Talking therapy provides a safe, confidential, and non-judgmental space for you to explore your thoughts, feelings, behaviours, and experiences with a trained professional. It's not about being told what to do, but rather about being heard, understood, and supported as you gain new perspectives, develop coping strategies, and work towards personal growth.

Many different people benefit from talking therapy. You don't need to be in crisis to seek support. It can help if you're experiencing:

• Stress, anxiety, or depression

• Grief or loss

• Relationship difficulties

• Low self-esteem or confidence issues

• Trauma or past difficult experiences

• Major life transitions (e.g., career change, divorce)

• A desire for greater self-understanding or personal development

The terms "talking therapy" and "counselling" are often used interchangeably, and indeed, they share many similarities – both involve a trained professional providing a safe space for you to explore your experiences through conversation.

Generally, counselling often refers to shorter-term work, typically focused on a specific issue or crisis you're currently facing (e.g., bereavement, relationship breakdown, specific stress). It often aims to help you cope with immediate challenges and find solutions.

Talking therapy (or psychotherapy) can encompass counselling but often implies a broader, potentially longer-term exploration of deeper, more enduring patterns, past experiences, and fundamental aspects of your self. It might delve into the roots of your issues, aiming for more profound and lasting change.

Ultimately, the core process of support, self-discovery, and working through challenges is very similar, focusing on empowering you to find your own answers.

Sessions typically last between 50 and 60 minutes and usually take place weekly at a consistent time. In a session, you'll have a dedicated space to talk openly about whatever is on your mind – your current struggles, past experiences, feelings, and thoughts. Your therapist's role is to listen attentively, without judgment, and to help you to explore these aspects of your experience. Talking therapy isn't about being giving you advice or telling you what to do, but rather working collaboratively to help you to gain new perspectives, develop insights, and discover your own solutions or ways of coping.

The length of therapy varies greatly depending on your individual needs, goals, and the complexity of the issues you wish to address. Some clients find resolution for specific issues in short-term work (e.g., 6-12 sessions), while others prefer longer-term therapy to explore deeper patterns or for ongoing support and growth.

We'll discuss your expectations and assess what might be most beneficial during our initial consultation. The duration is always something we review together, ensuring it aligns with your evolving needs.

Absolutely. Confidentiality is a cornerstone of effective talking therapy and is something we take very seriously. Everything we discuss in our sessions is kept strictly private.

There are very rare exceptions to this, related to ethical guidelines and legal obligations, such as if there is a serious risk of harm to yourself or others, or if required by a court of law. These limits to confidentiality would always be fully explained to you in our initial agreement before we begin working together.

The first step is usually to book an initial consultation, which is completely free and comes with no obligations or strings attached. This gives us both an opportunity to discuss what brings you to therapy, for you to ask any questions you may have, and for us to explain how we work.

Crucially, it's also a chance for you to see if you feel comfortable talking with us and if our working relationship feels like a good fit. Finding the right therapist is a very personal choice, and there's absolutely no obligation to continue after this initial meeting if it doesn't feel right for you.