If you’ve not had counselling before, this is a very brief explanation of what to expect.  I am speaking naturally for myself and my own way of working, honed over 12 years, and not meaning to speak on behalf of others.  

When I meet a new client for the first time, I welcome them into my counselling room, which I hope they find comfortable and a space in which they can feel sufficiently at ease.  I’m a therapist that will ask you questions and reflect back on what I think I have heard you say.   

I will explain psychological concepts where I think they may be relevant or enhance your understanding.  I will also think with you about resources or sources of support, considering with you what you may need, both right now and going forwards.  

I work in a relational, sometimes almost conversational style.  I see it as my responsibility to listen actively, not to interrupt you, to give you space and time to think through what is or has been going on, and for you to hopefully see in my responses mirrored back perhaps an underlining of your own deep feelings about the situation. 

I am here to hold the space for new insights and choices or for old and difficult ‘left-over’ feelings to emerge.  

I’m not here to withhold or keep solutions secret from you, nor to drip-feed them to you over time.  I’m happy whenever you make links or pinpoint themes that reveal some new learning for you. 

I see it as my responsibility to facilitate a deep-dive into your life for these 60 minutes and to accompany you back to the surface before the end of the session, giving you chance to come back to yourself and re-enter the day-to-day with ease.  

When you enter therapy, oftentimes it can serve to contain all those difficult thoughts and feelings which were previously consuming your every waking moment.  This is not always the case of course, but for clients, therapy can serve as that ‘spare room’ / or basement of the mind where you can lock your ‘stuff’ away til next week.  The by-product of weekly therapy can be that you regain some spaciousness and peace back to your everyday life.