Many people have questions about counselling. Some frequently asked
questions and answers are listed below.

• What is counselling?
• How does it work?
• How many sessions will I require?

What is counselling?

Counselling is a service provided to those of you who wish to make changes in your lives.  The counsellor helps to identify the choices for change, and supports the individual during their process of change.  The aim of counselling
is to leave the individual better equipped to cope for the future.

How does it work?

By listening attentively and patiently Karleen can begin to perceive the difficulties from your point of view and can help you to see things more clearly, possibly from a different perspective. Counselling is a way of enabling choice or change or of reducing confusion. It does not involve giving advice or directing you to take a particular course of action.

In the counselling sessions you can explore various aspects of your life and feelings, talking about them freely and openly in a way that is rarely possible with friends or family.

Bottled up feelings such as anger, anxiety, grief and embarrassment can become very intense and counselling offers an opportunity to explore them, with the possibility of making them easier to understand. Karleen will encourage the expression of feelings and as a result of her training can accept and reflect your problems without becoming burdened by them.

Acceptance and respect is essential and, as your relationship with Karleen develops, so too will the trust between you, enabling you to look at many aspects of your life, your relationships and yourself which you may not have considered or been able to face before.

How many sessions will I require?

Couples counselling usually takes 8-16 sessions, and individual therapy depends on what you are struggling with, and what goals you set for yourself. Most clients have weekly sessions at first and then move to every second week. Brief therapy (6-12 sessions) focuses on immediate issues and practical solutions. Longer term therapy (12 or more sessions) addresses concerns in more depth, and works with changing patterns of behavior that have developed over a long period of time. It is up to each client's discretion how long they wish to pursue therapy.