Why consider counselling?

People come for counselling for all kinds of reasons.  It provides a safe, confidential place  where you can talk through anything that concerns you such as things which feel confusing, painful or uncomfortable in your life.  It is also a process which helps you to separate the strands of your difficulty, enabling you to recognise more clearly the meaning that these have for you and the choices that you have to bring about change.

How I work

My role is to come alongside you without judgement or telling you what to do, to support and assist you. Part of this is to help you discover and find ways to express the things you are feeling and many people have said that the support I am able to give has made it a much easier process  than they were anticipating.  As an integrative counsellor I draw on a number of counselling approaches according to what is in your best interest.   Most of the time we will work through conversation, looking at your current experience and also at how past events and relationships may be influencing this.  If you feel comfortable I may occasionally suggest we use some simple creative tools which many people have said they find helpful.

Sessions

Our first introductory meeting is an opportunity for you to ask questions about what is being offered and to share both what has brought you to consider counselling and what you hope you might gain from it.  It also provides an opportunity to help both you and I decide if I am the right person to support you at this time.  We will discuss practical issues like the number and suitable time for sessions.  If we are both happy to work together I will then ask you to sign a short form to show that you are in agreement with what we have discussed.

Most of the time we make an initial agreement to meet 4 – 6 times and then review how things are going. Some people find a few sessions will have addressed things enough for them. Others want to stay for 3 or 4 months or longer. I usually see people on a weekly basis for one hour, at the same time each week.

Online or Face to Face Counselling

We can meet either online via video link on Zoom or face to face in a peaceful garden office in Sea Mills.  To work safely together face to face there are some protocols that we will follow.

Not all types of issues can be resolved through online counselling and I will advise you if I consider that meeting online would not be the most suitable means of support for you or if I do not feel that I am the best person to support you at this time.  In these situations I will endeavour to assist you in finding a suitable alternative source of support.