What happens in counselling sessions?
Starting something new can feel daunting, you might be worried about getting it wrong, looking silly or being judged.
I don’t expect you to arrive having all the answers or show up like you’re a counsellor too. My goal is to get to know where you are in your knowledge, awareness and readiness for change, because that’s our starting point and everyone’s looks a little different.
During the sessions particularly at the start, it might feel like a chat. You can offload about what’s been happening, how you feel about it and what its like for you. The difference between counselling and a chat with a friend, is that I’ll be supporting you to notice recurring patterns, behaviours, feelings that can point us towards what’s going on underneath the surface stuff.
Counselling is different from a chat
At the start of our relationship, I’ll spend a lot of time learning how you think, feel and make sense of the world and yourself in it. I’ll ask if I’ve understood properly and that I’ve not missed anything that’s important to you. I’ll be helping you make sense of your experiences with more clarity.
As I get to know you more, I might start asking more explorative questions. Sometimes these might challenge you to look deeper or consider something from a different perspective. As we move through the counselling process the way we discuss things and explore things will keep shifting as you gain more skills and deeper awareness of yourself and your challenges.
How to know if you’re ready
If you’re new to counselling, getting started can be anxiety provoking, there’s a lot of unknowns and maybe’s that can cause discomfort. Starting anything new comes with apprehension for a lot of us, particularly something that can feel quite vulnerable or be very different to any experiences you’ve had before.
Knowing you’re ready is a tough thing to figure out without taking a little step forward and feeling it. That’s one of the reasons I offer a free call, because it gives you time to dip your toe in and assess as you go.
A free call is just a conversation, you can ask me anything, tell me as much or as little as you like and get a feel for whether talking to me feels comfortable. You don't have to decide anything on the day. Some people book a session straight away, others need a little more time and that's completely fine too. Whenever you feel ready, I'd love to hear from you.
Book a free 20-minute call with Kate