What to expect

I do have a couch, well I have a sofa, I'm from Billericay Essex rather than Billericay Massachusetts, and it is quite likely that you will end up talking a little bit about your childhood.  I might ask you some questions, not a lot, but some.  There might be some silences, there might be some lightbulb moments, and there will probably be some cursing.  It won't be like an interview, and I won't be giving you advice or a label.  Instead we will sit together for 50 minutes and talk.  You decide what feels safe to talk about, when you are ready to talk, and how deep you want the talk to go.  If you don't want to talk about something, you don't have to.  And if you want to talk but can't find the words, I have different tools to help with that too.  You can't change your past, and you can't control events around you, but you can change how much you let them continue to impact you, so whilst there might be some looking backwards, it's about working out how to feel better in the here and now, and feel better when looking towards your future.

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I will not be judging you, and I won't be trying to cheer you up and pretend to be OK when you're not.  I'm not going to teach you tricks to avoid what's happening - what resists persists - not easy to say with my slight lisp.  Some weeks we might stay at the surface, others might be dark and full of tears, the following week full of laughter.  Like life, it is not always predictable, but I will be here for all of your emotions and all of the ups and down along the way.  It is fair to say that counselling can be a bit of an emotional rollercoaster, but I will be with you on that journey​​.

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When I was little I had a treehouse toy.  You popped the canopy off to reveal the house underneath.  That's how therapy works with me.  I like to pop the canopy up and step into your world you and understand your experiences through your eyes.  These experiences are what shape us. Some good, some bad, but all leave an impact.  Whatever brings you into counselling will inevitably have roots in these experiences and we will look at the impact they have made, and work towards reshaping the impact they have now.

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All of this is what you can expect in counselling.  From the very first session we will work towards your last session, taking control of your future with your own internal counsellor.​  It might sound daunting, but it's also exciting.  Imagine waking up knowing you can cope with your day ahead, every single day.