Frequently Asked Questions

  • What is Counselling?
    Counselling is a form of talking therapy where a trained therapist helps individuals deal with emotional difficulties by listening and supporting them.

    What Counselling Can Help With:

    • Mental health conditions (e.g., depression)

    • Physical health challenges (e.g., infertility)

    • Life events (e.g., bereavement, relationship breakdown, work stress)

    • Difficult emotions (e.g., low self-esteem, anger)

    • Identity issues (e.g., sexual identity)

    What to Expect:

    • A safe, non-judgemental space to talk

    • Help understanding thoughts and feelings

    • Guidance in finding personal solutions (not direct advice)

    • Formats include face-to-face, group, phone, email, or online

    • Can be short-term or long-term therapy

  • People seek therapy for many different reasons, and it's perfectly okay to reach out for support at any point in life. Some of the most common reasons individuals attend therapy are for:

    • Depression and Low Mood: Struggling with sadness, low energy, or lack of motivation can make daily life difficult. Therapy can help you explore and address the underlying causes.

    • Anxiety and Stress: Whether it's constant worry, panic attacks, or feeling overwhelmed, therapy offers tools to manage anxiety and regain a sense of calm.

    • Relationship Issues: Therapy can help improve communication, resolve conflicts, and build healthier relationships—whether with partners, family, friends, or colleagues.

    • Grief and Loss: Coping with the death of a loved one, or other major losses, can be incredibly hard. Therapy offers a space to process grief and find ways to heal.

    • Life Transitions: Changes like starting a new job, becoming a parent, moving, or retiring can bring emotional challenges. Therapy supports adjustment and personal growth.

    • Self-Esteem and Identity: Many people come to therapy to better understand themselves, build confidence, and explore questions around identity, purpose, or values.

    • Trauma and Past Experiences: Therapy provides a safe place to work through the impact of difficult or traumatic events from the past.

    • Behavioral Patterns and Habits: Therapy helps break unhelpful patterns such as avoidance, procrastination, or people-pleasing, fostering more empowering behaviors.

    • Personal Growth and Self-Discovery: You don’t need to be in crisis to seek therapy. Many people attend to develop greater self-awareness, set goals, or make meaningful changes.

    Therapy is a supportive, confidential space where you can explore your thoughts and feelings, gain new perspectives, and develop practical tools to navigate life more effectively.

    More information will be provided below on each of these areas, however if you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out to the team, by filling in our contact form.

  • Therapy has the potential to help many people, but the effectiveness can vary from person to person — and that’s completely normal.

    At our practice, we begin with a comprehensive consultation and assessment. This allows us to understand your unique experiences, needs, and goals. From there, we develop a personalized treatment plan tailored specifically to you. No two people are the same, so no two therapy plans should be either.

    Depending on your needs, we may use one or a combination of the following evidence-based therapeutic approaches:

    1. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)

    CBT focuses on identifying and changing negative thought patterns and unhelpful behaviours. It's highly effective for issues such as depression, anxiety, and stress.

    2. Person-Centred Therapy

    This approach emphasizes empathy, acceptance, and helping you explore your feelings at your own pace. It’s especially helpful for building self-esteem, processing emotions, and personal growth.

    3. Psychodynamic Therapy

    This therapy looks at how past experiences and unconscious processes influence current behaviour. It's useful for long-standing emotional difficulties and relationship patterns.

    4. Solution-Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT)

    SFBT is goal-oriented and future-focused. Rather than digging into the past, it helps you identify solutions and build on existing strengths to create change.

    5. Mindfulness-Based Therapies

    These integrate mindfulness practices into therapy to help manage stress, anxiety, and chronic pain by fostering awareness and acceptance of the present moment.

    6. Integrative Therapy

    We often combine elements from different approaches to create the most effective treatment for you — an integrative model that respects your individuality and adapts as your needs evolve.

    Our goal is to support you in a safe, non-judgmental space, helping you move toward greater well-being through feeling safe to express your feelings and concerns. Whether you're struggling with something specific or just feel a bit "off," therapy can offer clarity, tools, and support.

    If you're unsure whether therapy is right for you, the initial consultation is a good place to start — with no pressure or commitment

What is Anxiety?

Anxiety is the body and brain’s way of preparing for potential danger. It’s part of our survival system, evolved to protect us from threats like predators, natural disasters, or hostile humans.

The Brain’s Threat Response System

When we perceive a threat — real or imagined — the amygdala (the brain's threat detector) sends a distress signal to the hypothalamus, which activates the autonomic nervous system.

This triggers a fight-or-flight response, involving:

  • Adrenaline & cortisol release (stress hormones)

  • Increased heart rate 💓

  • Rapid breathing 😮‍💨

  • Muscle tension 💪

  • Tunnel vision & hyper-focus 👁️

  • Digestive slowdown 😖

These changes prepare the body to either run away from danger or confront it.

But Here’s the Catch…

In the modern world, most of our “threats” aren’t physical.

Examples:

  • A stressful work email

  • A difficult conversation

  • Financial pressure

  • Social rejection

  • Fear of failure or embarrassment

These aren’t life-or-death situations, but our brains still react as if they are.

That’s why you might feel your heart race, your palms sweat, or your stomach churn — even though you're just sitting in a meeting or about to speak in public.

When the System Misfires

This mismatch between ancient survival systems and modern stressors can cause:

  • Chronic anxiety

  • Panic attacks

  • Fatigue from prolonged stress response

  • Difficulty focusing or sleeping

Why Understanding This Matters

Knowing that anxiety is a biological safety response — not a flaw — helps reduce shame and fear about it.

It also empowers us to manage it more skillfully with tools like:

  • Deep breathing (calms the nervous system)

  • Mindfulness & grounding techniques

  • Cognitive reframing

  • Therapy & support

  • Movement or exercise (to release built-up adrenaline)

2. What types of therapy do you offer?

I offer an integrative approach mainly consisting of e.g. Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Person-Centred Therapy, DBT, along with other useful therapeutic approaches which are tailored to meet the unique needs of each individual. Whether you're dealing with anxiety, depression, trauma, or relationship issues, we’ll work together to find an approach that fits you.

3. Who do you work with?

I work with adults, teens, or couples. My practice supports people dealing with anxiety, depression, stress, relationship issues, addiction to drugs or alcohol, Eating disorders, trauma, self-esteem, and more.

4. Do you offer online or in-person sessions?

Yes! I offer both in-person online, however mainly my sessions are secure online therapy sessions via Zoom or your chosen platform, so you can choose what’s most convenient and comfortable for you.

5. How do I book an appointment?

You can schedule an appointment once I have sent a signed contract and received this back, in acknowledgement of the boundaries to therapy within our practice. Sessions can be booked directly through our online booking system, or you can reach out via email or phone. We’ll get back to you within 24–48 hours.

6. What can I expect during my first session?

Your first session is an opportunity for us to get to know each other. We’ll talk about what’s bringing you to therapy, your goals, and how I can support you. It’s also a chance for you to ask questions and see if we’re a good fit. We also will complete any necessary assessments that are needed, to see how severe certain presentations are such as depression, anxiety, eating disorder or addiction, in order to find the most suitable approach and timeframe to address these challenges.

7. How long is each therapy session?

Each session typically lasts 50 minutes. The frequency of sessions can be weekly, bi-weekly, or based on your individual needs and goals. This can all be addressed in our first session

8. How many sessions will I need?

The number of sessions varies depending on your goals and the challenges you're facing. Some clients benefit from short-term therapy (6–12 sessions), while others may prefer ongoing support. We’ll review your progress regularly and adjust as needed.

9. How much does therapy cost?

My standard fee is [£65/ €75 per session]. my areas of work are for Psychotherapy which is a deeper level of therapy and also mainly focus in specialist areas such as eating disorder, addiction or trauma, however if you feel you are just looking some support for generic issues, please contact us via our contact form to discuss what works for your budget.

10. Do you accept insurance?

I am currently accepting insurance for all of the major providers and what is necessary is to complete an invoice which is then passed to your insurance provider and they will apply based on their benefits, which are unique for each organisation, therefore it may be important to discuss this with both them and our team in your initial assessment session.

11. Is therapy confidential?

Yes. Confidentiality is a core part of the therapeutic relationship. Everything you share is private, with a few legal exceptions, such as if there’s a risk of harm to yourself or others, or if required by court order. I’ll explain this fully during our first session.

12. What issues can therapy help with?

Therapy can help with a wide range of concerns, including:

  • Anxiety and panic

  • Depression

  • Trauma and PTSD

  • Relationship issues

  • Grief and loss

  • Life transitions

  • Burnout and stress

  • Self-esteem and identity

  • Parenting and family dynamics

13. How do I know if therapy is right for me?

If you're feeling overwhelmed, stuck, or simply want support in navigating life, therapy can be helpful. You don’t have to be in crisis to benefit. A consultation call can help determine if this is the right step for you.

14. What’s your approach to therapy?

My approach is collaborative, compassionate, evidence-based, congruent and unconditional positive regard. I aim to create a safe, non-judgmental space where you feel heard and empowered to express your cognitions, fears and aspirations, which in turn help to make meaningful changes.

15. Can I stop therapy at any time?

Yes, therapy is always your choice. You can pause or end therapy whenever you feel ready. We’ll discuss this together to ensure you feel supported throughout the process.
.