Counselling FAQ's

What is Cognitive Behavioural Therapy?

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy teaches clients how to understand the relationship between incoming thoughts, feelings, and behaviours. By distinguishing between our thoughts and feelings and challenging these thoughts, we can then allow our feelings to change.

How we THINK “cognitive” about events has a powerful influence on how we FEEL about them and then what we DO (“behaviour”) about them. CBT has become a clinically proven breakthrough in mental health care.

What is Psychodynamic Therapy?

Psychodynamic therapy focuses on unconscious thought processes which manifest themselves in a client’s behaviour. The approach seeks to increase a client’s self-awareness and understanding of how the past has influenced present thoughts and behaviours, by exploring their unconscious patterns.

Clients are encouraged to explore unresolved issues and conflicts, and to talk about important people and relationships in their life.

What is the difference between counselling and psychotherapy?

Counselling and Psychotherapy are often considered to be interchangeable therapies that overlap in a number of ways. Counselling, in specific situations, is offered as part of the psychotherapy process; whereas a counsellor may work with clients in a psychotherapeutic manner. Psychotherapy sessions will often be more than once weekly whereas counselling sessions are normally weekly.

How many sessions of counselling will I need?

This will depend on you. Some types of counselling such as CBT or solution-focused therapy are often six to eight sessions. Whereas psychodynamic counselling will tend to be for a lot more sessions.

How long does a counselling session last?

An individual counselling session will be 50 minutes, normally at the same time and day each week.

What happens if I have to miss a booked session?

Cancellations are sometimes unavoidable however clients are kindly requested to give a minimum 48hr notice otherwise the full cost of the missed session will apply.

Is it confidential?

Yes it is important that you feel you can talk about things in complete confidence. Your counsellor will not talk about you with others – the only time your counsellor will break this confidentiality is if by not speaking to someone else it could cause significant harm to you, your counsellor or another person – for example if your life is at risk.

Counsellors generally have a supervisor and it is very likely that they will talk to them about your case (without revealing your identity). This is to help the counsellor offer you the best possible service – a similar process to a doctor discussing your medical notes with a specialist.

Is counselling guaranteed to make me feel better?

A counsellor will never offer to ‘cure’ you. I will help you understand your issues and provide a safe place where you can work through your feelings. Going through this process will help you to move forward. As you discuss your feelings and issues you may sometimes feel worse before you feel better – all sorts of emotions may surface that have been hidden.