REAL-SELF
COUNSELLING 

The consultation is a free, no obligation, 15-minute conversation with me.

During the call, we can briefly touch on why you wish to come to counselling. I will then be able to let you know if I will be able to help, and if I am qualified to help with your specific issues.

Importantly, you will be able to get a feel as to whether I will be the right fit for you.

If I feel you would benefit from a different type of therapy that I cannot provide, I am happy to pass on recommendations of other therapists who could assist.

The style of counselling I provide is person-centred counselling. My aim is to offer you a warm, comfortable and confidential space, that is calm and quiet so you can relax into each session gently.

And because this session is for you, you can speak about whatever is troubling you, with no judgement. The aim, through our conversations, is for me to actively listen to you - which means that I will hear you and see you, and this will then help me to understand fully what you are going through.

By reflecting back to you what I am hearing, it can be a differing mirror into your own world. With myself living through your experiences and walking alongside you, while you take me through the issues you are finding difficult in your life.

I will go where you go. I will always be aware and gage how you are feeling within the session, to make sure that you are comfortable in the work we are doing and it feels safe at all times.

During the first session, we will sit together and go through an assessment form. This includes making sure that I have all your relevant personal details. I will then go through our 'counselling contract'. This document is there for us both to sign and adhere to, and includes things like; your right to confidentialiy, legislations where safeguarding overrides confidentiality, key information about the session itself and how we create the right environment together for productive counselling sessions.

We will then take a closer look at your goals and what you want to achieve within our sessions together.

I am currently able to offer counselling sessions online via Zoom or via the telephone.

During dry weather (wintery dry weather is fine too - as long as we wrap up warm!), I am able to offer walk and talk therapy, which generally takes place in Waterloo, Liverpool, around Crosby Marina. However, I am open to other suggestions in the Liverpool area.

I am in the process of obtaining an office in the North Liverpool area so that I will be able to offer you face to face sessions, if you prefer this. I will update this section as soon as I have secured a counselling space.

Sessions last 50 minutes and will occur weekly or fortnightly, or at a frequency decided between us both, that fits with your requirements.

I think that it is generally beneficial to start off by having weekly sessions, for a minimum of four weeks. This will lend itself to us both developing our relationship and allow for us to both understand and explore some of your issues. However, I am really conscious of time and cost of sessions, so I can be flexible to your needs.

Our session time/day is flexible to your/my schedule, and we can plan this in each week. If you would like to have a regular weekly/fortnighly slot, this is fine too.

The whole session time belongs to you. If you arrive part way through your allotted time, I will see you for the remainder of the time.

This is a little bit like, how long is a piece of string?

Generally speaking, when working within a counselling organisation (where I have come from) there are always limited sessions. With this type of counselling, these limitations don't exist.

However, it is really important that if you are coming to see me with very specific issues, we try to work with our 'beginning' (exploration around why you are coming/goals of what you want to achieve), our 'middle' or 'maintenance'. (where we start to work through everything and put the pieces of the puzzle together). Then, there is the 'ending' (where you will have gained clarity on your issues and feel differently about them/have begun the healing process).

I am also very conscious that life has its continuous ups and down, where it ebs and flows, and if this is happening for you right now, longer-term therapy is also an option. We can move across your issues one step at a time, and working to strengthen your inner resources, gain clarity and understanding, so that with each step you are working toward an end goal.

This is absolutely fine. It is really important that you find a counsellor that you can connect with. You won't be receiving the full therapeutic benefit of counselling, and may struggle to heal, if there is a disconnect between you and the counsellor.

The way I look at this from a client's perspective is; could I/can I see myself opening up to this counsellor? Is the trust and rapport growing between us? Does this counsellor really hear and understand me? Do I feel comfortable with her?

Building a therapeutic reltionship can take time, which is very normal. If, at any time, you feel it's not working for you, in the first instance I would always say to let me know and we can work out together what that may be down to. Then, if you decide I am not the right therapist for you, I will happily give you some recommendations of other therapists, based on what your preferences are.

I charge £45 per session; payment is required prior to your session. I will send you an invoice the day before your session and you may make payment at any time, prior to your session time commencing.

Payment can be accepted via bank transfer.

Cancellation of an appointment within 24 hours or failure to show for an appointment, will incur a full charge of £45. Your invoice will be re-sent to you for you to make this payment.

If you cancel a session with more than 24 hours’ notice, no payment will be charged.

If you miss 2 consecutive sessions without contact, I will assume that you are no longer able to attend and wish to cease the counselling relationship. I am more than happy for you to get back in contact at any point, if you would like to resume our sessions together.

If you are unable to attend a session, I would ask you to get in contact via your preferred method and leave a message/note, with 24 hours’ notice where possible.

If you cancel a session, we will speak via your preferred method to re-arrange your next session.