counselling weston

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT COUNSELLING

Quite often when a new client comes to see me they are rather nervous. This is particularly the case if they have never been to see a counsellor before.

They are unsure of what to expect and have many questions.

I have provided this page in the hope that it will answer many of those questions. If you are considering seeking counselling I hope this information will be helpful to you.

WHAT EXACTLY IS COUNSELLING ?

Counselling offers you a way to speak with a professionally trained person to explore what is troubling you.

A good counsellor is trained to really "listen" to you, and to help you unravel the problems you are experiencing. Counselling can help you to find new ways of thinking, feeling and acting to help you have a better future.

A good counsellor will be able to help you identify themes and patterns in the way you think and feel about yourself and the world around you.

Counselling will help you discover the roots of these thoughts and feelings, and to consider new and different ways of being, that will be more helpful to you.

In counselling you can speak your mind in a confidential environment without fear of being judged.

A counsellor does not tell you what you should do, but will work alongside you. They will guide you, helping you to become more self aware, so that you can learn to help yourself.

HOW DOES COUNSELLING WORK?

1. Generally you would contact a counsellor by telephone or by filling out an email form on their website.

The form will ask you to fill in your name, telephone number, email address if you have one, and a comment on what your problem is (if you wish to say at this stage).

Most contact forms these days have something called a Captcha. That is just one of those "annoying" things where you have to identify a picture before you click the send button.

They are a nuisance, but they do stop lots of spam being sent to the counsellor. This makes sure that they do actually get your message and that they can then respond to you as quickly as possible!

(click here to see a contact form example)

2. Your counsellor will then contact you to make an initial appointment.

Some counsellors do not charge for the first session to give you a chance to have a chat and make sure they are the right counsellor for you and can offer you the right sort of help for your problem.

Other counsellors may make a charge for the first session. It varies.

3. Once you have had a chat and agreed to have some sessions, your counsellor will agree with you times and dates and how much you will pay.

Your counsellor will give you a counselling contract to state all his.

WHAT IS A COUNSELLING CONTRACT?

Click here to see an example of a typical Counselling Contract.

IS COUNSELLING CONFIDENTIAL?

Yes your counselling is confidential. Its a place to just be yourself and say how you feel without worrying about being judged. The details of confidentiality will be in your counselling contract .

HOW MANY SESSIONS WILL I NEED?

Counsellors are often flexible about the number of sessions. This varies from person to person. On average a client will need about 12 sessions. Some clients find they need less time and some clients much more.

Sometimes clients enjoy the experience of counselling so much that they continue to see their counsellor once a month or so for personal development.

Sometimes after ending counselling a client will come back to their counsellor at a later date. This is useful as the client and counsellor already know each other so time is saved.

HOW LONG DO SESSIONS LAST?

This is something to be decided between you both. As a general rule sessions are whats called "a therapy hour" - that is 50 minutes.

HOW OFTEN WILL I NEED TO SEE MY COUNSELLOR?

Again this is something to be decided between you. Generally a counsellor will suggest you come to see them once a week.

Sometimes if you are really upset about a problem, a counsellor will suggest you come twice a week to start with until you feel better, then only once a week .

HOW MUCH DOES COUNSELLING COST?

Some charities will offer you a few sessions free of charge or for a nominal fee of just a few pounds.

Fees to see a counsellor in private practice will vary. As a rough guideline the fee would be between £25 and £50 per session. Paying your fee for counselling is often seen as part of the process of making that commitment to get better.

WHAT IF I AM ON A LOW INCOME?

Some charities will offer you a few sessions free of charge or for a nominal fee of just a few pounds. this can be very helpful if you are short of funds and can at least have a few sessions to help you.

Counsellors in private practice generally try to make space for some clients who are struggling financially and will offer the best financial arrangement they possibly can to help you.

WHAT ARE THE DIFFERENT METHODS OF COUNSELLING?

There are many different methods of counselling-too many to mention here. However I will explain some of the mostly commonly used methods.

Many counsellors these days are what is called Integrative - that is, they take from each method and adapt their work according to what their clients need.

However some counsellors will specifically only use one particular method. Its a good idea to check with your counsellor first to make sure that they can offer you the right help.

PERSON-CENTRED COUNSELLING:

Assumes that each person is unique and is capable of finding their own solutions, they don't need to be told what to do but just need some guidance to find their own way.

Person-centred methods focus on the relationship between client and therapist.

It is about Trust and helping the client express them self with out being judged.

Its also about empathy - the client can see that the therapist really knows what they are going through

Being "person-centred" is at the heart of the way most counsellors work, its about respect, empathy and belief in you as a person.

C.B.T-COGNITIVE BEHAVIOURAL THERAPY:

Is based on how people think about themselves and the world around them. CBT will often offer people homework sheets to help them identify this.

CBT uses desensitization methods to help people overcome fears and phobias. CBT deals more with whats happening in the here and now, rather than the past.

PSYCHODYNAMIC COUNSELLING - PSYCHOTHERAPY:

Tends to deal more with the past, the relationships we had with our parents, siblings, caregivers and how this affects our relationships today.

T.A - TRANSACTIONAL ANALYSIS:

Is based on helping people understand how they communicate with each other. How the person they are today, due to all their life experiences,) can affect their view on the world and how they interact with others.

TA is great for identifying unhelpful "games" that we tend to play.

WHATS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN LIFE COACHING AND COUNSELLING?

Life coaching has traditionally been about looking at the here and now, about your goals, your time management, your lifestyle habits and what you want to achieve in life.

Life coaching has been focused on how you think about yourself, your thought patterns and personal beliefs.

Counselling has traditionally looked at how you are feeling and your experiences in the past. Counselling has been focused on what led you to where you are today and how to express pain and distress, so that you can let the past go and move forward.

Today, any good Life Coach or Counsellor will incorporate both methods into their work, according to their clients needs. They will help you share and process painful issues, let go of hurt, understand the root of problems, challenge your self beliefs and make plans and actions for the future.

WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN "COUNSELLING" AND "THERAPY"

They are more or less the same thing.

Different styles of counselling tend to use either/or word.

CBT for example uses the word Therapy, where Person-centred tends to use the word Counselling.

WHAT QUALIFICATIONS WILL MY COUNSELLOR HAVE?

At the very least you would expect your counsellor to have had some formal counselling training. They should clearly state this on their website and/or brochure etc.

Many counsellors will have a degree or equivalent in psychology or mental health work, as well as a Counselling Diploma.

WHAT EXPERIENCE WILL MY COUNSELLOR HAVE?

When a counsellor is in training they are expected to do a substantial number of hours in a "placement" i.e. counselling for an organisation or charity to gain experience.

This can be paid, but is often on a voluntary basis. This experience is invaluable and is a prerequisite to gain their certification.

Counsellors in training often work in more than one placement. This helps them gain experience in different areas, such as older people, bereavement, youth work etc.

Trainee counsellors are also expected to undergo some counselling sessions themselves. This is to help them clear away any of their own personal problems, and also to give them experience of what it feels like to be a client.

WHAT ABOUT PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIP?

You should expect your counsellor to be a member of a professional counselling organisation such as

BACP - British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy

UKCP - The United Kingdom Council for Psychotherapy

WHAT ARE THE DIFFERENT WAYS OF HAVING COUNSELLING ?

Counselling can be face to face where you go to visit the counsellor at their practice.

It can also be over the telephone, by email, or online talk/chat via a program such as Skype.

Each method has its benefits.

If you are unable to get out due to disability, agoraphobia, caring for someone or small children. If you work long and erratic hours, Telephone or Internet Counselling is a good solution.

WHAT IF I WANT THE COUNSELLOR TO VISIT ME AT MY HOME?

If for some reason you are unable to go and visit your counsellor at their practice, you can consider Telephone or Online counselling.

A counsellor may be willing to come and visit you at your own home where it is appropriate. This can be discussed and agreed between you.

HOW DOES ONLINE COUNSELLING WORK?

Generally you would make contact with a counsellor through their website, either by telephoning them or filling out an email form.

You would make an arrangement for times and dates of your sessions.

You would need a chat program such as MSN Messenger or Skype that enables you to either type messages instantly to each other, or speak live using a special telephone, or microphone and headphones. Counsellors often have a web cam as well so that you can see each other as you are communicating.

Software such as MSN Messenger and Skype are completely free to download and very easy to do so.

Personally I use Skype as I find it is the best software for me.

IS ONLINE COUNSELLING CONFIDENTIAL?

Skype offer some informative information about confidentiality on their website. In my experience thus far I have never had any problems using Skype at all.

HOW DO I FIND A COUNSELLOR IN WESTON-SUPER-MARE?

If you would like to have some counselling sessions with me, please fill out the contact form and I will be in touch with you as soon as possible.

There are some charities offering counselling in Weston super Mare. They specialise in different areas and problems, such as mental health, addiction, carers etc. I have added some links to these on the links page . If you would like to suggest any more, please let me know.

To find another private counsellor in Weston super Mare, simply type an appropriate key search phrase into your search engine. for example:

"counselling Weston super Mare"

"counsellor Weston super Mare"

You can also try a more specific search such as

"Anxiety counselling Weston super Mare"

"Bereavement counselling Weston super Mare"

 

 

If you feel you would like some counselling in Weston-super-Mare, or by telephone or online, please contact me on

01934 642976

or via the form provided on the 'Contact Me' page and I will be in contact to arrange your first free session.

Thank You