Working Together

The first session is a little more structured than the sessions that follow. I’ll ask questions to help me get a picture of you and your life; what has brought you to therapy, your family and childhood, education and work, significant experiences and relationships, and what you might hope for from therapy. We’ll also think about why you’re seeking therapy now and what you would like to be different.You don’t need to prepare anything beforehand, and there’s no expectation to tell me everything at once.

That’s okay. You don’t need to arrive with a clear understanding of what’s wrong, or even be sure that something is wrong. We can start with what you’re noticing in your life, how things feel at the moment, or simply what made you consider therapy in the first place. Part of our work can be making sense of things together.

Finding the right therapist is personal, and it’s difficult to know from a website alone. Our first session gives you a chance to get a sense of me and how I work, as well as giving me a chance to understand what you’re looking for. There’s no obligation to continue if it doesn’t feel like the right fit.

No. You are always in control of what you choose to share. If something feels too difficult to explore, we can slow down, leave it for another time, or not go there at all. Therapy doesn’t require you to push past your own boundaries in order for the work to be meaningful.

That’s okay too. Sometimes feelings are difficult to name, make sense of or put into words. We can take our time with this. I also pay attention to what you notice in your body, as well as thoughts, images or other things that emerge, so talking isn’t the only way we can begin to understand your experience.

Sessions are usually less structured than our first meeting and will be shaped by what you bring that day. We might talk about something happening in your life now, explore experiences from your past, notice patterns or relationships, or pay attention to what is happening in your body and feelings as we talk. Sometimes we may use imagery or other creative ways of exploring your experience. There isn’t a set formula for what a session needs to look like.

Not at all. People come to therapy for many reasons. You might want to understand yourself more deeply, explore patterns in your life or relationships, make sense of a change, or think about what you want next. Therapy can be as much about growth, meaning and possibility as it is about difficulty.

Yes. I offer sessions in person in Olney, Burton Latimer and Wellingborough, as well as online. You don’t have to choose one and stick to it, we can switch between in person and online sessions when needed. We can talk about what works best for you when you get in touch.