challenges
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Help you set goals and find ways to change the things you want to change
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Not try to change the things you don't want to change, it’s your life
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Be guided by you, respecting that only you know what’s best for you and what works for you at your pace, in a way that works for you
Counselling can be hard and very challenging, you have to feel ready for it. But it doesn't have to be all doom and gloom, we can also celebrate the good stuff and the small wins and we do have laughs along the way.