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Counselling FAQs

Here are the answers to some frequently asked questions you may have about counselling:

What client groups do you work with?
What type of therapy do you offer?
What issues do you work with?
I have concerns about coming for counselling. Is this normal?
What can I do to get the most out of counselling?
Is counselling painful?
How many sessions will I need?
How will I know when it is time to stop counselling?
How does counselling end?
Is counselling confidential?

What client groups do you work with?

I provide counselling to individual men and women over the age of 16, couples, students, elderly people, employee assistance/workplace clients, and trainee counsellors.

My services are available to all without regard to gender, marital status, race, religion, sexual orientation, disability or social background.

What type of therapy do you offer?

I work from a humanistic perspective having trained in Person-Centred and Gestalt therapies. Humanistic therapies take a whole-person approach to problems. They explore your relationship with different parts of yourself (body, mind, emotions, behaviour and spirituality) and other people and support you to grow and live life to the full.

This kind of therapy suits people interested in exploring their lives and looking at their problems from a wide range of angles.

Having said that, I do use tools and techniques from other counselling approaches, if I think they will help you. 

What issues do you work with?

I am interested in providing Counselling for the following issues:

Depression * Stress * Anxiety * Relationship problems * Low self-esteem and confidence * Bereavement, loss and grief * Mental health issues *  Loneliness, isolation and shyness * A lack of meaning, purpose or direction in life * Bullying and harassment * Gay, lesbian and bisexual issues * Career choice and change * Work related issues * Body image * Men’s issues * Personal growth and development *  Long-term health conditions such as diabetes and cancer * Sexual, emotional and physical abuse * Trauma * Anger management * Sexuality * Life transitions such as redundancy, divorce and retirement * Student and academic issues * Mid-life issues

I have concerns about coming for counselling. Is this normal?

Very much so. You may be concerned that coming for counselling is a sign of weakness or an indication that you are somehow “flawed”. Or you may be worried that I will judge you or not take your issues seriously. Or perhaps you are anxious that if your friends and family found out they would tease you, or see you as self-indulgent.

These are just some of the concerns which potential clients may have.

I believe that making a decision to come along for counselling demonstrates courage and maturity on your part. It is not easy to reach out and ask for help. It can seem so much easier to try to keep a stiff upper lip or suffer in silence. Attending counselling is a very positive step and shows a high degree of determination and a will to overcome your issues.

What can I do to get the most out of counselling?

This is an excellent question. Counselling is not like going to your GP, for example, where something is ‘done’ to you, to make you better and the doctor is the expert.

Rather, it is very much a collaborative, or two-way, relationship between you and me. Both of us have an active part to play.

Some of the ways which can help you to benefit most from counselling include:

• Opening up and being as honest as possible. Obviously this can take time and you need to go at a pace that feels comfortable for you

• Having patience. Counselling is a process. Just as your issues may have taken some time to develop, likewise, it can take time to explore them and work out what you can do to make things better

• Realistic expectations. For some people, counselling can be life changing. For others, the outcomes are more modest and for some, there can be disappointment at what they achieve. However, research indicates that four out of five people feel better as a result of engaging in counselling and that the benefits tend to last after counselling ends

• Commitment and attendance. It goes without saying that attending regularly and making time, in your life, for counselling are important

• Motivation. You really must want to come for counselling. It rarely works if someone is “sent” by someone else or comes in order to please someone else. However, motivation can come and go, and being realistic, your motivation levels may not be the same throughout the time you come for counselling. There may be times when you just cannot be bothered attending or are worried that you can’t think of anything to talk about. However, persevering, when nothing seems to be happening, can be very worthwhile, in the long term.

 

Is counselling painful?

For some people, counselling can be a painful experience when you first start. You may be expressing and exploring thoughts, feelings and experiences, which you have been trying to ignore for a while. However, as counselling progresses and you gain insight into yourself, you may find that it is not as painful as it was at first. Furthermore, I will be there to support you.

How many sessions will I need?

This is a difficult one. You may only need a few. Alternatively, you may need to come for a few months or even a year or more.

There are several factors to consider as to whether short-term or more open-ended counselling would suit you. Some considerations include whether your difficulties are relatively recent and to what extent they affect your life. Also, do you want to concentrate on a specific issue or attend to several?

At the end of the day, I always respect my clients’ right to choose for themselves how long they wish to attend.

How will I know when it is time to stop counselling?

You may well have a strong feeling about when it is either time to have a break from counselling or to stop completely. Alternatively, you may feel that you have achieved what brought you to counselling, in the first place. Or you might just feel that counselling is not for you, at this time in your life.

Obviously, we can discuss whether you feel you want to stop and I can support you to come to a decision that feels right for you. And just because you stop, does not mean that you cannot continue at some time in the future, should you want to.

How does counselling end?

Endings can be as significant in counselling as in any other areas of life. I suggest that we discuss ending counselling in order to give us the space and time to end in a therapeutic manner. This is especially important if you have been attending for some time.

As we near the end of our counselling relationship, we can review the work we have done, the achievements and possible disappointments, and areas that you might consider working on in the future.

Is counselling confidential?

Counselling is a strictly confidential activity.  There are a few exceptions, however. For example, if you told me that you intended harming yourself or someone else, or had committed a major crime, I might feel obliged to take some action.  However, I would attempt to discuss with you what I intended doing, prior to doing anything.

Furthermore, as a member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy, I am required to attend monthly clinical supervision for at least 1.5 hours, with a more experienced counsellor, to discuss my work. However, my supervisor is also bound by the rules of confidentiality and when I am discussing my work, I always keep my clients’ identities anonymous.

If you have any more questions or want to discuss any of the above issues in more depth, please do not hesitate to contact me.

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Working in Central Glasgow, my counselling services are within easy reach of clients traveling from surrounding areas including Dunbartonshire, Lanarkshire, Falkirk, Stirling, Renfrewshire, Inverclyde, Paisley and Ayrshire.