What to expect.

Getting started with counselling

If you've not had counselling before, you might feel nervous about getting started or unsure what to expect. Just the thought of opening up to a stranger can feel… well, strange! So, let’s start at the beginning.

What is counselling?

Counselling is a type of psychotherapy where you talk to a trained professional about your personal, emotional, psychological, or behavioural issues that might be causing distress or difficulty in daily life. It can help you understand yourself, explore your thoughts, feelings, and behaviours in a safe and private environment, and find ways to cope with difficulties. A counsellor helps by providing support, guidance, and tools to cope with problems, improve mental wellbeing, and make informed decisions.

My approach

Choosing the right counsellor is so important. While qualifications and experience are important, it's also about finding someone you feel comfortable opening up to, at times about things you may not have shared with anyone else before.

My clients tell me that it's my calm, kind approach that helps them feel at ease talking openly. During our time together, it’s my aim for us to foster a relationship rooted in trust, acceptance, respect, and compassion.

I work collaboratively with clients, where we decide together which therapeutic methods are the best fit for your needs, and adapt as we go if needed. Working in this transparent way not only allows us to shape your therapy in a way that works for you but also helps to empower you to find solutions that you can take forward.

What if I struggle to talk about feelings?

Counselling is a talking-based therapy. Talking about feelings can be difficult for some people. It can be hard to find the words to describe how you feel, or even connect with your emotions in the first place. I’ll gently support you in exploring your experiences and the effect they’ve had on you, at a pace that works for you, and help you find ways to cope better and take steps forward.

I can also work creatively with clients who wish to, using various creative interventions, such as emotion cards, figures or symbolic objects, and guided exploratory activities. Used alongside traditional talk therapy, these creative approaches can help you express yourself and gain insight, without relying on words or feeling pressured to articulate your emotions. This approach can help you access deeper feelings and provide alternative ways to explore complex issues, often by engaging the unconscious mind.

Don't worry if you're not a creative person (I'm not either!), you don't need to be ‘good at art’ to be able to benefit from working in this way. In fact, there are many ways to work creatively without ever having to create a ‘thing'‘!

If working creatively really isn't your thing, that's absolutely fine! I will always be led by you and what you need. I'm trained in a mixture of counselling methods (including humanistic, psychodynamic and cognitive behavioural therapy) and can draw on these skills as and when they might be beneficial.