Frequently Asked Questions

How long does therapy usually last and what does it involve?

This is a very commonly asked question, but one that is difficult to answer precisely. Therapy can last for just a few sessions (solution- focused ) or for many years (psychoanalysis). It depends on the type of therapy, the nature of your problem as well as your goals for therapy.

Ultimately, you have the choice and can decide how long you wish to work with a therapist. You may prefer a long-term, broader and more in depth approach; whereas others look to having fewer sessions to work on a specific issue. This can be followed up if and when it is needed.

How do I know if you can help me?

I have a lot of professional and personal experience with therapy and I can honestly say there is nothing that I haven't seen before.  From this viewpoint I am confident that regardless of your issue I will be able to help you with it.  If your problem is not listed anywhere on this site, please give me a call and discuss how I could help you.  I'm sure you wont be disappointed.

I'm on medication for depression or anxiety (or other ailments) is that ok?

It sure is. If you are looking to get off your medication, counselling is the best way to achieve that.  Medication while great at alleviating the negative symptoms of depression and anxiety, does not fix the original cause of the problem.  So when you go off it, the depression or anxiety will return.

Working in conjunction with a therapist while you are lowering your dosage is the best and most effective way to safely go off your medication and at the same time eliminating the depression or anxiety that made you go on it in the first place.  Just make sure you let me know what medication you are taking when you contact me and also when you start to lower it.

Any other medication you might be taking for blood pressure or cholesterol will not be impacted by this work.  If anything there are many health benefits associated with my style of counselling so you are likely to be healthier and more vital as a result.

How does what you do differ from normal counselling?

My style of counselling goes into the reasons why your problem started in the first place which is something that the client usually doesn't know or remember as they come from childhood.  The techniques I use allow me to access this subconscious information and resolve the issues where they started and as a result the symptoms (such as depression, anxiety or low self esteem) diminish.  It is for this reason that my counselling is so effective and my clients report a change from their first session.

How is Counselling different from Psychology, Psychiatry or Psychotherapy?

Psychology and Psychiatry both require a University degree and they tend to treat more serious forms of mental illness.  Psychiatrists can also prescribe medication to their clients.  Counselling tends to be seen as for more every day problems rather than serious mental illness although I do treat clinical depression and other forms of mental illness in my practice.

Each different practitioner regardless of whether they are a Counsellor, Psychotherapist, Psychologist or Psychiatrist works in different ways depending on their training and also their experiences.

My Advanced Diploma is based on Psychology and I am also completely my Bachelor of Psychology so I have a wide range of theoretical and practical knowledge to offer my clients.

Psychotherapists can be a Counsellor, Psychologist or a Psychiatrist as it is a form of working with people by connecting their pasts and childhoods to their current issues which is the way I work in my practice.

What if I need help in between sessions?

I am always available in between sessions by phone or email.  As part of my service I offer my clients free 5-10 minute calls in times of crisis when they need to debrief or if they need help out of some overwhelming feelings.  I will always respond as soon as I can but it will be no longer than 24 hours.  Emails can be sent any time and I am contactable on the phone from 8 am to 8 pm 7 days a week. 

I want to bring my teenager, but they are reluctant to come and why can't I be there?

Most teens will be resistant to coming to talk to some "old" person about "feelings" even though I'm not too old to remember being their age!  As long as your teen understands you are sending them out of loving concern and would just like them to give it a go for a few sessions, most will end up discovering that they feel better as a result.  Teenagers feel a lot all the time which can be hard for parents to handle.  Their moods are erratic and they are prone to acting out which is not only emotional but also biological due to brain development and parents can end up feeling that they don't even know their child any more. On top of that is being a teen today is vastly different from when most of us were so it's easy to be out of the loop.  This is when outside help can be beneficial.

Because most relationships with teenagers are tense and awkward that is why I don't allow parents into sessions.  The teenagers need to be able to say what they want without filtering the information or feeling the parent is going to correct, judge or attack them.  I always encourage them to communicate how they feel to their parents but it is something that has to come naturally.

My family is having some issues, would a family assessment be beneficial?

Family assessments work well when then whole family is suffering as a result of an event such as a divorce, one parent remarrying, one child's behaviour effecting everyone or if you would like a closer family but find you are struggling to achieve that.

For more information on family assessments please look under the About You tab.

Family sessions may be recommended in addition to your teenager or child's counselling to help teach effective communication and address parental behaviour that may be adversely effecting the desired changes.