Counselling & Psychotherapy

Therapy can mean different things to different people. I use the term to describe both counselling and psychotherapy, drawing on each depending on what you bring, what you need and where our work together takes us.

Counselling can offer a supportive space to talk about what is happening in your life now. You may be facing a loss, relationship difficulties, anxiety, a significant change or simply feeling that something isn’t quite right. Having somewhere to talk openly, without judgement or expectation, can help you begin to understand what you’re experiencing and find a way forward.

Psychotherapy can involve exploring things at a deeper level. Sometimes the way we feel or respond in the present is connected to experiences, relationships or patterns from our past. Psychotherapy gives us space to become curious about those connections and understand how they may still be affecting you today.

There doesn’t need to be a clear dividing line between the two. We can work with what feels important to you, at a pace that feels manageable.

Why do people come to therapy?

People come to therapy for all sorts of reasons. You don’t need a diagnosis, a crisis or even a clear explanation of what feels wrong. Sometimes you simply know that something needs to change.

You might be experiencing anxiety, grief or loss, struggling with relationships, trying to make sense of something that has happened to you, or noticing that experiences from the past continue to affect how you feel in the present.

And sometimes, you’ve simply spent so long coping that you’ve never really had the opportunity to consider how you’re doing.

What is the purpose therapy?

Therapy isn’t about me giving you advice or telling you what you should do. Instead, it offers an opportunity to understand yourself, your experiences and the ways you have learned to respond to the world around you.

As we become more aware of what is happening — both internally and in our relationships and everyday lives — we can begin to recognise patterns, understand where they may have come from and consider whether they still serve us.

Greater understanding can create more choice. The aim isn’t to change who you are, but to help you understand yourself more fully and find ways of living that feel right for you.

What happens in a therapy session?

There isn’t a set agenda that you have to follow. Each session is yours, and what we talk about will depend on what feels important to you that day.

Our first session gives us an opportunity to meet, talk about what has brought you to therapy and explore what you might want from our work together. It’s also a chance for you to get a sense of me and decide whether I feel like the right therapist for you.

If we decide to work together, we’ll agree how we’d like to begin. As our work develops, we’ll regularly check in about how therapy is feeling and whether it continues to meet your needs.

You don’t need to prepare anything or arrive knowing exactly what you want to say. We can begin wherever you are.

How many sessions will I need?

There isn’t a set number.

Some people come to therapy with something specific they would like to explore and find that shorter-term work is enough. Others want to understand experiences or patterns that have developed over many years and choose to work more deeply over a longer period.

We can talk about this when we meet. You aren’t committing yourself to a particular number of sessions, and we can review what you need as our work progresses.

How often will we meet?

Most clients choose to meet weekly, particularly at the beginning, as this can provide continuity and give our therapeutic relationship time to develop.

For some people, fortnightly sessions may be more appropriate. We can discuss what feels manageable and useful for you when we first meet.