Taking first steps - what to expect
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Home>Taking first steps – what to expect
Whether or not you have experienced therapy/counselling before, taking the first steps to get professional support (especially with someone you haven’t met before) can be daunting. Often making the decision and picking up the phone can be the most uncertain and hardest part.
However, people have also reported that they find that their ‘therapeutic journey’ seems to start at the point of contact, as if just making the intention to take a step towards a change actually starts the ball rolling.
So here's what to expect.
The first phone call
I usually like to have some time on the phone, if possible, to get a brief idea of the issues you are experiencing and circumstances surrounding them. This is a time for you to ask the questions you need answering to decide whether you want to take the next step of meeting.
The first meeting
I offer people the opportunity to attend a free half hour meeting to see whether they feel comfortable in my company and get a sense of whether I can help them. If so, you would then arrange another appointment to complete your consultation of an hour. (Often, people arrange their hour-and-a-half consultation in one appointment). This initial meeting is for you to let me know what is troubling you and what you would like to develop, or change. We would explore this briefly, for example, if you were able, I might invite you to consider what life would ‘look like’ if your issue/difficulty didn’t have the impact it has on you now.
This is also a time for any further questions you may have for me and to discuss the fee. Please go to ‘Fees’. I understand that people's needs for therapy can come at a time of financial hardship and I therefore offer a discounted rate for people in this position.
Towards the end of the meeting we will discuss the best course of action. You have the option to request therapy (individual or group), take information and the contract away with you to consider further, or to decline any further support.
If it feels appropriate to work together, I will give you a contract that we both sign outlining the commitment I make to you and the level of the engagement required by you, for your therapy to succeed.
I generally see people for 1 hour sessions on a weekly basis. This can be anything from a short term work of one or two, up to about 10 sessions, to medium length of about 6 month, to long term of around 1 to 2 years or more. Everybody is unique and we all have different needs.
I hope this offers an idea of what to expect initially. If you have any further questions about the process please don’t hesitate to contact me (go to ‘contacts’).
Whether or not you have experienced therapy/counselling before, taking the first steps to get professional support (especially with someone you haven’t met before) can be daunting. Often making the decision and picking up the phone can be the most uncertain and hardest part.
However, people have also reported that they find that their ‘therapeutic journey’ seems to start at the point of contact, as if just making the intention to take a step towards a change actually starts the ball rolling.
So here's what to expect.
The first phone call
I usually like to have some time on the phone, if possible, to get a brief idea of the issues you are experiencing and circumstances surrounding them. This is a time for you to ask the questions you need answering to decide whether you want to take the next step of meeting.
The first meeting
I offer people the opportunity to attend a free half hour meeting to see whether they feel comfortable in my company and get a sense of whether I can help them. If so, you would then arrange another appointment to complete your consultation of an hour. (Often, people arrange their hour-and-a-half consultation in one appointment). This initial meeting is for you to let me know what is troubling you and what you would like to develop, or change. We would explore this briefly, for example, if you were able, I might invite you to consider what life would ‘look like’ if your issue/difficulty didn’t have the impact it has on you now.
This is also a time for any further questions you may have for me and to discuss the fee. Please go to ‘Fees’. I understand that people's needs for therapy can come at a time of financial hardship and I therefore offer a discounted rate for people in this position.
Towards the end of the meeting we will discuss the best course of action. You have the option to request therapy (individual or group), take information and the contract away with you to consider further, or to decline any further support.
If it feels appropriate to work together, I will give you a contract that we both sign outlining the commitment I make to you and the level of the engagement required by you, for your therapy to succeed.
I generally see people for 1 hour sessions on a weekly basis. This can be anything from a short term work of one or two, up to about 10 sessions, to medium length of about 6 month, to long term of around 1 to 2 years or more. Everybody is unique and we all have different needs.
I hope this offers an idea of what to expect initially. If you have any further questions about the process please don’t hesitate to contact me (go to ‘contacts’).
