Will counselling take away all my problems?
As a qualified Humanistic and Integrative Counsellor, I often get asked things like, ‘Will counselling take away all my problems?’ or ‘Will counselling heal me or and make everything better?’ or ‘Will counselling ‘fix’ me?’ Although I earn my livelihood as a counsellor, my answer to such questions is that no promises can be made about how effective counselling can be; there is not a simple equation to be made from what can emerge when someone trusts the therapeutic process.
In essence, what I have learnt from working with many clients, and from my own personal therapy is that there are no easy fixes or easy solutions to the complexity of being human. Moreover, I have experienced how clients find new self-awareness and different ways of being and relating with self and others.
What might I consider before choosing a counsellor?
Choosing the right therapist for you can feel hard and when searching online through the many different faces of counsellors offering services it can feel confusing.
I offer the following list of questions as a guide that might help as you choose your counsellor:
1) What experience does the counsellor have?
2) Is the counsellor qualified?
3) Where did the counsellor complete their training?
4) How long did their training take to complete?
5) Did the counsellor have personal therapy as part of their training?
6) How does this counsellor work?
7) Is the counsellor a member of a professional organisation like BACP?
8) Where is the counsellor geographically located?
9) How much does each session cost, and can I afford it?
10) Do I have the time to regularly attend sessions?
11) Do I feel ready to talk about my difficult lived experiences?
12) Do I feel ready to explore my beliefs and behaviours, and consider how I may need to change?
13) Is it the right time (emotionally) for me to start counselling?
How will my counselling sessions work?
Counselling sessions must be attended regularly and start and finish on time.
If your counselling is by phone, I would suggest that you find somewhere comfortable where you will not be disturbed and can talk freely.
During counselling you will discuss what issues you would like to bring. Counselling with me will provide you a safe and confidential place in which you can explore, understand, and come to terms with and work to resolve key issues in your life. I would encourage you to be as honest as you can be about your issues – it is only then that counselling may be most effective. A willingness to look at how you might change is often a helpful factor in effective counselling. If needed, you will be given the opportunity during your counselling to review the work, and this may involve changing your goal/s as you and I feel appropriate.
As a counsellor, I am a qualified and experienced practitioner. My aim is to walk alongside you to help you find the right solutions for you, rather than telling you what to do. I may explore psychoeducation with clients at times.
In my experience there are 4 things that can help your counselling to be effective:
- Attending all planned sessions.
- Realistic goal or goals.
- Counselling is not always comfortable – but when people allow themselves to explore uncomfortable parts of their life and feelings, they can find more self-awareness and self- acceptance from the counselling process.
- Any changes are made by the client themselves.
How do I pay for my counselling sessions?
We would have already agreed how much you will pay for each counselling session during the Initial Consultation. People generally pay by BACS and some people pay by cash. There is an expectation that you pay for your counselling on the day of your session. In some circumstances, people pay at different intervals, but this will need to be agreed.
Will my counselling charges increase?
Although people let me know what they wish to pay me for each session during the Initial Consultation, at times, some people pay me different amounts during the course of the counselling according to what they decide.
Please note, I review my scale of charges every 6 months and will give one months’ notice of any changes being made.
What happens if I don’t pay for my sessions?
In the event that your financial circumstances change and you are not able to pay for your sessions, please let me know before the next session. If you let me know, we can then discuss how we might be able to manage this situation.
However, there is an expectation that you pay for your counselling on the day of your session. If you stop paying me and do not let me know, then your counselling will be brought to an end.
What happens if I stop attending my sessions?
Due to the high demand for counselling, if you stop attending your sessions and do not let me know, then your sessions will be brought to an end.
During your counselling, a general guide is if you do not attend two sessions, and you have not let me know, then your counselling will be brought to an end.
If there begins to be a pattern of non-attendance, even if you let me know, we will need to discuss what might be happening and may either have to re-contract or your counselling will be brought to an end.
What happens if I can’t attend my counselling session or wish to end my counselling?
If you are not able to attend a counselling session for any reason, please let me know via email or phone and give me 48 hours’ notice. You will be charged for any sessions that you cancel late and do not provide me with 48 hours’ notice prior to your cancelled session.
If I must cancel a session due to illness or something unexpected, you will not be charged. If either of us is going on holiday, this can be planned, and no charges will apply.
If you think you may want to end your counselling before the planned ending, we can discuss this at any point during your counselling process. I do recommend that all endings are planned to provide a healthy and comfortable conclusion to our work together.
Are there other reasons my counselling may be brought to an end?
If any client uses any behaviour or language that I feel is threatening or offensive to me, other clients or other people using the premises, including but not limited to racism, homophobia or misogyny, I may bring your counselling to an end.
If any client attends counselling sessions under the influence of alcohol or substances, where I feel it impacts on the therapeutic process, I may bring your counselling to an end.
What happens about planned holidays?
If you wish to take planned holidays, you can let me know the dates of or holiday and you will not need to pay for sessions during this period.
I tend to take my holidays during school holidays and will always aim to give one month’s notice prior to my leave. Generally, I may take up to two/ three weeks during the summer, time off over the Christmas period and up to one/two weeks during some different school holidays. If your counselling falls on a bank holiday, I do tend to take these as leave.
Can I change my counselling from Weekly to Fortnightly or Monthly sessions?
If you start weekly sessions and then wish to go fortnightly or monthly, you may have to move your session time to a different day/time which is available.
What happens if I want to stop attending my sessions and want to continue counselling later?
Although I am not able to keep someone’s sessions open if they do not attend, I am happy to agree to pause counselling and then start at some point in the future. It is not uncommon for some people to take a therapeutic break and return to counselling later, and this can be agreed at a planned ending session. Once you are ready to resume counselling, we can re-contract and discuss the available session times.
Is my counselling confidential?
Client confidentiality is a key aspect of counselling. Any information that you reveal, either during phone or face-to-face counselling, is confidential between us. However, some circumstances may arise where it is considered in your best interests, or for the protection and well-being of others, that I must breach that confidentiality.
These circumstances would include situations where you have threatened to harm yourself, threatened to hurt, abuse, or kill others. In addition, if you were to talk about any criminal, terrorist, or gang activity I will have to inform outside parties.
Either during or after the session, I may write confidential notes about the content of the counselling session. If I write notes, they are subject to the same confidentiality rules as the counselling session itself. However, my professional perspective is that what happens during a counselling session is more important than any notes I may record. Often, I chose not to make any notes as the essence of my work is more to do with the relational process of the therapy. If I did make comprehensive records (which I do not), I feel this would take something away from the relational process, which would then be reduced to a more subjective account. In any case, any notes/records I may make comply with current data regulations and are kept safely. After the completion of your counselling, any notes are destroyed after 7 years.
I have supervision, which acts as a professional mentoring process for me and is something that supports and protects my work with you. During supervision, apart from your first name and age, my supervisor will not be told anything which identifies you; it is the counselling issues and process that are discussed. My supervisor is qualified and bound by the same confidentiality rules as I am.
Another point to consider is your name will appear on my bank statements, and I do need to provide my accountant with these statements.
Whilst I take every reasonable and responsible step to secure your information, when using online/phone technology there is, at times, breaches of data beyond my control.
