FAQs
How do I know if therapy is right for me?
This will be carefully assessed in our initial consultation. We will make a joint decision about whether your needs are best served by counselling, and if they are, whether I am an appropriate counsellor for you to see.
What will happen at the initial session?
You may be nervous on the run up to the session, but this is perfectly normal.
We will meet for around 50 minutes (the same length of time as ongoing sessions) and I will find out about you and what has brought you to therapy. We will work out together what it is that you want to get out of your therapy. You will get an understanding of how I work, and also get the opportunity to ask any questions you may have. We will then decide whether we will have ongoing sessions, or whether another therapist, or service, might suit you better.
I will also go through the contract with you. This is nothing to worry about, it means that you gain an understanding of what the counselling process involves and how we will work together. The contract forms the basis of our work together and may include:
- Duration of sessions
- Regularity of sessions
- How I can be contacted
- Fees
- Reviews
- Termination of counselling
- Holidays
- Missed Sessions
- Confidentiality
Is counselling totally Confidential?
Most people see a counsellor because they want what they discuss with the counsellor to remain confidential. This is the case with the majority of issues, however confidentiality is not absolute.
There are exceptions and this will be discussed at your initial session when contracting. Please refer to the section on the website on confidentiality.
Please explain more about how an Integrative Humanistic counsellor works?
I have trained as an Integrative Humanistic counsellor and I believe in seeing each individual as a whole person, which includes your body, feelings, mind and spirit.
I believe that clients have different needs and therefore my work is inspired by my three core theories, including Person Centred therapy, Gestalt and Transactional Analysis. I aim to encourage you to develop yourself and your relationships by integrating these humanistic theories to explore any issues that you may be experiencing and to enable you to bring your body, mind, soul and spirit together as a whole.
At the heart of any change is the relationship that we develop together, working together to explore your feelings and ultimately to enable you to take responsibility for yourself and your choices.
I am a parent, searching for help for my son/daughter, how does the counselling relationship work?
It is important that they know you are arranging an initial consultation, as counselling works best when a client is willing to explore it.
I may speak to the parent on the phone prior to the initial consultation, to get an understanding of the situation. After this I will meet with the young person face-to-face for an initial consultation, and my relationship will be with them going forward. Generally I will have minimal contact with the parent, as the young person will benefit most from knowing they have a confidential relationship with me. This is, of course, subject to any potential safeguarding concerns, in which case the parent may be notified, depending on the age of the young person. We may also liaise further in relation to travel arrangements and/or funding the sessions, if you are doing so, but in the main you will discuss that with your child.
What is an Ethical Framework?
The purpose of the framework is to give counsellors’ support and guidance in resolving issues that can and do crop up in their work. It is also to encourage practitioners to work ethically and to be aware of their responsibilities in delivering therapy in a variety of settings and within different organisations and also as protection for the public.
For more information, see www.bacp.co.uk