Question 1

WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?

Accepted Answer

A free initial 20 minute consultation by phone is the best place to start so you can find out about me and I can get a sense of what issues you wish to explore. We can then discuss how long this has affected your life and previous experiences of counselling. It would be helpful if you could also share if anything like a recent loss or sudden change has occurred in your life. If you feel comfortable, we can exchange emails and I’ll send a copy of my contract for you to review and ask any questions before booking an appointment.
During our first session we will complete basic housekeeping, client records and a risk assessment before therapy commences.  This initial session also helps you to check how you feel about working together. The following sessions will be focused 100% upon your concerns.

It will be my intention to help you understand yourself more and come to a place of accepting yourself and identifying any changes. This can be challenging and many people prefer to have some alone time after a counselling session to think over whatever came up for you.

Question 2

HOW DOES COUNSELLING WORK?

Accepted Answer

For those who enter into a counselling relationship, it will always be a unique experience as everybody’s experience of the world is just as unique as you are. The nature of the therapeutic relationship that is created between the Client and the Counsellor will differ just as much as the nature of your particular concerns. I will work with you in a person-centred way and we will have regular reviews to reflect on how the therapy is working for you. For counselling to work you have to engage in the process, and the environment that I provide will help you to share the most difficult things in life that are causing concern, stress, anxiety or depression.
 
Thinking about what you want to talk about before a session is very helpful, just as processing the things that come up during the session afterwards is very beneficial to your progress.
 
Counselling will bring highs and lows as the exploration of life events in therapy will bring insight, greater awareness and an array of feelings to the surface. It can be daunting at times but my experience with clients has shown personal growth in various aspects of their life such as improving how you respond in relationships, managing problems and depression or anxiety.
 
I will offer empathy, a non-judgemental listening ear, support and transparency throughout our sessions. We will go at your pace exploring whatever it is that you choose to bring for either short-term or long-term therapy.

Question 3

WHO CAN ACCESS BE STILL COUNSELLING SERVICES?

Accepted Answer

I provide affordable individual counselling for all people over the age of 18.
All sessions are in English.

Question 4

WHAT TYPE OF COUNSELLING DO YOU PROVIDE?

Accepted Answer

I am a qualified Person-Centred Counsellor and will work with you on a one-to-one basis. I offer 50-minute sessions on a weekly basis.
I work with clients experiencing a range of psychological suffering including personal or professional relationships, life transitions, grief, loss, depression and anxiety etc. I am dedicated to providing high quality counselling however, if we feel that I am not the right Counsellor for you, I can refer you to more suitable organisations or other specialist Counsellors so please do call for a free of charge initial conversation.

I can also support you in identifying symptoms of depression and or anxiety and provide tools and techniques for you to manage the symptoms of stress and depression with a directive approach.

Question 5

HOW OFTEN WILL I NEED TO ATTEND COUNSELLING?

Accepted Answer

We will meet weekly to maintain progress.  Fortnightly sessions can be discussed if necessary.

Towards the end of each session, I will tell you when we have 5 – 10 mins left so that you are aware and don’t start additional explorations without sufficient time to explore. This also ensures that you are able to readjust and prepare to leave the room without feeling unsettled.

Question 6

HOW LONG WILL I ATTEND COUNSELLING FOR?

Accepted Answer

It is very difficult to accurately say how long you will be in Counselling for due a range of variables including the nature of your concern and what it is that you wish to achieve through attending therapy. Recent and isolated events may not take as long as historic events which may take time to reveal and start to heal. However, it is a very unique process and only time will tell. Regular reviews will assist in monitoring progress and providing an opportunity to talk about what is and isn’t working.

Question 7

WHEN CAN I BOOK AN APPOINTMENT?

Accepted Answer

Appointments are available Monday - Friday between 5:30 - 19:30 and Saturday between 9:00 - 11:00. 
Each therapy session is for 50 minutes.
I require a minimum of 48 hours’ notice for cancellation without charge.
Sessions are available online, via the telephone or in person subject to availability.

Question 8

HOW MUCH DOES EACH SESSION COST?

Accepted Answer

Each 50 minute session costs £65.00. Payment must be made online before all sessions commence.

Question 9

IS WHAT I SAY IN COUNSELLING CONFIDENTIAL?

Accepted Answer

What is shared during a counselling session remains private. Confidentiality would only be breached and the relevant authorities informed if one or more of the following areas was raised – harm to self, harm to others, crime, terrorism, money laundering, children protection or protection of vulnerable adults. I would talk to you in detail about the breach in advance of informing any authorities, unless there are safeguarding issues that prevent this, and support you where possible through the breach process. When speaking with my supervisor regarding my professional skills, I shall not name you or release any identifiable information.

Question 10

WHAT IS PERSON CENTERED COUNSELLING?

Accepted Answer

A different kind of listening.
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Person-centred therapy, also known as person-centred or client-centred counselling, is a humanistic approach that deals with the ways in which individuals perceive themselves consciously, rather than how a counsellor can interpret their unconscious thoughts or ideas.
 
Person-cantered therapy was developed by Carl Rogers in the 1940s, and diverged from the traditional model of the therapist as expert and moved instead toward a nondirective, empathic approach that empowers and motivates the client in the therapeutic process.
The therapy is based on Rogers’s belief that every human being strives for and has the capacity to fulfil his or her own potential.
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Rogers identified 6 key factors that stimulate growth within an individual. He suggested that when these conditions are met, the person will gravitate toward a constructive fulfilment of potential. According to Rogerian theory, the six factors necessary for growth are:
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1. Therapist-Client Psychological Contact: This first condition simply states that a relationship between therapist and client must exist in order for the client to achieve positive personal change. The following five factors are characteristics of the therapist-client relationship, and they may vary by degree.

2. Client Incongruence or Vulnerability: A discrepancy between the client’s self-image and actual experience leaves him or her vulnerable to fears and anxieties. The client is often unaware of the incongruence.

3. Therapist Congruence or Genuineness: The therapist should be self-aware, genuine, and congruent. This does not imply that the therapist be a picture of perfection, but that he or she be true to him- or herself within the therapeutic relationship.

4. Therapist Unconditional Positive Regard (UPR): The clients’ experiences, positive or negative, should be accepted by the therapist without any conditions or judgment. In this way, the client can share experiences without fear of being judged.

5. Therapist Empathy: The therapist demonstrates empathic understanding of the clients’ experiences and recognizes emotional experiences without getting emotionally involved.

6. Client Perception: To some degree, the client perceives the therapist’s unconditional positive regard and empathic understanding. This is communicated through the words and behaviours of the therapist.
 
REF: Rogers, Carl R. (1957). The Necessary and Sufficient Conditions of Therapeutic Personality Change. Journal of Consulting Psychology, 21. Retrieved from shoreline.

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