FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

The length of time anyone comes to counselling is completely a matter of personal choice. There is no set amount of sessions you must or should attend.

For individuals who have a specific, readily identifiable issue to resolve, this can often be achieved within 6 to 8 sessions or less. On the other hand if you are not exactly sure what the issue is, or if the work relates to more deeply rooted issues which may extend far back into your childhood, then you may find that more time will be required.

Basically, how long you attend will be entirely down to you and what best suits your needs. This may covered by one or two sessions, but could also mean attending for several months, with the possibility of returning for counselling support over a period of years as the need arises.

I look forward to discussing with you in our first session what your particular goals are, and the approximate number of sessions you may need.

Although not a complete list of the reasons why you may seek counselling support, here are some examples which could suggest that counselling may be beneficial for you:

You have been troubled for a period of time and you’re having difficulty finding a solution on your own.

You are feeling overwhelmed and its affecting your well-being, causing depression, anxiety or stress.

You find it hard to talk to friends or family because they are directly involved in the issues or you struggle to express your difficulty.

Issues from the past are having an impact on your day to day life.

You are experiencing difficulties within personal, social or work relationships.

You are experiencing overwhelming negative thoughts and feelings that are difficult to control. 

If you are currently experiencing thoughts relating to harming yourself or another person you should either contact your GP (Doctor) or phone for emergency assistance on 999 (UK), 112 (EU)

One of the primary goals in counselling is to develop your understanding of the difficulty you are facing and to find a way for you to move forward. Other benefits of counselling can include:

  • Talking to someone neutral, outside of your immediate situation, can help you develop a different perspective of your difficulty and help you find a way forward.
  • Talking with a trained counsellor, who is skilled at listening, can help you to process difficult thoughts and feelings.
  • Sharing your worries helps you feel less alone with your problem.
  • You can gain a better understanding of yourself and a clearer sense of what you want and need.
  • You can practice communicating more clearly and honestly in the safety of the counselling relationship.
  • Counselling can help improve your relationship with yourself and others while also developing your capacity for communication.
  • Another primary goal of counselling is to develop within you the capacity to become self-sufficient in dealing with the difficulty you are facing. This may relate to learning new skills and approaches to life that serve you to better manage your experience of life.

Client confidentiality is a corner stone upon which counselling therapy is delivered. In counselling, confidentiality is strictly adhered to regarding any personal details or shared information that is exchanged between you, the client and me, the counsellor, and will extend from initial contact at the beginning and throughout the entirety of the process. To allow confidentiality to work effectively and remain safe there are exceptions to this rule and this relates the area of risk. In all counselling interactions, when risk is identified or shared during the counselling process, then I, the counsellor, may be obligated to approach a third party with the information that relates directly to the aspect of risk. Risk can relate to a risk to you, the client, or a risk to another person or what would be deemed to be an illegal act. The third party may refer to a medical professional, such as your GP or an emergency provider, such as the police.

During counselling you will always be in control of the process. It is always your choice what you wish to explore or discuss during each session and any way forward that represents a continuation of the work outside the therapy session, such as journaling or maybe a meditation exercise, will also be fully agreed by yourself before commencement.  It is a responsibility for all counselling professionals to ensure client autonomy is adhered to at all times.

To book an appointment please use one of these options. You can contact me directly by phone, text or email or you can book an appointment via this website by clicking on appointments and choosing from my current availability. Appointments booked via this website are video/phone appointments only, for an in person appointment please contact me directly.

Each individual appoinment lasts for 50 minutes and costs £60. A block of 6 appointments can be booked for £300 and includes free acess to my ‘From Fear & Separation To Peace & Connection’ EFT meditation course. 

Appointments can be facilitated  digitally via a zoom video call, or a standard phone call or a face to face appointment.  Face to face appointments take place in Armagh City N.I (map)

Note: Please contact me directly to arrange a face to face appointment.

Individual EFT guided meditations can be applied as often and for as long as they are needed but normally using a structured approach, such as applying the meditation each morning and each night,  can often lead to a more effective experience.

The reason for this is because routine creates habit, habit creates character and character dictates experience.

How long this process takes to create change will depend upon how deeply engrained the characteristic is, that you are seeking to change or dissolve. Negative thoughts and feelings related to a one off life event will often be more easily overcome than negative thoughts and feelings related to a prolonged experience of adversity in life. 

The two key components that are required to promote change are ‘effort and time’ and the two key elements that are needed to support this process are ‘discipline and patience’.

At times, when using my meditations, change can be instantly felt in the body and mind but quite often lasting change will take time and it may be only after a period of endeavour that change can be fully realised. 

But what is important, is the recognition that to create any positive change in our lives through our own actions is swimming with the flow of human evolution that represents a new experience where adversity and pain are no longer the only motivation for personal growth.

 

Learn More About our Meditation Courses

Welcome to week 1 and there really is only one place to begin, your need to feel safe!

The reason why fear is at the beginning of your journey, is because feeling safe is what is referred to as a base human need. This basically means that if you feel physically, mentally, or emotionally threatened in any way, you will struggle to focus on anything else until your safety needs have been established. So, in this ‘I am safe’ meditation you will reduce your threat perception and soften the defence mechanisms that you have in place to keep you safe, and believe me we all have defence mechanisms, and then you will be more able to fully focus on other aspects of your journey like self-worth and relationships.

The degree to which you feel safe in the world is down to both Nature and nurture.

Nature refers to your predestined characteristics that were present from moment you were created in the womb and nurture refers to how the world has shaped you from this moment on.

Fear itself is a fundamental aspect of human nature, an aspect that is designed to keep us safe and free from danger, but it is also an aspect that can become overactive and start having a negative influence on our life experience.

Here are some areas where fear can become established and have an influence in our lives:

Physical Danger: Fear of bodily harm, injury, or threat to one’s safety can trigger immediate fear responses.

Emotional Vulnerability: Fear of rejection, criticism, or emotional pain, which can arise from past experiences or low self-esteem.

Unknown or Uncertainty: Fear of the unknown, unexpected, or uncertain outcomes can cause anxiety and fear of the future.

Phobias: Specific, intense fears of particular objects, situations, or activities (such as heights, spiders, flying) that can provoke extreme anxiety.

Trauma: Past traumatic experiences can lead to fears associated with similar situations, reminders, or triggers.

Social Situations: Fear of social judgment, embarrassment, or public speaking can lead to social anxiety.

Loss: Fear of losing loved ones, possessions, status, or security can generate anxiety and fear.

Failure: Fear of not meeting expectations, failing academically, professionally, or personally, can cause anxiety and avoidance behaviours.

Change: Fear of change, whether it’s in relationships, jobs, or life circumstances, can provoke anxiety and resistance to transitions.

Health Concerns: Fear of illness, injury, or the unknown in terms of health conditions can cause anxiety and distress.

Performance Pressure: Fear of not meeting standards or expectations, whether in sports, work, or any competitive activity, can lead to performance anxiety.

Existential Fears: Fear of death, meaninglessness, or existential questions about life’s purpose can provoke anxiety and fear.

On the flip side here are some of the benefits that can emerge from softening the influence fear has in your life:

  • Personal Growth: Reducing your reaction to fear promotes your ability to go beyond your comfort zone, thus fostering personal development and resilience.
  • Increased Confidence: Reducing the impact of fear can boost self-assurance and belief in your abilities.
  • Expanded Opportunities: Overcoming the feeling of fear opens doors to new experiences, relationships, and opportunities you might have avoided otherwise.
  • Improved Mental Health: Facing your fears can reduce anxiety, stress, and feelings of helplessness, contributing to better mental well-being.
  • Enhanced Decision-Making: Fear often clouds judgment; overcoming it can lead to clearer, more rational decision-making.
  • Stronger Relationships: Addressing fear can help in building stronger connections as you become more open and authentic.
  • Achievement of Goals: Fear can hold you back from pursuing your dreams. Overcoming it allows you to set and achieve meaningful goals.
  • Adaptability: Controlling your response to fear feels empowering which grows your capacity for adaptability and flexibility in handling challenging situations.

Truthfully, reducing the influence that fear has on your life experience, is the focus for not only the beginning, but also the middle and the end of this course of meditations.

Why? Because,

  • Fear causes stagnation.
  • Fear promotes limitation.
  • Fear breeds separation.

So, it’s now time to challenge the influence fear has on the life you experience and begin to build on this foundation the potential for,

  • Greater personal growth
  • More opportunities realised.
  • Deeper connections made.

As always, I wish for you peace!

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Call: +44 (0)7769 030 007

My personal goal as your counsellor is to offer you a relationship that seeks to unearth within you the capacity to accept, change, or overcome this difficulty which you are currently facing.