What is Counselling?

It is hard to put what counselling can offer into words that explain the whole experience accurately. Just as each person is unique, so what they can gain from counselling will be unique.

When counselling is relatively brief, it is more likely to focus on a particular area of difficulty such as a recent loss, separation or other significant change. In these cases, the focus will be on that event, using the counselling relationship as a place to feel supported and enabled to move on and develop new ways of coping.

When counselling goes on for a longer time, there is an opportunity to develop a deep and trusting relationship with the counsellor, within which more long-standing issues can be explored. Together, client and counsellor can work on what may seem hard to shift thoughts, feelings or behaviours.

The most important aspect of the counselling task is that the client is enabled to find their own way through the maze of possibilities, since he or she will inherently know what is right for him or herself. This will also depend on the counsellor's ability to provide a safe and supportive space by maintaining confidentiality and offering reliability, continuity and acceptance of the whole person.

What Happens Next?

When you decide you would like to try counselling, then I would be very happy to have an initial discussion with you on the phone or by e-mail to help you to decide whether you want to come and see me.

The next step would be to arrange an initial session, so that we could both explore the possibilities of us working together.

At this session I would explain more about how I work, especially how I maintain the confidentiality between us, and you would have the chance to discuss your needs more fully and have any questions answered.

Overriding all of this is the fact that I am accredited by BACP (British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy) and as such, I abide by their Ethical Framework for Good Practice and am subject to their complaints procedures. For more information please go to the BACP website.