Your First Session
In your first session, we will take some time getting to know each other. Our relationship is the key to you getting the most out of your sessions. I will try and learn as much as I can about you and this will help me understand how I can work with you in a way that you feel comfortable with.
You will have the opportunity to ask me as many questions as you like - there is no such thing as a stupid question. I will do my best to answer as many as I can. We will also have a chat about what you hope to get from our sessions together. These sessions are for you and therefore I will try and help you reach that goal.
Different Counselling Approaches
You may have heard of the term 'integrative counselling'. All this means is that an integrative therapist doesn't stick to one approach. I liken this to having a toolbox that contains a variety of different tools. So as an integrative counsellor, I am not stuck with just one tool.
We are all different aren't we. What works for you won't always work for everyone else. We all have different experiences, different reasons for therapy, different ways of dealing with stuff.
It is important that I am able to work with you and with your needs. I need to have that range of 'tools' and select which ones you prefer to work with. These sessions are all about you - how often do you get a space where it is all about you? They are few and far between but this time, it really is about you.
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For me, it is really important to build the relationship - it doesn't matter which approach I use if you don't feel safe and comfortable. Once we have that, we can work together to find what works for you. It may be attachment issues or trauma and the impact that can have on how we function. Whatever tool we choose to use, will be chosen together to ensure that you are comfortable with the approach we take.