Finding a Therapist

Choosing a good counsellor or psychotherapist can be a daunting task . How do you know when you have found the right one for you? What...

Recently, I had a call from someone looking for a counsellor . They asked me two perfectly reasonable questions -  "How do you work? And...

Metaphors often prove to be a very useful tool when trying to find out what is going on in someone's life and how best to help. People...

You've signed up for some sessions with a psychotherapist or counsellor. You're committing your time, energy and hard-earned cash. You've even been warned that the road ahead often gets tricky here and there. How can you be sure that this slippery-sounding process is going to work? The short answer to that question is probably - "you can't!" There are no guarantees with psychotherapy although from my own experience of being in therapy myself and from working with others as a

People coming for counselling at my practice in Brighton often ask me for Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) . Perhaps they have read about CBT in the press or it has been mentioned to them by their GP. CBT is one of many approaches to counselling, rather than a separate form. I adopt a cognitive behavioural approach to some of my work, particularly at the start of the process. For instance, if you were to come to me for help with problematic anxiety or relationship difficul

When choosing a therapist in the UK , how do you know if that person is properly qualified? I realised the other day that no-one coming...

It can be hard to ask for help and particularly so if you are someone who has become used to dealing with your own difficulties alone. You may be making the assumption that asking for help is somehow a sign of weakness and that by allowing yourself to be vulnerable in front of another, you are leaving yourself open to criticism, judgement and rejection. Whenever someone approaches me to find out more about starting counselling or psychotherapy, I am always aware that just th

Any therapist worth their salt will have gone through or be going through many months of their own therapy. Personally, as a client, I...

I am sometimes asked by potential new clients if I am prepared to see them fortnightly rather than on my usual weekly basis. I...

You’ve met your counsellor and decided to go ahead with some sessions . He or she seems pleasant, competent and interested in what you...

So now you have a shortlist of suitable sounding counsellors and psychotherapists… What made you choose them? Do they practise close to...

Most practitioners agree that is the strength of the relationship between you and your therapist that is the best indicator for a...

For me, counselling is about change . You might consider visiting a therapist when you are feeling uncomfortable or distressed about some aspect of your life. Together, you and your therapist will explore what's going on and consider options for making changes to the way you respond to certain situations and feelings. I work with the 'what' and the 'how' of the story that you might bring to counselling. The 'what' might be the facts (or perceived facts) of your life - what h

I aim to post short articles about the counselling process roughly once a month. I will examine established theory and some of my own...