What happens during the first session?

Firstly you will be warmly welcomed and offered a drink. You will be invited to share what’s bringing you to counselling and you can ask me any questions you have. By the end of the session you will hopefully have a feel for how I work and whether you would like to continue with further sessions. 

How can I find your counselling room?

I am temporarily based in Ipswich in the IP2 area.  On confirming your booking you will be provided with the address.

Please note there is no waiting area so please arrive as close to your appointment time as possible.

Online/telephone counselling

Online counselling is offered through Zoom.

I will ask you for a contact number so I can call you in the event of any glitches. We can then agree how to proceed.

Before your session I will send you a link. You simply need to click on it at your session time. This will bring you into a virtual ‘waiting room’ and I will let you in when the session’s ready to start.

I would advise you find a suitable, private place where you can talk freely without interruption.

Can I park?

Parking is free along any of the side roads.

Do you have toilet facilities?

There are toilet facilities available.

How long and how often is each session?

The most common structure is a weekly 50 min session on the same day and time each week but I am happy to tailor sessions to your requirements.

How much do the sessions cost

£40 for a 30 minute session

£60 for a 50 minute session

£110 for a 90 minute session

£150 for a 2 hour session

Payments should be made by bank transfer in advance of your session. You can also pay by cash on the day.

Do I need to commit to a minimum number of sessions?

You can have as many or as few sessions as you would like. I trust you will know when you have gained what you need from counselling and so I do not require any kind of commitment.

Will I need to sign a contract?

You’ll receive some paperwork to look over but not a formal contract.

I’m feeling anxious

It is very normal to feel anxious.  You are meeting someone new and likely to be opening up about issues very personal to you.  Would it help if I told you that I will most likely feel a little nervous too?

How does the person-centred approach to counselling work?

Most people when they come to counselling do not have a clue about the different counselling approaches but there are lots of them!

The person-centred approach is one of the main approaches and is described as a ‘growth model’. It is grounded in believing in the potential in people, not what is ‘wrong’ with them.

This approach is ideal for people who want to explore their experiences and make their own meaning from them.

Your role…

….is to bring yourself, just as you are. You can come and talk. You can choose to sit in silence if that is what you need. You can cry, laugh and anything in between.  There is no expectation on you to be a certain way.

What you are responsible for is what you bring to the session. What we talk about will always be decided by you. We will move at your own pace. You will also be responsible for making any changes if that is what you choose to do.

My role…..

……is to support you. I am not trying to ‘do’ anything to you. I will listen carefully to understand your world as you see it. To accept you just as you are. If you feel genuinely understood and accepted by me, then often what happens is that you begin to understand and accept yourself more fully.

We can be very critical of ourselves, often because of the values and beliefs imposed on us by parents, schools and society. We come to accept them as if they are our own .

Person-centred counselling aims to help free you from those conditions by examining these beliefs and values and whether they work for you now. This can lead you towards a more authentic life, one where you can drop the mask and be more who you truly are.

I will not give you advice or tell you what to do, but I am happy to answer any questions you have. I will help you more deeply explore yourself and your experiences.

Often I hear people say things like ‘I’d never put that together before’ or ‘I didn’t even know that was an issue for me’.

How it all fits together

To use a computer analogy, it might look at the front end like a weekly conversation about whatever is on your mind. I will be checking with you to make sure I am understanding what you are feeling and thinking. At the back end though, that is where the growth is happening. It is behind the scenes. These internal changes can often take time to become visible although often there is relief in sharing.

I am often told it feels like ‘a weight has been lifted off my shoulders’ or ‘I feel so much lighter‘.

Counselling is not always an easy process. We often come with painful experiences and it can be hard to talk about them.

Depending on what has happened to us, we might feel very fearful of people and so trusting takes time. In my experience though, the people I have worked with often come to really look forward to and value their sessions because it is time just for them.