Frequently Asked Questions

How can counselling help me?

Counselling is not the right option for everyone, but for those for whom it is, it gives the opportunity to be listened to in a way you have possibly not experienced before, by someone who has had extensive training and experience in helping you to explore your internal world, and to identify the roots of your difficulties. This in turn enables you, with the support of your counsellor, to begin to change the way that you respond to situations and/or other people. You may well also find that, in a more subtle way, you begin to see yourself and the world around you in a different light.

What can I expect from my counsellor?

An important thing to say is that a counselling relationship is not the same as the relationships we have in everyday life. It may feel strange at first; you may find your counsellor does not respond to you in the ways you would expect from others. However, there are very good reasons for this, and as you become accustomed to the pace and rhythm of the interaction between you, you will find that you have the room for exploration of your internal world that you need. You will find that your counsellor may well make links and observations that may never have occurred to you before, which will deepen your understanding of yourself. You will also find yourself more free than in other relationships to express your feelings, and your counsellor will help you to make sense of any seemingly irrational feelings and thoughts that may arise. You may well find that entering counselling starts a process inside you of understanding yourself and the world in a different, more fulfilling way.

How long will it take?

The decision to go into counselling is an important one, and we take as seriously as you the investment of time, energy and finance that you are making. Many people going into counselling find the issues that have brought them to seek help are resolved quickly, and that this is enough for them. Others find that they come to place great value on the time and space for reflection, and will want to continue their exploration for an extended time. This often only becomes clear to the person after they have begun their counselling. The important thing to remember, though, is that the length of time you remain in counselling is entirely under your control.

What can we expect from couples counselling?

Firstly, couples very often find they are able to say things to each other in the safety of the counselling relationship that were difficult or impossible before, and this in itself can be very freeing. Then, whatever difficulties you and your partner have, they will frequently be based on underlying habits of relating that sometimes have origins in the very distant past. What they are and how you interact between yourselves and with the counsellor will be the subject of the counselling, so that you can begin to realise how you each may be contributing to your difficulties. Sometimes one or both of you may decide that a spell of personal counselling could be helpful, in which case the counsellor will help you to find a suitable independent therapist.