FAQs

What happens at an initial session?

The initial consultation is like an assessment. It allows the therapist to quickly gather information about the issues that may be troubling someone, and then establish which type of therapeutic approach would be most beneficial.  It allows both the therapist and the client to determine if they feel have a good rapport, and whether or not to continue working together.

In this session, the therapist will explain what their fees and cancellation policy are, and any other practical or important information. There is also time for the client to ask any questions that they may have.

Is what I say confidential?

Yes. A psychotherapist is bound by ethical codes of conduct by professional bodies, and there are strict rules around confidentiality. Whatever you say to a therapist in your session is confidential.

The only exception to that is if a client makes clear they are a danger to themselves or others. In a scenario such as this, the psychotherapist and the client will make a plan together, which may involve contacting a GP or next of kin. This would however be made very clear to the client.

How long will I be in therapy?

This depends on the sorts of issues and problems that a client has. If a course of short-term counselling is going to be beneficial on a single, specific issue, then this could happen in around 12 sessions. If the problems are deeper, less understood and causing much more upset in a client’s life then the therapist and client will decide as they work together how long it should take. Regular reviews and goal setting will happen to ensure there is progress and change occurring. Check if a particular therapist offers short-term counselling, as many work in a longer-term way.

What is your cancellation policy?

I ask for a minimum of 48 hours notice for a session cancellation, otherwise, the full session cost is incurred. Consistency and momentum are both important aspects of therapy. As such, I also advise people to commit to maintaining at least 90% attendance – unless otherwise clearly specified and agreed upon upfront.

What is the frequency of sessions?

Therapy outcomes are known to be better when sessions are regular and spaced no longer than one week apart. If you take a break or holiday from therapy, you will notice on your first session back that you may feel ‘out of the habit’, that it takes a while to ‘warm up’ again, some even feel resistant about coming back. These are all normal reactions to have. It is observable that breaks in routine can reduce the amount and quality of ‘work’ done in a session, so many therapists only offer weekly sessions.  The exception to this might be if someone is having acute issues or in a lot of distress. In these instances, they may require more than one weekly session for a period of time until they stabilise again.

How will I feel after a therapy session?

Common feelings after therapy include: feeling exhausted and wanting to sleep, feeling overwhelmed, feeling (temporarily) worse, or immediately feeling better and more refreshed. There is no right or wrong way to feel after therapy, everyone will react differently, and you may feel differently from session to session.

I’ve been in therapy for a few months, is feeling bored normal?

Yes! Whatever you feel, you should tell your therapist. This could be part of ‘the work’ and provide further clues and understanding about what is going on. It takes a few months for you and your therapist to get to know each other, to build a rapport and for you to share your story and its details. Once this initial phase is over, things will settle and yes, a feeling of boredom or ‘what now?’ can happen. If you persist, however, this is the phase where work can really start to happen and deeper levels of insight and understanding can be reached.

How does therapy end?

Psychotherapy ends when a client feels they are ready to move on in their life and no longer require support with managing individual issues. The ending is a very important part of the psychotherapeutic process and needs to be discussed with the therapist to ensure it happens in the best possible way.

What is the difference between counselling and psychotherapy?

Counselling and Psychotherapy are often considered to be interchangeable terms. Usually, counselling entails short-term work on one specific and focused issue, whereas psychotherapy is more open-ended and exploratory, helping to form insights into emotional problems and difficulties.