 1) Do I need lots of money for counselling? Therapy can and sometimes does take time, this though is not always the case. I believe people are unique and individual, no two people are the same and so neither will their journey in therapy. You may be saying to yourself I know [.....] he/ she has been in therapy for what feels like forever.This may be so for them. It may not be the same for you,it is important to think about what you would like to achieve? what your goals are? what is the challenge/ difficulty that has brought you to my website right now?. If you have answers on the tip of your tongue, hold them, this is the type of discussion we will have if you decide to have a free 20-minute consultation with me and within our first session if we decide we can work together For some, a series of short term session, between 8 and 15 sessions is all that is needed for goals which have been set for therapy to be achieved. Others may feel their goals are more complex and so require being accompanied on their journey for months or more. Remember you know yourself better than anyone else, you are the expert on yourself, you have the choice to choose how long you are in therapy for if for any reason you felt was not for you, you have the option to end therapy I’d like to think that I am a good enough therapist, one who invests my time in helping you to cope/ manage life's challenges more effectively, by this I mean supporting you in developing your own ‘toolkit’ allowing you to choose the most suitable tool to help you cope at any given time. Hopefully, this will mean that at the end of your journey in therapy you will no longer need me to accompany you, being more independently, taking your toolkit with you. You can find my fees listed on the main part of my website. 2) Why can't I sort my problems out? When trying to work through our problems alone it is all too easy for us to get ‘stuck’ in our head finding ourselves going over and over them. We might get caught up in believing keeping everything to ourselves makes us strong. It could be that you feel you can't get support from your family because you don't want to upset or burden them with things that are going on for you. You may be saying people have no idea about how hard im working ‘im like a duck on the calm on the surface, moving along the water without much effort but paddling like hell underneath Sometimes it can be helpful to speak to someone like a therapist who is not involved in your situation. It can allow you to speak about anything that is bothering you without fear of upsetting, offending anyone, you can share in a safe place knowing that what you may share will not become the topic of conversation if someone innocently tells someone else what you are going through. If any of this describe anything like what is going on for you right now, As a therapist i am trained to help you discover your ‘blind spots’ things you are not aware of, therapy can help you to become more aware of things that are hidden which can help you to see things from a different perspective All therapy sessions are unique tailored to meet your individual needs, interested in your personal experience 3) Is counselling for crisis? Those who are in crisis when they have been struggling for some time to face challenging on their own, feeling as if they are no longer able to cope. However this is not always the reason people enter into therapy. Some people realise they are ‘ trapped in a cycle of negative thoughts which are holding them back from moving forward in life, others feel they need support with relationships as they feel things are going wrong. Whilst for others might want to feel better about themselves. The list is endless when we think about the challenges that life can throw at us. In my opinion talking through them with someone is a positive step to take. If you are experiencing a crisis click here to find out who can help you right now 4) Does counselling mean I'm weak? All too often we think that being strong is about not being affected by challenges situations in life. People can become very good at using ‘facades’. In simple terms this means showing on the outside a particular emotion or behaviour as a way of ‘ hiding’ what they are feeling on the inside. It can take enormous amounts of strength to recognise that this right now is taking up too much effort and to make the decision to let someone in to accompany you in facing these challenges. This could not only allow you the potential to feel freer, to be the real you but also think about how you might about to use all of that extra energy 5) Will counselling give me answers? You don't have any solutions to your problems yet! When we are faced with those times when we are struggling to cope, when life isn't moving in the direction we hoped it would our friends and family may notice and offer some advice. These people know and care about us so want to help. They often come to us with suggestions of what they feel might be best for us. If you find yourself nodding as you are reading this but find yourself saying their advice isn't working for me. I would imagine that all suggestions are well - intended Family and friends, having people to talk to can be really positive for our well being, having said this what works for one person may not work for another, this may be because our experience of a situation are different. As a therapist, I do not feel I am in a position to offer you advice, I may occasionally offer you information if I feel it will be of benefit to you. I trust that you have resources within yourself to find solutions to any difficulties you may be facing. You know yourself better than anyone else. I see my role as one in which I encourage you to explore what is bothering you. In the hope that you will have a clearer view of your situation, meaning you can then decide what is best, sometimes we may need help to discover this. |