How To Begin
The Initial Session: Primarily, the initial session is used to explore the possibility of our working together. It is an opportunity for you to get a better sense of me and how I work and for us to discuss what your expectations of therapy might be. You may also have questions around what therapy entails.
There are no 'right' or 'wrong' ways of starting to talk about what you want from therapy, so there's no need to feel overly concerned about that; there is no correct place to begin. This initial conversation will help you become clearer about what seems most important to you at this time - and we can take things from there.
If you're ready to book an initial session, feel free to get in contact, letting me know when you would like to meet. I'll let you know my current availability, then you can choose the appointment time that suits you best.
After the Initial Session: If, after this initial session, you decide that you would like to begin working with me, then therapy can continue for as long as you would like it to. You might find that a few sessions are all that you want or need, or you may wish to continue much beyond this.
Whether short- or long-term, or something in between, we'll regularly look at how you're finding our conversations, and whether what you want from therapy has changed, or is changing. Indeed, these questions can form an important part of our work together and can help us re-focus on the very things you're here to explore.
Counselling or Psychotherapy?
There are few meaningful differences between modern-day counselling and psychotherapy. They can each focus on a single issue or range of concerns, and can be either short or long-term in duration.
I am Accredited and Registered as both a Counsellor and Psychotherapist and am happy to identify myself as either. I use the term 'therapy' to encompass both.
