How I work — and what to expect
For me, counselling is about connecting, understanding and working together.
I want to get to know you and see the world through your eyes. To understand what you’re going through and help you make sense of the things that feel difficult, confusing or out of place.
There is no set way of doing things. This is your space and your time, and what we talk about and explore will depend on what matters to you. You can be yourself, without having to pretend or meet anyone’s expectations.
We will work at your pace and in the direction you choose. My role is to help you feel comfortable to explore your thoughts and feelings, and find your own way forward.
I won’t just sit and listen, though. I’ll ask questions, share observations and sometimes offer a different perspective or help you see options you might not have considered.
I won’t tell you what to do or make decisions for you. It’s your life, and you remain in control of where our work takes us.
Getting started — what to expect
Taking the first step
Getting in touch is simple. You can email or WhatsApp me directly using the Get in touch button, and I’ll respond within 24 hours.
If you’d like to have a chat before deciding whether counselling is right for you, I offer a free 15-minute introductory phone call. It’s an opportunity to ask questions, tell me a little about what you’re looking for and get a feel for whether we’d work well together.
But there’s no need to have this call if you’d rather get started straight away. You’re welcome to book your first session directly.
Our first session
Our first session is a little longer, lasting 60 minutes. It’s a chance for us to get to know each other and begin to understand what brings you to counselling.
I’ll ask about what’s troubling you, but I’ll also want to learn a little about your life more generally — your relationships, family, work and the things you enjoy. We might talk about your past experiences too, where they feel relevant.
You don’t need to prepare anything or have your thoughts neatly organised. It can be helpful to think about what you’d like to get out of counselling, but it’s absolutely fine if you’re not sure yet. We can figure that out together.
Our sessions
Ongoing sessions last 50 minutes and are usually weekly, although this isn’t set in stone. Sometimes fortnightly or monthly sessions work better, and I’m also open to arranging sessions as and when you need them, where that feels appropriate and helpful.
I offer counselling online and face to face, as well as walk-and-talk sessions. Sometimes being outdoors, moving and surrounded by nature can make it easier to think, talk and find a little breathing space.
I also offer one-off sessions if you have a particular issue you’d like to explore, or if you’ve been through a difficult or traumatic experience and would benefit from a wellbeing debrief and some guidance on possible next steps.
How long will we work together?
There isn’t a fixed number of sessions that works for everyone.
We might initially agree on six or eight sessions, giving us a starting point. As we go along, we’ll check in on how things are going and whether counselling is giving you what you need.
You might feel ready to finish sooner, or you might want to continue for much longer. We’ll talk openly about this and make decisions together, with you having the final say about whether to continue.