FAQs

How do I know I need Psychotherapy?

Whilst many of us experiencing a physical distress with our health may find it easier to both recognise it (something can be seen or felt) and seek appropriate help for it with less judgement perhaps from ourselves or others.  When it comes to psychological and emotional distress with our health, it cannot be seen visibly in the same way or as easy felt, and it can be, depending on our own experiences and history, often even harder to both know and recognise our own psychological and emotional distress. But if you have a feeling something is not right, it may be worth exploring if therapy may be beneficial to you.

What type of issues do people bring to Psychotherapy?

People may seek therapy for all sorts of reasons from coping with traumatic events and experiences, dealing with anxiety and depression to managing harmful behaviours and emotions.  Please see the issues on the page ‘I help with’ for an idea.   

How can psychotherapy help?

Therapy provides a safe, confidential, professional environment with someone specifically trained to help you make sense of, understand and process your thoughts, emotions and behaviour, in a supportive environment of acceptance, support and appropriate challenge.  It may help in many ways including, improving our relationship with ourselves and others (e.g countering shame), developing more self-awareness giving more choice and power in life, behaviour changes and improved emotional regulation.   As well as developing greater self-trust, acceptance, self-compassion, self-soothing, resilience and healthier coping strategies.  

How can psychotherapy help with chronic illness or physical conditions?

Just as emotional and mental health can have a ‘physical ‘ cost on our health, living with chronic physical health conditions and chronic pain conditions can hugely impact our emotional health too as well as our life, family and so much more.   And psychotherapy and counselling may be helpful in supporting with the emotional impact of living with and managing with these challenging issues (see above answer too).

Is it confidential?

The session are confidential, however there are limits to confidentiality where there is a risk of harm to self or others and legal requirements inc terrorism, fraud etc.

How many sessions will I need?

This is agreed between us, whether shorter or longer term may be most appropriate for you and depends on the issues you are bringing. Some clients may find a few sessions helpful, and others months or years. It is reviewed jointly between us on an ongoing basis.

Will I become dependent on therapy and just keep going?

The idea of Psychotherapy is the opposite to this, rather to help us to become more trusting of ourselves with greater self-direction, self-trust and autonomy and to grow improved skills to be our own therapists. 

I should be able to cope on my own, isn’t it weak?

These kinds of thoughts can be common, making it very difficult to seek help when we actually need it.   Often doing so may come with judgements and shame attached from ourselves as well as others, despite the steps forward in our society to change this outlook on our mental health and recognise the importance of our whole wellbeing.  Around 1 in 4 people experience mental health difficulties

It actually takes great wisdom, strength and courage to both ask for help and to face our struggles and emotions.  And it means we are taking self-responsibility.  We can often fear and avoid facing our difficult or challenging feelings or our problems, which is completely natural because it often hurts, and wise because it can importantly be protective when needed, but long-term it may also limit us.  We may also fear that they will not be heard or respected.  Our emotions, perceptions and experiences and how we feel, known to us or otherwise are the most fundamental part of who we are.  And our feelings are meant to connect, guide, inspire and motivate us.  But ‘some emotions can become so lasting or powerful that they do the opposite of all those things’ (Jonice Webb). However it is important it is both right for you and right for you at this time.

It can’t undo the past or present circumstance

Therapy is not about changing the external environment but through a healing relationship it can help us change and work with our internal environment with ourselves, which may support outer changes in our life.

Do I have to talk about the past or bring it all up?

Some clients can worry that therapy involves the necessity to ‘just talk about the past or go over the whole story of our past, and this idea can be off-putting.   Therapy will be focused on the presenting issues that are happening in the ‘here and now’, it naturally happens that a big part of this is exploring and processing our experience’s which may include those from our past in as far as they relate to your current issues or goals.