Aims of Counselling / Psychotherapy
Counselling aims to provide the client with a safe and confidential space to explore their feelings without fear of being judged or told what to do. It looks to help and support you in dealing with issues that make you feel uncomfortable, are causing you pain or even to simply explore your hopes and dreams and what might be blocking them. The idea is that the therapist and client work together at the client’s pace. Sometimes setting agreed goals to work towards.
Counselling is not a quick fix and can sometimes take time to feel any difference. It can also make you feel worse in some ways as you work through difficult or painful feelings before you start to feel the change. What happens in therapy and how things develop depends on the individual.
What I Offer and how I work
I offer short-term and long-turn open-ended one-to-one counselling, and I suggest a minimum of six sessions before you decide whether or not this is for you. My work style is integrative, and I believe that each person is unique and distinctive, and as a result, each person has different needs when it comes to counselling. My way of working is about adapting my approach to the needs of the individual and supporting the individual’s autonomy in identifying their own ways to find their own solutions to problems. I am experienced in working with people from various backgrounds, varying in age, culture, religion, gender and ethnicity. In that variation, I am also used to working with a diverse range of presenting issues the client faces. For me, everything which a client entrusts in sharing is treated confidentially with care and respect. I understand that it may be difficult to trust another person with thoughts and experiences which may feel raw and very personal. My job as a therapist is to offer you a safe and confidential space where you can feel safe enough to be your true self and share your experiences with another human being who is there to support you alone, without judgement.
Assessment
This is the first initial meeting, and unlike standard therapy sessions, it lasts 60 minutes instead of 50 minutes. In this session, we get the opportunity to talk about the framework, e.g. session time, fee, work agreement etc. I will also have a list of standard questions I will ask you about yourself, and this will be the only time in therapy where you will see me write brief notes. The remainder of the session will be for you to tell me your reason for wanting counselling and look at what it is that you would like to achieve from it. It will also be your opportunity to ask me questions and reflect on any concerns you may have. The assessment is as much about you getting the feel if I am the right therapist for you and me to see if I can support you in the way you need. If you decide that you would like to start therapy, I will suggest you commit to a minimum of six sessions before you decide whether or not the process is working for you. In these sessions, we will have the opportunity to go as deeply as we would like to explore your feelings. In our first session after the assessment, I will give you a working agreement contract.
Registration
A registration form is a brief form done before the assessment. It takes basic details, e.g. name, D.O.B, address, Relevant Medical History, contact number, e-mail etc. This form is usually sent out via e-mail; the client fills it out in their own time and brings it along to the assessment.
Once counselling has come to an end the registration form will deleted.