Frequently Asked Questions

Psychotherapy FAQ's: FAQ

What is psychotherapy?

Psychotherapy is a talking therapy. It is similar to counselling but tends to look more deeply into life-long patterns and how these have evolved. Psychotherapy can be short term, but is most helpful as a medium or long term commitment. This enables mutual understanding and a strong relationship to be built between therapist and client.

You might find this podcast, "The Therapeutic Relationship" by Carolyn Spring helpful in exploring more about what psychotherapy is.

Are sessions confidential?

Yes. Your sessions are confidential between you and your therapist.

It is good practice for your therapist to have a supervisor, who will be able to offer an additional perspective on things, but they too will adhere to UKCP and BCPC guidance around ethics and confidentiality.

In very rare circumstances - if it is believed that you or someone else is at serious risk - it might be necessary for your therapist to break confidentiality. Wherever possible, this will be discussed with you first.

Is therapy for me?

It might be that you don't quite know why you are coming to therapy, but something just doesn't feel quite right. This is something which can be explored in itself.

It can also be intimidating to begin opening up to someone you don't yet know. Many people feel that way, and a good therapist will be skilled in supporting you with this.

Many therapists offer initial sessions for you to be able see if they, and therapy, are right for you.

What can I expect from an initial session?

If you would like to arrange an initial session, simply send me an email or text using these details. We can find a time to meet. You can tell me a little about what brings you to therapy. You will have an opportunity to ask questions about the way we might work together, and afterwards you may like to spend some time to decide whether you would like to begin sessions together.