Counselling
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What is counselling?
Counselling is a type of therapy that helps people to talk through their problems and feelings. It can be used to help people to deal with difficult experiences, move forward when they're stuck, make positive changes in their lives, or to simply understand themselves better.
Counselling can be beneficial for people of all ages and from all walks of life. It can help people to deal with a wide range of issues, including anxiety, depression, relationship problems, and trauma. Counselling can also help people to overcome barriers in their lives and to develop new skills and ways of thinking.
If you're thinking about counselling, it's important to find a therapist that you feel comfortable with. It's also important to be honest with your therapist about your thoughts and feelings.
How will we work together?
My counselling process is based on the Narrative Therapy principle “the person is not the problem, the problem is the problem.” This means that my goal is to help you gain self-confidence and grow your skills to work on whatever problems you’re facing, without blame or shame. Much of the problems we face aren’t due to who we are as people, but the situations we’re put in, the beliefs we hold about ourselves or others, or the expectations put on us by society.
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Sometimes this will mean exploring your context - your life, your relationships, and your history. Sometimes it will be exploring your thoughts and feelings, and how they impact your choices. And your freedom of choice will be at the core of whatever we do- your safety and knowing consent will always be paramount.
Counselling can help with...
Interpersonal Relationships
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Exploring your relationships with others
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Developing healthy boundaries
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Communicating needs
Mental Health and Trauma
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Talking through painful events
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Discovering resilience
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Understanding your coping strategies
Exploring Personal Identity
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Figuring out values, goals, and needs
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Asking the "Big Questions" about life, death, and meaning
Tips for your first counselling session
Attending therapy for the first time, or with a new therapist, is scary! Here are some tips that might help
01
Ask Questions
It's your therapy! You can question, interrupt, and disagree with your counsellor - it's not rude, it's a way to make sure you're being understood.
02
Be Honest
Therapy is only useful if you're honest about why you're there. If you're worried about sharing something, ask your therapist about confidentiality and how to support you.
03
Give Yourself Time
Most issues take more than one session to work through. Sometimes it takes years. Try to be kind to yourself and go at your own pace.
04
Trust Your Needs
If therapy doesn't feel like it's working, talk to your counsellor about it. If that doesn't help, it's okay to move on. Not everyone is the right fit.
Important Information
Session Information
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If you believe you could benefit from extended 75 minute sessions, speak to me about rates and when this would be appropriate.
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Telehealth appointments are primarily video-based, using a secure online video platform. In the event of tech issues or special circumstances, sessions can be held via phone.
Confidentiality
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Therapy sessions and any notes I take regarding the session are confidential and will not be disclosed with any third party. There are some legal exceptions to this:
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If there is a risk of harm to yourself or others, especially children
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If I have a legal obligation to disclose your involvement in or knowledge of a serious crime
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If there is a court order requesting information
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I will always try to inform you and gain consent if circumstances require me to disclose something about our sessions
Payments
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Sessions booked via the calendar require immediate payment to secure booking
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Bookings made in-session or via email can be paid after the session via invoice.
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Payments can be made via bank transfer or online system
Cancellations
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Cancellations within 24 hours will incur a $50 fee
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Missing a session without warning will incur a full-session fee
