The first step is getting in touch by filling out the contact form. We can chat and arrange an initial consultation. The initial session is very relaxed and just for you to have space to explore your thoughts and to see if I’m the right person for you. There is no obligation to continue further sessions at that point or at any time. You may decide you feel comfortable and would like to return or it may be a one-off, your choice. This is also an opportunity for you to ask questions and decide if I am the right therapist for you.

Counselling and psychotherapy, while related, serve different needs. Counselling typically offers shorter-term support focused on specific current challenges, helping you develop practical strategies and solutions for immediate concerns like relationship issues, work stress, or life transitions. Psychotherapy tends to be more in-depth and often longer-term, exploring underlying patterns and how past experiences influence your present life, addressing persistent difficulties like recurring depression or anxiety, and working toward more profound personal growth. In practice, the boundary between these approaches isn't always distinct. Many practitioners draw from both depending on your needs, perhaps beginning with counselling-focused work for immediate concerns before exploring deeper patterns if helpful. What matters most isn't the label but finding the right support for your unique situation and goals.

The honest answer is that therapy is a uniquely personal journey, with several factors influencing its duration, including what brings you to therapy, your personal goals, what you do between sessions and your life experience and circumstances.

While everyone's path is different, here's a general idea of what you might expect:

Short-term work (about 8-16 sessions) can be very effective for specific challenges like adjusting to life changes, managing mild anxiety, or working through a particular relationship issue.

A few months of therapy (roughly 4-6 months) often allows us to explore patterns more deeply and create meaningful, lasting change.

Longer-term support (6+ months) tends to be beneficial when addressing longstanding patterns, complex trauma, or persistent struggles that have affected multiple areas of your life.

I typically suggest starting with 6-8 sessions, after which we'll take time to reflect, see what’s working well and adjust our approach if needed.

Many people find that their needs evolve during our work together, and that's perfectly normal. Some discover they benefit from continuing regular sessions, while others transition to less frequent check-ins as things progress.

I may need to collect some of your data to help me administer services that are offered to you. For example if you wish to book a consultation I will invite you to my bookings platform at wearekiku.com. My bookings platform complies with GDPR regulations on keeping your data safely, and a copy of my data and privacy policy is available on request. Please contact me for further information. I do not make use of website cookies and make no attempt to track people who have visited my website. At all times my services offered to you are professional, private and confidential.