Counselling can be useful at any stage in life; you do not need to be in crisis to benefit from it. If something in your life is affecting your wellbeing and bothering you, it might be worth exploring in therapy.

It is your choice what you bring to therapy and, as your counsellor, I will work with you on any topics that you want to cover. If anything is outside of my training and competence, we can discuss the next steps that will be most beneficial for you.

Finding the right counsellor or psychotherapist can be quite daunting, especially that there are 100s of therapists' profiles that sound very similar and the AI isn't very reliable at providing accurate and up to date information.

Here are a few main things that might help you with finding someone that will be a good fit for you and your needs:

• Checking profiles - When reading a profile / watching a video - look out for therapists that speak directly to you and address the problems you might be having. One of the most important things in therapy is finding someone you can get on with, you can trust and open up to, so if the photo, video or the written text doesn't give you a feeling of "I think this therapist might understand me" or "I think I can work with them", keep scrolling.
• Directory search - If using directories to find a therapist rather than a direct website of AI, I suggest sticking to the companies that are based in the UK, as it can be safer in terms of them following the UK Data Protection Regulation and (hopefully) vetting the therapist in line with the UK requirements. Some of the UK based organisations are: Counselling Directory, Time for Therapy, Counsellingo, National Autistic Society, Pink Therapy, etc.
• Professional bodies - it is useful to find a therapist who is a member of a professional body for counselling and / or psychotherapy, e.g. UKCP, NCPS, BACP, etc. All counsellors and psychotherapists, who are members of professional bodies are required to abide by their code of ethics. While there is a limited power the memberships hold due to a lack of legislation in the UK, at the very least the therapists who are members have been checked to ensure they hold a minimum level of qualification required to practise. As a client you also have an organisation you can complain to in the event that the therapist doesn't act ethically or professionally.
• Insurance and ICO registration - all counsellors should be insured and in majority of cases also regisered with the Information Commissioners Office (ICO). You are within your right to check that the counsellor / psychotherapist you are planning to book sessions with holds both, and if not, can explain satisfactorily why not.
• Interviewing the counsellor - you are absolutely okay to ask for an introductory call (usually 15-20 mins) to see how the dynamic between you and them might be and ask them any questions you might have (feel free to utilise any of the questions listed here). A lot of therapists offer a free short call to discuss: what might be bringing you to therapy and what you are hoping to gain, how the therapist works and whether this way of working is what you feel you need / want, ask about qualifications and experience, agree on the logistics, etc. This is not a counselling session but a short "get to know" each other call, which can help you and the counsellor decide on the next steps.
• Specialisms - if a therapist you are planning to contact specifies that they specialise in the area you need help with, you can absolutely ask them to provide information on how they became specialised, e.g. what sort of additional training did they complete, any additional reading, specific experience, etc. See if you feel comfortable with the answer they give you and also how they approach the topic. If anything feels off, you might prefer to keep looking.

Yes, absolutely. Counsellors and psychotherapists are there as service providers and if you are not happy with the service provided, you are absolutely within your rights to change the provider.

In therapy, being able to trust and open up to your therapist is one of the main things that helps therapy work, so if you cannot get on with your therapist and don't feel that you can be yourself in the space with them, it might be best to look for someone else.

Sometimes the relationship suffers a small break during the work, perhaps the counsellor misunderstands what you are communicating or they express their observation and you do not agree with it. In these situations it might be beneficial to see whether you both can work through the difficulties, as it might be a part of your healing process.

On very rare occasions, if you do not feel safe, or the therapist acts dangerously, unethically or unprofessionally, get out of the situation as quickly as you can and ideally report them to their professional membership body, if you feel able to do so.

The first session often varies slightly from the rest of therapy, however different therapists approach it in different ways.

If you choose to book counselling sessions with me, the first session will start with covering our contract to make sure that everything works for you and that you are aware of what I can offer as a counsellor. The cotract sets out the way in which we will work together and we will review it on a regular basis.

Apart from the contract, the first session is very much focused on getting to know each other, looking at what you wish to gain from therapy and see what it feels ike to work with me. It's a good opportunity to see whether my style and way of working fits your needs.

This will vary, depending on whether we are in the beginning of therapy, or towards the end; it will also vary depending on how you want to work and what we might be covering.

As a general approach, this is your space, so I will not dictate what and how we will work. Instead, I will follow your lead, as you are the expert on you, and it is your choice which direction we take. There is no right or wrong way to approach this and no agenda on my side, you can choose to bring the same topic each week, or change topics as many times as you feel it's relevant and important to you.

We can talk, listen to music, dance, use visualisations, fidget toys, and other creative methods that you feel might work best for you and enable you achieve your desired outcome.

Yes, online counselling can be as effective as face to face sessions, really depending on your preferences and what environment you feel more comfortable in. Some people might prefer to see their counsellor / psychotherapist face to face, while others enjoy the convenience of not having to commute.

When having therapy online some things are slightly different and we will discuss these during our first session to ensure that you feel comfortable with everything (e.g. having some time after the session, what to do if we get disconnected, etc.).

If you find that you want to try online counselling, but really don't like seeing yourself on the screen, I can talk you through the change in settings in Google Meet to help with that.

Feeling safe in the counselling room is extremely important and confidentiality plays a big part in this.

It is your choice what you share in the sessions, but whatever it is will remain confidential, apart from some rare circumstances.

Confidentiality might be broken if there is a safeguarding / safety concern and will be broken if something has to be reported under the UK law (for example anything relating but limited to: serious crime, terrorism, money laundering, FGM, trafficking, etc.). We will discuss this in more detail during our first session.

Yes – this is your space and you can bring whatever topic you want. Nothing is too small, too big, or too messy.

The only caveat is the limitation to confidentiality mentioned in question 8, which we will also discuss during our first session.

Everyone’s journey is different. Some clients come for a few sessions to work through a specific issue; others engage in longer-term therapy. We’ll decide together what’s right for you and will have regular check-ins to review it.

My role isn’t to give advice but to help you find your own answers, clarity, and confidence. As counsellors / psychotherapists we might know the theory and might have worked with clients facing similar difficulties, but you are the expert on you and your journey will be unique.

What might have worked for someone else might not be the best approach for you, so my role is not to provide ready made answers but to help you find answers and understanding that is specific to you.

Not at all. It’s completely normal, especially in the beginning, but not only. There’s no rush or pressure – and there is no right or wrong way of doing therapy. We will go at your pace and will find a way that works best for you.

Some people also worry that they will be expected to cry in therapy - I want to reassure you that there is no expectation on my side in terms of that. This is your space and if crying is something you do, then go for it. But if you don't shed tears, it doesn't mean that therapy isn't working, it just means that you process things in your own way. It's all okay.

That’s totally okay. Many people come to therapy unsure of what they need, just knowing that they don't want to feel the way they have been feeling (even if they cannot name it). We can explore things together and make sense of what you’re feeling and hwe you would like things to change for you.

You might start to feel more clarity, relief, or confidence as you process things. We’ll regularly check in on how therapy is going and adjust if needed.

The first few sessions are very much focused on getting to know each other and building trust, so it might be a few weeks before you start noticing changes. And the process will not necessarily be linear, there might be slight set backs, ups and downs as you work through your difficulties. It might be that some sessions will feel heavier at the end, and some will be noticeably lighter, but eventually you will start feeling different to how you felt at the start.

It might be useful to talk to your therapist about it and adjust the work depending on your needs.

Sometimes things can feel heavier before they feel lighter, but you won’t be facing it alone. I will never come in with an agenda and rush you to get to your destination. We will go at your pace and adjust things to ensure you feel safe every step of the way.