Adults Therapy
My Approach
Adulthood comes with a wide range of pressures, from career demands, parenting, relationships, identity, health concerns, bereavement and the ongoing challenge of balancing it all in today's ever changing world and expectations. With this is in mind it is understandable that at times coping with life can feel overwhelming. All too often we put our wellbeing to one side to focus on the needs of others or feel that we ‘should’ be able to manage things without help.
Happiness and well-being shouldn't take a back-seat to all the other things we focus on in life and seeking support when things feel too much, shouldn’t be something we resist.
How I Work with Adults
I provide a safe and confidential space for you to talk about your issues and concerns, offering you the time to feel heard and validated in an environment that is free from judgement. I work with you to explore your thoughts, feelings and behaviours to enable you to achieve a better understanding of why you think and feel the way you do and therefore gain a greater understanding of yourself and others.
As a counsellor, it is not my role to express opinions or give direct advice, but to gently help you to find your own solutions, whether that’s making effective changes in your life or finding helpful ways of coping with your problems.
What type of therapy can you expect to have?
Counselling can take different forms depending on your needs and what type of therapy may be most suitable for your circumstances. I am trained in a range of different therapeutic approaches that include Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT), Exposure and Response Therapy (ERP), Transactional Analysis (TA) and Couples Therapy to mention a few and as an integrative counsellor I adapt my therapy style according to the needs of the person I am working with. I believe that fluidity is really important when I am working with someone therapeutically, being able to flow from one approach to another when required is really beneficial in helping you get the most from your sessions and feel truly supported.
Where and when will my counselling take place?
Counselling with me will be in planned, regular sessions which last for around 50 minutes, which is the ideal amount of time for a therapy session. How often we have sessions and how many appointments you have will depend on your individual circumstances and requirements, we will agree this together in your initial consultation and decide what feels right for you. The most important thing is consistency as that is what will ensure you get the most benefit from your counselling, committing to coming each time is the key to getting the most from therapy.
I offer counselling either in person in my therapy room, online via zoom, or if the weather conditions allow for it, as walk and talk therapy in the open spaces by the river a few minutes’ walk from my practice. This can be really useful if you find sitting across from someone daunting and can help take the pressure off while you get familiar with what counselling feels like, get to know me and to feel comfortable.
What might we talk about?
During our sessions, we will have some general discussions about how you're feeling, any triggers for those feelings, how your behave in response to those feelings and what you would like to achieve. This could be goal setting, problem solving, emotional resilience or relational help.
Some of the topics that we might cover in a session, depending on what is going on for you might include:
- your relationships
- your childhood
- your feelings, emotions or thoughts
- your behaviour
- past and present life events
- situations you find difficult
It is my role in supporting you, to be impartial but understanding and to walk alongside you while we look at what is troubling you. I will listen to you without judgment and offer you the space and time to help you explore your thoughts and emotions. I might offer information and ideas that may help you to view things from a different perspective, but I will never tell you what you should think or do, my role is to support and guide you to help find a path forward that feels right for you.
What to Expect From Our First Therapy Session Together
Every counsellor has their own way of starting therapy but these are the things that I will always cover in our first session:
- Introduction
I will spend a few minutes introducing myself and explaining how I work and what you can expect from me. You are welcome to ask me about my qualifications and experience, your therapy or anything you’re not sure about. The most important thing to me is that you feel at ease and comfortable, so this is an opportunity to ask any questions you might have before we start therapy and throughout the process if anything comes up further on.
- Assessment
In order for me to understand what has brought you to therapy, I will invite you to give a brief outline of the problems or feelings you’re experiencing. This sets the scene for me and enables me to gain some understanding of what is going on for you.
- Contracting
Prior to starting any counselling, I will send you a written contract for you to read which will detail things like session length, confidentiality, cancellation process etc. We will use this first session to briefly talk through the contract which ensures everything is agreed and understood and answers any questions you may have. This first session is important for making sure that you feel comfortable with me as your therapist and my way of working.
Confidentiality
Contracting and confidentiality is fundamental in therapy. It establishes the foundation for building trust between therapist and client and ensures that any personal information shared during our sessions remains private and protected, with exceptions only in cases of imminent harm or legal requirements. This principle helps clients to feel safe and able to be open and relaxed, ultimately leading to more effective therapeutic outcomes.
I always discuss confidentiality and what you can expect at the start of therapy and this gives the opportunity for any questions and clarification before sessions begin.
How to Get the Most Out of Your Therapy
Counselling isn’t something that you should ever feel forced into. It should always be your choice to attend and if you have made that choice it is a statement that you are making to yourself that you want to get help and support. In making that decision, you will already be open to how it might help you and the more engaged you are with the process, the more likely you are to notice the benefit. You’ll get the best results from your therapy if you’re open and honest and talk about how you are really feeling. This can take time, I recognise the importance of feeling safe and ready to speak and there is no pressure or rush for this to happen.
The therapeutic relationship is very important and takes time to build. For us to work effectively together, you should feel safe and able to take risks by disclosing and discussing sensitive issues when you feel that you are ready to do so. This includes being able to give honest feedback on how you feel about your therapy and how we are working together. It is my aim to ensure that you feel welcomed, valued, heard and respected and I will always put your wellbeing front and centre in our sessions together.