Therapy is like a journey
I think of therapy as a journey of self-discovery, offering you the opportunity to explore your experiences, heal, and grow. When you begin this therapeutic journey with me, I will be alongside you every step of the way, providing guidance and empathy as you navigate your path. My focus will always be on you, your needs, and your wellbeing, with the aim of helping you achieve the positive changes you seek and arrive at a place where you feel more at ease with yourself, your circumstances, and those around you.
Because therapy is a collaborative process, your active participation and commitment is also key to making meaningful progress. Together, we’ll work at a pace that feels right for you, ensuring that each session is focussed on you.
Psychotherapy and counselling are often referred to as 'talking therapies' because they provide you with the opportunity to talk about what’s troubling you. It's time and space set aside regularly just for you, where you can let go, explore, and feel safe knowing that you are being heard and understood by someone trained to help you express your thoughts and feelings, and to be with what arises as you do.
In a safe, highly confidential, and non-judgemental space, I will invite you to speak about what you feel is important to discuss. This could include memories, beliefs, assumptions, feelings, body sensations, and your ways of relating to others.
By making new connections and gaining insights into your past and present experiences, you will develop the inner resources needed to better manage difficult situations and move forward.
Therapy is a flexible process and, as we move through this journey together, our focus may shift as new insights and challenges emerge. Sometimes our focus will be on you and your relationships, and at other times, it will be on the dynamic between us. This fluid approach allows us to address the most pressing issues as they arise, so that that your needs remain at the forefront.
The foundation of therapy lies in the therapeutic relationship, which is the most crucial element in achieving meaningful change. A strong, trusting bond between therapist and client creates the safety needed for genuine exploration and growth. Within this supportive relationship, we can uncover important insights, fostering healing and development, particularly in areas such as self-esteem, confidence, and how you relate to others.
Ultimately, my goal is to empower you to become your own best resource, equipping you with the insights and inner resources needed to navigate life’s challenges and continue your journey of personal growth long after our sessions have ended.​​​​​​​
Meeting together for the first time
Meeting with a therapist for the first time can be a rather daunting experience. It’s normal to feel uncertain or even nervous about starting therapy. Having had many years of therapy myself, I understand this, and I will do everything I can to make our first encounter as easy and relaxed as possible. Although many people find that the first step is the hardest, once you begin, you’ll discover the benefits of having a dedicated space to explore your thoughts and feelings without judgement.
Once you decide to get in touch, we can arrange a time to meet, and I will send you a psychotherapy and counselling contract. You can also have a look at this here. This contract doesn’t tie you into anything but rather explains my policies around confidentiality, payment, cancellations, and more, ensuring that if we decide to work together, we do so within safe and clear boundaries. I’ll also send you directions to my office, which offers a quiet and discreet place to meet.
When we meet for our first session, I will invite you to begin discussing what brings you to therapy and explore your expectations. I may ask some questions to learn more about you and your situation. We can also talk through any concerns or anxieties you have about the therapeutic process, and there will be an opportunity for you to ask questions if you are unsure about anything.
At the end of our first session, if we both feel that we can work together, we’ll discuss our next steps. If you need a little more time to decide, that’s perfectly fine too. Sometimes therapy with me may not be the right way forward, and if that’s the case, I can guide you toward other sources of support.
There is no obligation to continue after this first session, and you are always free to end therapy at any point.
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My role as your therapist
As your therapist, I see my role as walking alongside you on your journey, wherever it may lead and whatever we encounter along the way. With the right support and professional guidance, even the most challenging problems can become more manageable, and the hardest journeys can feel less daunting. I have deep trust in your innate ability to heal, and I will never push you toward paths you are not ready or willing to explore. No matter what lies ahead, I will be by your side, supporting you to develop the inner resources you need to move forward in life with greater ease, resilience, and confidence.
Will You Tell Me How To Solve My Problems?
No, I won’t tell you what to do or how to solve your problems. My role is to facilitate exploration, help you develop insight, offer a different perspective on your situation, and support you as you navigate your experience. The choice and responsibility for making any changes will always be entirely yours.
What if I don’t feel ready to talk about something?
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That’s completely okay. Therapy is a process, and you don’t need to discuss anything before you’re ready. Though it can be helpful to speak about what feels challenging, we’ll always move at a pace that works for you, making sure you feel safe and supported throughout our work together.
Your role as client
The first step of any journey is deciding to take the trip—to question what has become familiar or accepted and to consider new possibilities. In therapy, approaching your experience with curiosity and openness can be helpful. That said, we’ll always proceed in a way that feels right for you. This journey is yours, and we will be guided by what feels important for you to explore.
What should I bring to my therapy sessions?
You don’t need to bring anything specific, just yourself and an open mind. If there are particular thoughts, feelings, or events that are on your mind, we can explore those. The sessions are flexible and will always be responsive to your needs.
How often should I attend therapy?
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The frequency of sessions can vary depending on your needs. Typically, weekly sessions are beneficial for maintaining momentum, but we can discuss a schedule that works best for you when we meet.
What does a therapy session usually involve?
Every therapy session is unique and tailored to your individual needs. In each session, you’ll have the opportunity to explore the issues or concerns that matter most to you, all within a safe and supportive relationship. During our time together, I will help you talk about your feelings, behaviours, thoughts, memories and experiences. We might also examine your relationship with yourself, your relationships with others—both past and present—and the relationship we develop in therapy. This can help you to see your difficulties in a new light and put into practice healthier ways of being.
Whilst I won’t give advice, tell you what to do, or make a diagnosis, I will provide a space for you to talk, listen carefully to what you share, and try to understand your experience as deeply as I can. I may ask questions to help you consider things from a different angle or see things from a new perspective. You can learn more about my approach here. I understand from experience that this process might feel difficult or strange at first, and it’s my role as your therapist to support you through this.
In sessions, you may find yourself crying, feeling upset, or getting angry. These emotions can be unsettling and intense, however you won’t be alone. I see these feelings as an important part of our work together and will welcome all aspects of your experience, helping you process and manage any emotions that arise.​
How many sessions will I need?
This depends entirely on your situation, the difficulties you are encountering and your personal preference. Therapy does not always offer an immediate solution to long standing and often painful problems. Some issues are better suited to short-term therapy and some to longer-term therapy. There is no upper limit to the number of sessions you can have, and you may continue in therapy for as long as you find it beneficial.
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Generally speaking, if you want to focus on one specific issue, or seek to explore a particular area of your life more deeply, short-term therapy might be appropriate. Working this way we would concentrate on understanding the particular problem at hand, exploring its roots and how it impacts you. Through our work together, we’ll aim to bring clarity and insight to the issue, helping you navigate it with greater awareness and understanding in your day-to-day life. Additionally, we can also work on identifying and making the most of your existing strengths and resources, enabling you to handle the challenges you face in new and more effective ways.
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For more complex issues, such as ingrained personality traits, behavioural patterns, experiences of abuse and neglect, or for supporting ongoing personal growth, open-ended, exploratory long-term therapy with no defined endpoint may be more effective. Working this way allows trust to be built gradually over time and provides a consistent and reliable space for you to explore and resolve more deeply seated emotional difficulties. It also offers the time needed to develop a deeper understanding and acceptance of yourself, leading to positive and lasting change.
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Ultimately, the number of sessions you have is entirely up to you, and you may already have ideas about what you’ll find most helpful - we can discuss this when we meet.
Endings
It’s common for both of us to develop a sense of when our work is coming to an end, though the decision to end therapy will always be yours. Whilst you’re always free to end therapy at any point, and I will always respect your decision to leave, it’s generally best not to stop abruptly, as the process of ending therapy can be meaningful and valuable in itself. As such, whether you’re engaged in long-term or short-term work, I encourage you to speak to me about any thoughts you have about stopping and to allow time for a thoughtful ending, so we can work through any feelings or reflections that may arise. This helps ensure a smooth transition and reinforces the progress you've made.​