Counselling can feel quite dauting at first. I get that. I still remember my own experience of searching for a counsellor and how every counsellor seemed to have a different way of navigating the initial process. I also remember how overwhelming it felt for me, which added to my already heightened emotions.
Keeping that experience in mind, I decided to write a step by step of how my process works and what you can expect. It allows you to know where you stand with me and also gives you an opportunity to see if this process may or may not work for you.
So, let’s take it from the top.
You have made a decision to have (or try out) counselling. Firstly, well done YOU. Getting to this point could not have been easy and so I have to commend you for it.
Now where to go from here?
My process comes from a belief that it will always be YOUR choice to initiate contact with me. This is because I believe that you should always be the driver in your journey and it isn’t for me or anyone else to tell you or “advise” you to come and see me. Therefore, my bookings & payment system is online and you can access it when you choose. (Payment is taken at the time of booking).
You start with booking in for a brief consultation, which takes place online (via video call) on a day and time that suits you. Once you book and pay, you will be sent a confirmation email with all the details you will need to access the consultation, including the video call link. (Fees can be found on the FEES & BOOKING page).
This brief consultation does not bind you to any commitment to start counselling sessions with me at all. It is really just a safe space in which I explain my way of working and for you to ask any questions that you may have about me or about the counselling process and also to discuss what brings you to counselling and what you would like to gain from this journey.
The aim of the consultation is to help you get a better idea about whether you want to start counselling sessions with me, or not. You do not have to make this decision immediately. Give yourself time to think about it and when you are ready, you can once again initiate contact through the bookings system.
You may also choose not to start counselling with me, in which case you would not need to do anything else. If that is what you choose, then that too is OK! It is crucial to find a counsellor that is a good fit for you, and I wholeheartedly recognise, that it may not always be me. I would say to not feel disheartened if that is the case, and to still carry on the journey to find a counsellor that you feel comfortable with. I remember my own experience and booked many consultations before deciding on a counsellor that I felt I could work with, and counsellors both acknowledge and understand this.
If you HAVE decided to start counselling with me, then you can book an initial counselling session via the same FEES & BOOKING page. Once you book and pay, you will be sent TWO emails. One will be a confirmation email with all the details you will need to access the session. The second will be an email with a client intake form attached to it and a contract. The client intake form requires you to fill in your factual information. The contract explains the boundaries of the session around confidentiality, cancellations, complaints policy etc. These will both need to be completed, signed & returned before the initial session.
I do not contract any specific number or the regularity of sessions although it is advisable to start with weekly sessions for a minimum of 6 weeks. However, I leave this decision to you as it will always be your choice as to whether you wish to have open ended, long term counselling, or brief, short term counselling.
The initial counselling session is different to ongoing sessions as this initial session is really about (gently) exploring, in greater detail, as to what your needs are and what you want to gain from counselling. It is the only session in which I will need to take notes DURING the session and therefore will feel quite different to regular ongoing counselling sessions.
After this, you can book your ongoing sessions via the bookings and payment system as usual and continue with ongoing sessions until you are ready to end counselling. Pretty straightforward right?
So that’s my process. I hope it’s helped you understand the practical steps of starting counselling with me, a bit better. If you have any further questions, feel free to leave a comment OR send me a question via the CONTACT ME page.