What to expect from our first session
So, you're looking for a therapist, but what does the process of finding one look like? You've made it to my page (thank you so much for being here!) so it might be that you're thinking of getting in touch and want to find out more.
Before we begin our work together, I offer a free 15 to 20-minute online consultation. All you need to do is head to my contact page, fill in a few details, and I'll get back to you within a couple of days.
But, what will our consultation session include?
Put simply, this session is the perfect chance for us to get acquainted with each other, find out a bit more about one another and decide whether we want to work together.
For you, that means you'll be able to share a little about what it is that's brought you to counselling/therapy now. You might have a specific reason - like a big life change - that has led you to reach out. Or, you might be looking for more of a 'maintenance' situation to help you with long-term aspects of life. It might not be either of these, you might not even know exactly what it is that's drawn you to therapy right now, and that's perfectly okay too! Either way, we can explore that a little in this first, shorter session.
It's also a good chance for you to find out about me! I'll tell you a little bit more about how I work as a therapist, and I'll be interested to get an idea about whether you've been in therapy before, what worked and what didn't, and what you're looking for in a therapist (or not looking for).
I'll also let you know a bit about confidentiality, logistics (so, how we'll meet, what communication between sessions will look like, payment and any other 'admin-y' bits) and you'll have the chance to ask any questions you might have. Don't worry if you think of questions once we've ended the call - you can always drop me an email!
By the end of the session, we'll hopefully have good idea of whether it feels like a good fit for therapeutic work together - but you don't have to make a decision there and then. We can book an appointment in, or you can have some time to think about it and let me know. There's no obligation to work with me after we've had a consultation, so don't worry if you don't want to go ahead.
I know that reaching out is the first, and often the hardest step, so I'm hopeful that a bit of clarity around what will come next will help the process feel a little easier. And if it has, I'd love to hear from you! You can contact me here to get to your healing journey started.