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Seeking therapy can be a bit of a maze - I have compiled some general resources and links, also, a few FAQs which may demystifying the process.
Q - What is the difference between a counsellor and a psychotherapist?
A - No simple answer -. Like most professions, there is a confusing amount of jargon but loosely speaking a psychotherapist will work in a deeper way working with the unconscious and the structure of your personality and your historical relationships.
A counsellor, on the other hand, maybe work more with the 'here & now' and would look to address specific issues and be more goal-focused. I am trained integratively to work in different modalities depending on my client's needs. Also, psychotherapy sounds fancier and they usually charge more. I base my fees on your ability to pay.
Q - How does this all work?
A - I am now seeing clients in person (E2) and also working remotely on Zoom
We can set up a time for an initial chat to see what you are looking for. We can discuss the issues you are facing and problems you might want to address in therapy.
If you want to proceed, we discuss my fees and if agreeable then we can schedule a weekly meeting.
Q - How long does therapy last?
A - Again there's no steadfast rules or a simple answer. On the NHS you are likely to be offered short term therapy usually with a limit of 12 sessions.
I prefer to work much longer and to explore deeper but that is entirely up to you. All of this can be explained in our first session during our contracting where we mutually agree on basic ground rules and you can ask me anything about my approach or discuss any reservations or fears about the process.
Q - I have noticed you seem to use humour a lot on your website. Is this appropriate in a therapy environment?
A - In the about me section, I said I might not be everyone's type of therapist. During my training, my research paper was focused on the use of humour in therapy. Qualitatively looking at clients perceptions of the therapeutic space. British psychoanalysts like Nina Coltart, who described a lot of work in her field as 'turgid, pompously theatrical and quite boring'. I am not a laughter therapist and I approach my work thoughtfully and sincerely. My philosophy with regards to humour can be best summarised by this quote, 'When we stop taking ourselves quite so seriously, we can start to take ourselves seriously enough. And then perhaps we can begin to take others seriously enough as well.' Shearer, A. (2016) Why Don't Psychotherapists Laugh?
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