Thinking About Starting Therapy?

Sometimes people find the idea of engaging in therapy quite daunting and it can feel like a challenging step to contact a therapist. You may not know what to expect and you may fear becoming overly dependent upon the therapist.

People seek counselling and psychotherapy for many different reasons. It may be that you are experiencing a crisis or there may have been a build-up of stressful events in your life that are making it difficult for you to cope. You may recognise that you are engaging in repetitive patterns of behaviour that are limiting you and feel that you're not fulfilling your full potential.

Whatever your reasons for seeking therapy, the therapeutic relationship can offer you a safe space to explore your concerns in confidence, without feeling judged in any way, and to feel listened to with real empathy and acceptance. Feeling listened to and accepted just as you are, allows you to stand back and reflect upon the nature of your difficulties, which will help you gain more understanding and a new perspective on your situation.

The first step is to arrange an initial session which gives you an opportunity to talk about yourself and the issues you may be struggling with. In this session we focus on what brings you to therapy at this particular time and identify any underlying issues that may be relevant. This is also a chance for you to find out whether counselling or psychotherapy is right for you. You can take time to consider the prospect of working together, assess whether you feel comfortable working with me and decide whether the therapeutic approach I use feels right for you.

During the initial session we discuss the contractual and ethical aspects that are a key part of our working together. Sessions usually take place on a weekly basis at an agreed time and what is shared in sessions is confidential. The duration of sessions is 50 minutes, apart from the initial session, which can last approximately an hour and a quarter. We also look at what your expectations of therapy are and you will have an opportunity to ask questions that may help clarify any concerns you have.

If you decide at this point that you would like to go ahead, I will ask you to commit initially to 8 sessions. In the seventh session we engage in a review, which will allow you to reflect upon what your experience in therapy has been like and to decide whether you would like to engage in longer term open-ended psychotherapy or if you wish to end in the eighth session.

Before proceeding you may find it helpful to take some time to read through some of the issues that are frequently raised by people considering therapy.

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