Trust Counselling
What To Expect From Counselling
If you've never had counselling before, it's completely understandable to wonder what actually happens once you sit down in the room.
You don't need to prepare anything before you come, and I'm not going to expect you to arrive knowing exactly what you want to talk about. Some people come with something very specific they want help with. Others simply know that something doesn't feel right.
Either is absolutely fine.
Our first few sessions are about getting to know one another and beginning to understand what has brought you to counselling. You can tell me as much or as little as you feel comfortable sharing, and we'll work at a pace that feels right for you.
There isn't a test to pass and there aren't any right answers.
What will I actually do?
Mostly, I'll listen.
But counselling isn't simply sitting quietly while you talk. I'll try to understand your experience from your point of view. I may notice things, ask questions or gently invite you to look at something in a different way.
Sometimes we might explore something happening in your life right now. At other times, it may be helpful to look at earlier experiences and whether they have influenced how you think, feel or relate to other people today.
I won't tell you how you should live your life or make decisions for you.
My role is to help you understand yourself more clearly so that the choices you make increasingly feel like your choices.
What if I don't know what to say?
That's okay too.
Silences happen in counselling. Sometimes people become emotional. Sometimes they laugh. Sometimes they start talking about something completely different from what they thought they were going to discuss.
You don't have to perform or "be good at counselling."
You can simply be yourself.
Will we just talk about the past?
Not necessarily.
Your past can be important because it has helped shape the person you are today, but counselling doesn't have to mean spending every session talking about childhood.
We might look at what's happening now, patterns you've noticed, relationships, thoughts or feelings you're struggling with, or changes you'd like to make.
What we focus on will depend on you.
Different people need different things
I work integratively, which means I can draw on different therapeutic approaches rather than expecting everybody to fit one particular way of working.
Person-Centred Therapy remains at the heart of what I do. Where useful, I may also draw on CBT to help us understand connections between thoughts, feelings and behaviours, and Transactional Analysis to explore patterns in relationships and how earlier experiences may still influence you today.
You don't need to understand any of those terms.
That's my job.
What matters is that the counselling makes sense to you.
Our relationship matters
More than anything, I believe counselling works best when you feel safe enough to be honest.
That doesn't mean you have to trust me immediately. Trust can take time, particularly if your experiences have taught you to be careful about who you let in.
We can take that time.
My aim is to offer a relationship where you feel listened to, respected and able to talk about things that may be difficult to talk about anywhere else.
And if something about the counselling doesn't feel right, I'd rather you tell me. Talking about what happens between us can itself become an important part of the work.
You don't have to know how counselling works before you begin. We can work that out together too.
What I Can Help With
Grief
Grief isn’t just about losing someone we love. It can show up in so many different forms. We might grieve the end of a relationship, the loss of a job, the version of ourselves we thought we’d become, or the future we imagined but no longer see. Even when our children leave home, or life takes a turn we didn’t expect, we can experience that same deep sense of loss.
Whatever the cause, grief can leave us feeling lost, stuck, and unsure how to move forward. You might find yourself thinking, “I shouldn’t feel this bad — other people have it worse,” or “I just need to pull myself together.” And then, when the sadness doesn’t lift, shame and frustration creep in. It’s a painful cycle — one that convinces us we’re weak or failing when really, we’re just human.
You are absolutely allowed to feel whatever comes up for you. Grief is a natural response to losing something meaningful, and there’s no right or wrong way to experience it. Yet many of us try to fight or hide our emotions, believing we should be “strong” or “over it” by now. The truth is, there’s no timeline, no checklist, and no quick fix. Grief moves at its own pace.
What we can do is meet ourselves with compassion — and I know that’s often easier said than done. Many of us were never shown how to be kind to ourselves, or we believe we don’t deserve it. But self-compassion is where healing starts. It’s the gentle reminder that your pain is valid, that what you’re feeling matters, and that you don’t have to go through this alone.
In therapy, we can explore your experience of grief together — at your pace, without judgment or pressure. I’ll offer a space where you can express the full weight of what you’re carrying and begin to make sense of it.
You don’t need to minimise your feelings or apologise for them. They’re yours — and they deserve to be heard.
Depression
Life can start to feel smaller. When our efforts to “fix” things don’t work, it’s easy to believe it’s hopeless — that we’re not strong enough, that we don’t have the skills, or even that we don’t deserve to feel better. Meanwhile, that harsh inner critic keeps getting louder, feeding a story about ourselves that simply isn’t true.
Depression can be debilitating. For some, it might look like not being able to get out of bed, neglecting self-care, or withdrawing from people we care about. For others, it might look like being the life and soul of the party, appearing happy and confident on the outside while quietly struggling on the inside.
We become experts at hiding how we really feel — often out of fear: fear of rejection, of not being heard or understood, of being judged at a time we most need support. This can reinforce the painful belief that something is “wrong” with us, or that trying to change is pointless.
Talking therapy can give you a safe space to explore these thoughts and feelings — even the ones you’ve never said out loud before.
Sometimes we avoid or suppress what hurts because it feels easier or safer. But deep down, we know those feelings don’t just go away on their own.
You don’t have to face this alone. Come and talk it over with me. Together, we can gently start to look at what’s going on and find a way through.
I will meet you exactly where you’re at — there’s no need to hide the parts of yourself you feel are “unacceptable.” In this space, you’ll be heard, understood, and accepted.
Anxiety
Anxiety is a completely normal part of being human — we all feel it from time to time. It’s our mind and body’s way of keeping us alert and safe. But sometimes, those anxious thoughts and feelings can start to take over, showing up more often and feeling harder to manage.
You might notice this in your body: a racing heart, feeling short of breath, shaky, sweaty, light-headed, or just completely drained. Mentally, it can feel like you’re constantly “switched on” — unable to relax, doubting your ability to cope, feeling not good enough, or caught up in a stream of negative thoughts. Everyone’s experience is different, and anxiety can look and feel unique to each of us.
If any of this sounds familiar, please know — you’re not “broken” or “weak.” You’re having a normal response to a situation your brain has labelled as unsafe. It’s your mind’s way of trying to protect you. Helpful in theory… but not so cute when it won’t switch off, right?
Therapy offers a space to understand why certain situations trigger anxiety and what’s really going on underneath. Together, we can start to make sense of your experiences — exploring your thoughts, beliefs, and the patterns that might be keeping you stuck. As we do this, you’ll learn ways to challenge unhelpful thinking and respond with more compassion and confidence.
Talking about how you really feel can feel daunting — I completely get that. But you don’t have to face it alone. I’ll be here to listen, to understand your unique story, and to help you find ways to manage anxiety that truly work for you.
My Approach In More Detail
Person-Centred Therapy
This approach focuses on you — how you see yourself, how you make sense of your experiences, and what feels true for you right now. Rather than analysing your unconscious thoughts or trying to interpret your behaviour, it’s about understanding your world through your eyes.
Originally developed by psychologist Carl Rogers, this way of working is built on the belief that every person has an inner drive to grow, heal, and reach their full potential. Sometimes, though, life experiences — especially those that damage our sense of self-worth — can get in the way of that natural process.
In our work together, we’ll look gently at the messages you’ve absorbed about yourself over time — the ones that might be holding you back — and begin to question whether they truly reflect who you are. The aim is to help you reconnect with your authentic self, your core values, and your own sense of worth.
This approach encourages self-discovery, confidence, and more fulfilling relationships, as you start to trust your own inner wisdom. You set the pace and decide what feels important to explore — therapy is your space, and you remain in control throughout.
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, or CBT, is a practical approach that helps you understand the connection between your thoughts, feelings, and behaviours. The idea is simple: the way we think can shape how we feel and act, and by noticing and adjusting unhelpful thinking patterns, we can begin to respond differently to life’s challenges.
While CBT mainly focuses on what’s happening for you right now, it also considers how past experiences might be influencing the way you think and feel today. Together, we’ll explore patterns of thinking that might be holding you back, and identify ways to shift them so they work for you rather than against you.
One of the strengths of this approach is breaking things down into manageable pieces — thoughts, emotions, behaviours, and even physical sensations — and seeing how they are connected. This helps make overwhelming problems feel more understandable, and gives you the tools to start shifting unhelpful cycles.
The goal is to help you gain perspective, feel more in control, and gradually develop healthier ways of thinking, feeling, and responding to life.
Transactional Anaylsis
Transactional Analysis is a type of talking therapy that helps you understand how your personality has been shaped by your life experiences — especially those from childhood — and how this influences the way you express yourself and interact with others. It looks at the different “parts” of ourselves, or ego states, and how these show up in our thoughts, feelings, and behaviour.
This approach also focuses on communication. By exploring how you relate to others, we can identify patterns that might be causing misunderstandings, conflict, or frustration. Together, we work on creating healthier ways of connecting, both in the therapy room and beyond, giving you a blueprint for more positive relationships in everyday life.
Through this process, we can spot recurring behaviours or communication habits that may be holding you back, and explore opportunities to change them. It’s a way of gaining insight into yourself and your relationships, and of developing skills that can improve your interactions and help you feel more confident and understood.