What is Face to Face Counselling ?

Counselling takes place when a counsellor sees a client in a private and confidential setting to explore a difficulty the client is having, distress they may be experiencing or perhaps their dissatisfaction with life, or loss of a sense of direction and purpose.

By listening attentively and patiently the counsellor can begin to perceive the difficulties from the client's point of view and can help them to see things more clearly, possibly from a different perspective. Counselling is a way of enabling choice or change or of reducing confusion.  It does not involve giving advice or directing a client to take a particular course of action. Counsellors do not judge or exploit their clients in any way.

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How Does Face to Face Counselling Work?

In the counselling sessions the client can explore various aspects of their life and feelings, talking about them freely and openly in a way that is rarely possible with friends or family. Bottled up feelings such as anger, anxiety, grief and embarrassment can become very intense and counselling offers an opportunity to explore them, with the possibility of making them easier to understand. The counsellor will encourage the expression of feelings and as a result of their training will be able to accept and reflect the client's problems without becoming burdened by them.

The counsellor may help the client to examine in detail the behaviour or situations which are proving troublesome and to find an area where it would be possible to initiate some change as a start. The counsellor may help the client to look at the options open to them and help them to decide the best for them.

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Getting Started

When they first meet you, most counsellors will try to assess whether their kind of counselling would suit you. They do this by listening to your reasons for wanting counselling and the difficulties you are having. They may also regard the first session as a chance to see how you respond to their way of working. You may want to ask the counsellor about the differences between counselling models, and what they feel would help you.

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How Much Does It Cost?

For a full range of fees and discounts please visit the "Fees and Services" section of this website.

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How To Make A Payment

Payments can be made through PayPal, a fast, secure, online payment service.There are two methods:-

1. Click on the "Make a Payment" or "Fees and Services" link and click the appropriate "Buy Now" button.

NOTE : I do not, at any time, have access to your financial information.

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The Advantages and Disadvantages of Face to Face Counselling

The Advantages of Face to Face Counselling

• Counsellors are trained to observe your non-verbal communication (for example, the expressions on your face, the way you are sitting) to get a deeper understanding of what you are saying.
• It enables you to develop your communication skills.
• It is a more personal form of therapy.

The Disadvantages of Face to Face Counselling

• Travel time and expenses incurred attending your counselling appointments.

• Lack of direct access for people
  • Living in remote areas where there may be limited transport and few, if any, local therapists
  • With certain disabilities, for example, people who are less mobile
  • With social anxiety or phobias
  • With long-term illness and their carers who may be unable to leave them
  • Who do not have childcare

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Note !

If you are in immediate distress or you feel suicidal and are in the UK then please contact the Samaritans.

For people outside the UK, please visit the Befrienders.