I have put together a video to give a short overview of what you can expect from counselling. Many clients are surprised at how practical the work is to their daily lives.

The best overview of counselling as experienced by most of us is given on the NHS Choices website. This describes a mainly client led relationship. This means with the support of a qualified therapist, you can set the agenda and what goals are important to you. There are specialist approaches which may be more suitable for particular issues. These may be recommended by your therapist as the sessions develop.

Like many modern therapists I am 'integrative' in my approach to counselling. This means, that whilst remaining client focussed, I will draw on a large portfolio of approaches and tools to help you achieve your goals. These approaches and tools can be tailored to your needs. Most sessions are short term, normally 6-12 sessions. It may be appropriate to extend this time, depending on your needs. Psychotherapy is generally seen as longer term work - perhaps up to a year or beyond for more challenging issues such as trauma or PTSD.

Fundamental to this work is the need for an open and honest dialogue with your therapist. If you choose to use counselling as a way forward, trust is key to the therapeutic relationship. Good, practical counselling considers your goals. It may be that you don't know what your goals are when you embark on the sessions - this is fine and often the case. The sessions will involve exploration of desired outcomes as well as understanding the originating challenge.