Frequently Asked Questions

Counselling is usually short-term and focuses on specific challenges, e.g. stress, relationships or life transitions.  It's practical, supportive, and helps you find strategies to cope with current issues.

Psychotherapy tends to be longer term and explores deeper patterns, past experiences, or complex concerns.  It supports personal growth and lasting change.

Both offer a safe, supportive space to talk through what's on your mind and find ways forward.  The main difference is that counselling focuses on the specific issue in the here and now, whilst psychotherapy explores the past and how it may be shaping the present.

Everything you share is confidential, except in rare cases where I believe you or someone else may be at serious risk of harm.  If that ever happened, I would always try to discuss it with you first and we would work together on the next steps.

The first session is a chance for us to get to know each other.  You can share what brings you to counselling, and we can talk about what you'd like to gain from it.  There is no pressure, it's simply an opportunity to see if working together feels right. 

Most clients attend weekly sessions at the same day/time each week.  The amount of sessions required will vary from person to person. Some people find a few sessions are enough, while others choose longer term counselling.  We can review this together as we go along.

I completely understand that life can be unpredictable, and sometimes plans need to shift. If you need to cancel or reschedule your session, I kindly ask for at least 24 hours’ notice.

• If a session is cancelled with less than 24 hours’ notice, the full session fee will still apply.
• I’ll always do my best to accommodate rescheduling requests, though availability may be limited depending on my schedule commitments.

You are free to end your sessions at any time. We can discuss this together by reflecting on your progress and have a planned ending, but the decision is always yours.  Counselling should work at your pace and comfort level.

Booking a session is simple. You can get in touch with me directly by using the contact form. I’ll respond as soon as I can to confirm availability and arrange a time that works for you.

If you ever have any worries or concerns about our sessions, I encourage you to talk to me directly so we can address them together. Open communication is an important part of counselling, and I will always listen to your feedback.

If you feel unable to raise your concern with me, or if the issue isn’t resolved, you can contact my professional body, the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP), which provides an independent complaints process. You can find details here : BACP Complaints Procedure