Zoom is an online facility that I can send you a link to via your email. You click on the link in your email and receive an invitation to join my conference. A video screen will open allowing us to have a normal two way conversation. We will talk through contingencies and still develop a working contract that we can review, as normal. Zoom has been recommended to therapists as it has encryption and adheres to GDPR.

Counselling can help you to identify feelings and behaviours which feed into your emotional difficulties. It helps you to explore unwanted thoughts feelings and behaviours; as well as making sense of those you are already aware of. It can help you regain self acceptance and confidence where your expectations have become unrealistic or difficult to maintain and to find alternative ways of dealing with life's challenges. It can help you to heal, and offer you someone who can listen in a warm non-judgemental manner. Sometimes you just need to offload to be able to make sense of things. Everything you are thinking and feeling is welcome in the therapy room.

If you have parental responsibility and you bring your child, I will assess your child. Usually I meet the parent first to explain everything then I meet with the child.

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If you are a young person 13+ yrs old, I will explain how the counselling service works and I may not tell your parents everything that we discuss as you have a right to confidentiality. I will still have to keep you safe however and I will have to tell someone if I believe there is a serious risk of harm to yourself or another person.  We would discuss all this together in our first session so we are clear on our boundaries on what might get passed on and what might not. If you have any questions we will go through them until we are both happy with the way that we will work together. 

I will explore with you your background difficulties, what caused you to seek help, clarify the boundaries of the counselling relationship and ask you what you will expect to gain from the work. It is a joint relationship which enables you to explore how to resolve your issues and to empower you to do so. Each session builds on others by getting deeper into the issues and encouraging you to take the lead in the process as you gain confidence. Counselling can be challenging and does lead you to ask deeper questions of yourself. By bringing in a deeper awareness it helps you to manage your emotions rather than feel overwhelmed or ignore them until you feel you cannot cope any more.

Talk about the issue as it comes to you. I will help to guide you as you work together. You will explore what comes up for you in a session so that you are able to gain a better sense of things and understand your feelings better. Once you begin this process we will navigate along your journey together.

Everyone has different circumstances so I will work with you to develop an agreement about how long you should be in therapy. The sessions last for 50 mins for One to One and Skype, this allows time to set up if on skype and 5 mins to over run if necessary. The number of sessions are negotiable however initially 6 sessions are recommended.

I do follow a confidentiality clause and this will be explained to you at the start of your therapy whereby you will have the opportunity to discuss this and ask any further questions to help clarify understanding. If your child comes, your child also will have a confidentiality agreement in place which I will explain during the first session. You will also be asked to sign a copy of this at the start of your first session if one to one, and to sign and return one to me before face time sessions commence.

You just let me know if you want to stop your sessions and I can then review everything with you. For many people counselling can be a challenging process as you revisit difficult thoughts and emotions and you can always have a break from it. Sometimes when you least feel like seeing me this can be the time that you most benefit from the work. You can even discuss future sessions if this works better for you. Whatever your reasons I won't judge you for these, just bring it to my attention.