Counselling and Therapy FAQs: 

Answers To Common Questions

What Are The Problems That People Seek Therapy For?

People seek therapy for a range of issues, such as anxiety and depression, relationship problems, trauma, grief and loss, self-esteem and confidence, substance abuse, stress management, anger management, eating disorders and other issues. 

How Much Does Therapy Cost?

It's important to remember that therapy is an investment in your self and your future. Therapy varies in cost. It's often the case that the higher the therapist’s fee, the more experienced and specialist they are - though do check their qualifications and experience.

Bear in mind that a therapist with an advanced level of expertise will often be able to help you in much fewer sessions, than someone who charges less but has less experience. So it is much about weighing up the costs overall.

How Many therapy Sessions Will I Need? 

Again this varies between therapists. As a general rule, my clients book a block of 6 or 13 sessions and this completes their therapy. However they can decide to book more sessions if they wish.

Continuing Your Personal Development

Some people book therapy sessions, work through their issues and say goodbye. Others work through an issue, then continue on having less frequent sessions, perhaps 1 every month, or two or three months. 

There are two benefits to this.

Since we already have an established therapeutic relationship, I know you well, so we can focus more on the issues at hand -  rather than spending time catching up on your life story and past events as you would with a new therapist.

Additionally, these regular sessions provide an opportunity to 'top up' and continue to grow as a person.

How Long Are The Therapy Sessions?

The standard time for a session is around 45-50 minutes. My sessions are for one hour. This is a little longer than standard, but in my experience, one hour works well. It's an optimum length for you because it allows plenty of time for your needs, without becoming too overwhelming. 

What's The Difference Between Counselling and Therapy?

Often the words 'counsellor' and 'therapist' are interchangeable. Though a therapist in general is often someone who has undertaken further training beyond their original counselling qualification and now specilises in specific areas of therapy. 

Practitioners may call themselves counsellor, or therapist. The most important thing is to check out their qualifications and experience, and to make sure they are the right therapist for you

How Can I Be Sure a Therapist Is Right For Me?

Think about the specific issue you need help with and make sure that the therapist specialises in that particular area. The more experienced the therapist, the more likely they’ll have honed their expertise in just a few areas.

It's far more beneficial to find a therapist who specialises in a few key areas, than one who offers help for a wide range of different issues.

I specialise in helping people with confidence and self-esteem, relationships, and overcoming anxiety.

Have a Free Consultation

It's very helpful if you can meet for a consultation first to make sure you feel comfortable with your therapist. Some therapists offer this free short session, some don't.

If you can have a free consultation it will give you an opportunity to get to know them, and make sure you feel at ease.  It's also an opportunity for the therapist to make sure that they’re the right person to help you, or to refer you to a colleague who is a better match.

I offer a free 30-minute consultation session so that we can get to know each other and I can guide you on the best way forward.

Will I Be Given Therapy Homework?

Most therapists will offer some easy homework tasks, such as suggested goals and practices to help consolidate what you’ve covered in a session. I have a range of therapeutic tools and techniques to help. We'll focus on the ones that are just right for you. Once you become familiar with these methods, they'll become strategies that you can rely on for the rest of your life.

Do Therapists Provide Extra Resources?

Some therapists provide extra resources, some don't.

In many years as a therapist, I've found that providing my clients with additional resources can be very beneficial. So you'll also have the option to have free access to my online resources. These include worksheets, courses, audios and videos.

These are not a requirement for your therapy, however if you’d like to take advantage of these resources they are there for you.

Will My Sessions Be Online or Face To Face?

Some therapists work exclusively online, exclusively offline or a mixture of these. As most of my clients are expats and live in various locations, I tend to work online via Zoom or another method. However if you’re local to Costa del Sol I'm always open to providing face-to-face sessions if you prefer.

How Do I Arrange Therapy Sessions?

Click the button to read the information and then complete the form located at the bottom of the page. Following this, I'll contact you to schedule your complimentary 30-minute consultation.