Do you have a question about counselling or psychotherapy? Here are some answers to frequently asked questions. You're welcome to contact me with any other questions.
WHAT IS COUNSELLING?
Counselling gives you space and time to discuss your problems and any difficult feelings, challenging issues or past experiences in a safe, confidential, non-judgemental environment. Counselling changes from person to person but broadly speaking, it’s a process you might choose when you want to change or repair something in your life or make greater sense of your thoughts and feelings.
IS COUNSELLING THE SAME AS PSYCHOTHERAPY?
The words sometimes get used interchangeably, and in the UK, they are not protected terms or titles. I call myself a therapist, but my training was in counselling. Both concepts also fall under the broader banner of ‘talking therapy’, just to make things more confusing. As a rule of thumb, counselling = therapy and counsellor = therapist.
HOW DOES COUNSELLING HELP?
The way counselling can help will depend on the person receiving it. Some people want a space to unburden themselves. Others want to make sense of something troubling or distressing. The fact that counselling offers a safe and confidential environment in which to speak freely is at the heart of why it’s effective. In life, sometimes it can feel like we can’t share everything we want to with certain people – we check ourselves or self-censor. There’s no need to do that in counselling. Instead, you have the space, time and freedom to explore your own thoughts and feelings, and be heard and supported.
There’s no fixed way a session has to go in terms of what we talk about – I’m flexible in my approach. During a counselling session, we work together to explore the issues you’re facing. My role is to provide a collaborative, safe environment free of judgement and to draw on my professional experience to ensure that you’re well supported. In talking through difficulties or life challenges, you’ll have the opportunity to make greater sense of your experiences and find a way forwards.
WHAT DOES A COUNSELLOR DO?
It’s easier to answer this question in terms of what I don’t do: it’s not my role to tell you what to think, feel or do next. This can sometimes be frustrating, when you might want an easy answer. Instead, I’ll try to bring the attention back to how you feel, to what is going on for you, to uncover the causes behind what’s troubling you and the way you approach challenges in life.
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I aim to understand you as fully as I can: I listen, closely and keenly, to what you say and how you say it, to what you communicate and how you make sense of life. Then I try my best to offer that back to you, so that you can better hear it too.
People may choose to speak to a counsellor because they feel they cannot speak to a partner, friends or family about particular personal issues. Counselling is confidential, so you receive a safe, non-judgemental space to explore troubling, sensitive or challenging subjects you might not feel able to discuss elsewhere.
HOW DO I GET STARTED?
If you’re interested in having counselling, please email me or click on ‘Contact’ below to arrange your first session. I usually suggest an initial phone call of 15 minutes to give you a better sense of me, and me of you. If you then want to proceed, in our first session we’ll talk about what you want to get out of counselling. At the end of the session, if you’re happy to continue, we’ll meet at the same time each week for as long as you require.
Useful Information
I'm based in West Yorkshire, offering sessions in-person at The Grove in Ilkley and at Evolve in Leeds. I also work remotely, via Zoom or the telephone.
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Each session lasts 50 minutes and takes place weekly at the same time. I do also offer fortnightly sessions, but I recommend starting with six weekly sessions to build our working relationship.
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I see clients both during the day and in the evening and will try to accommodate you at the earliest possibility. My fee is £60 per session. I am also able to offer some concessionary rate sessions – please ask if you think this might apply to you.
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I am a registered member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP). All sessions take place in conjunction with the BACP Ethical Framework. You can find me on the BACP Therapist Directory here.