services

During the session I will ask questions or give you some reflective feedback. I try to make my approach feel as close to a normal conversation as possible.

Much of counselling is focused on helping you understand yourself better, which in turn can help you make better decisions. I may also tell you a helpful story, or explain something about how our brains and bodies work. We can also talk through plans and ideas that you have.

Probably the most helpful aspect of counselling is being able to talk about what you want, and not be judged.

I have a sofa and a chair. You can choose either. You can also sit on the floor if you prefer, and I have cushions or a mat to sit on. The light and temperature can also be adjusted to suit you. I have a tray of fidget toys which you can help yourself to. I also have water available.

You can bring you own drink with you, and things which will help you during the session, like a blanket, or comfy socks if you like to pull your feet up on the sofa. Some people like to bring notes about what to talk about.

People talk about a really wide range of things. Typically this will be things that people are having problems with, such as work, education, and relationships, or hard to manage feelings like anxiety, anger, and/or feeling low or depressed. You may use the language you feel comfortable with and this includes using swear words. You are also allowed to express strong feelings, and I will support you with managing them during the session.

While no topic is out of bounds, I do have additional responsibilities if there is a concern about a safeguarding issue or if serious harm to yourself or others might occur. I would discuss this with you first if it did arise.

Generally I am fairly high energy and quite expressive when I talk, which works well for many people. However my aim is to vary my approach and the energy of the session to match you, so I can also be slower and calmer.

I am open to being asked questions, and I also welcome feedback.

I don’t have a formula for doing therapy, rather what I do is to figure out what kind of style works best for you. I am happy to talk through and agree together how we will approach working with a problem.

And I also really appreciate feedback, because it really helps me. So if things aren’t working, I can look at how we can do things differently. For instance some people need structure, while others like a more free flowing session.