Counselling in Mid-Devon
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I have to tell the counsellor things I don't want to or am uncomfortable talking about?
No, you don't. It may be that during the course of the sessions together, a bond or trust develops in which you feel that you can begin to explore with the counsellor things that you felt you couldn't talk about with anybody. These are often the very things that are underpinning some of the difficulties that brought you to counselling in the first place. But you only talk about what YOU want to and only when YOU are ready to.
Will the counsellor want me to dredge up my past.
Dredging up the past for the sake of it serves no useful purpose. However, what often occurs in the counselling process is that an experience you are having in your current life can be easily related to an event in the past. That relationship may be useful to help you to understand, say, a pattern in the way you feel or in the way you develop relationships.
What will I talk about?
The counselling session is time set aside for you. You can talk about anything you like: it may be that you have work issues and there are events from your working day that you wish to explore; you may wish to talk about a person who is missing from your life.
What if I don't want to talk?
If you don't want to talk, I am very happy to sit and let you remain in a contemplative state. Clearly, it would be helpful if you did use the time for exploration. The late Spike Milligan said of his psycho-analyst: I just laid there silent for 50 minutes and then paid him. Am I mad? On a more serious note, it may be important that you don't talk on occasion. It may also be important to talk about why you don't want to talk.
What sort of issues can I bring to counselling?
You can bring any issue that is troubling you or that you wish to explore. The nature of counselling is one of non-judgement. That non-judgement is sometimes difficult to feel easy with in the beginning.
Do I have to pay if I miss sessions?
In general, yes. A counsellor sets aside the alloted time each week for you and that time can't be used for any other purpose. It is a common practise for counsellors and psychotherapists to charge for sessions missed by clients. However, if I am given plenty of notice, say, if you are booking a holiday for instance, you won't be charged for that missed session. There is no charge made if I am away or have to change a session time.
How long will I need to come for counselling?
The length of time in counselling will depend entirely on the individual. Each person is different and their issues will equally be unique. It could be that after 8 or 10 sessions you feel comfortable to stop coming for counselling. For someone else, they may come for counselling sessions for months, even years.
If there are questions that haven't been answered here, feel free to contact me via the details on the Contacts page.