What to expect

The free initial consultation

This enables you to tell me what you are looking for in counselling and to ask any questions that you may have. It is important that you find the right counsellor for you and this session provides you with an opportunity to decide whether you would like to work with me. The session lasts up to 50 minutes in length and is free.

The first sessions

In the first session we will complete a detailed history. This allows me to gain a more complete picture of your current circumstances and personal story. In addition we will begin to formulate an agreement, or contract, as to what you want from your counselling and how you will know when you have achieved it.

Subsequent sessions

Counselling can be short or long term and involve working at greater or lesser depth. In all cases the work is by agreement between us and is subject to regular reviews. I will work in a non-judgmental, respectful and empathic way to provide you with a supportive and secure environment to facilitate you in exploring your problems and deciding what changes you wish to make.

Frequency and length of sessions

Sessions last 50 minutes and are usually held weekly.

Confidentiality

All sessions are confidential.

Supervision

I am regularly supervised on my work by appropriate members of my professional organisations (see below). Supervision is a standard and required part of good practice.

Professional Organisations and Codes of Ethics

I am a member of three professional bodies and I abide by their codes of ethics of good practice:

The British Association of Counselling and Psychotherapy

The United Kingdom Association for Transactional Analysis

The European Association of Transactional Analysis

About Transactional Analysis

Transactional Analysis is a comprehensive model of therapy and personal development that addresses our relationship with self and others, and how we might be maintaining unhelpful beliefs and behaviours at the expense of our emotional and physical wellbeing. Transactional analysis provides a clear framework for achieving personal change that supports self-esteem, effective relationships and greater fulfillment.

Transactional Analysis was developed by Eric Berne in the 1950’s and 1960’s. As a body of theory it has subsequently been significantly expanded by theoreticians and practitioners to include models and methods of working that apply to organisations and education, as well as to personal growth and change.