What to expect
After contacting me I will arrange a time to ring you to find out more about why you want therapy and to see if I can help. Following this I will offer you an initial appointment to further assess your needs and to give you the opportunity to meet me and see if I am the right therapist for you. Should you wish to proceed further, we can then agree a contract to meet on a weekly basis, usually at the same time and day each week. I usually offer an initial 8 sessions which can then be extended by mutual consent.
Within each session I will offer you a safe, supportive space to talk freely about your life, which at times may be painful and difficult. My aim is to listen to you attentively and support you to safely process your emotions so that you don’t become overwhelmed by them. However, I will not simply sit back and listen. I will be active in sessions, asking questions and giving reflections to help you explore the problem you are focusing on to enable you to gain a deeper understanding of yourself and perhaps start to see a different perspective of the situation.
In sessions we will focus our attention on three areas:
The present:
looking at what is problematic for you right now and how your life is affected by your difficulties. I will help you identify coping strategies to manage your life on a day to day basis
The future:
Identifying what changes you want to make, how you want your life to be different. I will help you reach your goals and find solutions to your problems
The past:
Understanding our past can help us make sense of how we live our lives in the present day. Past traumas or unresolved issues can hold us back in life and maintain our current difficulties. Through analysing our past and gaining self-awareness I will help you to gain more control of your life and make better decisions for your future.