WHAT TO EXPECT

What to expect

Starting therapy can be a daunting process, and if it’s your first time you might not know exactly what to expect or what it will involve. The information below will help give you an idea of the different stages and components of psychological therapy and what it entails.

Your first session/s will consist of an introduction to therapy and an assessment. This is a process through which I will gather information about what brought you to therapy, your background, and what it is that you would like to work on and achieve through therapy. You will have the opportunity to ask any questions that you may have about engaging in therapy and my therapeutic approach.

Next, we will begin to develop a formulation. A formulation is the piecing together of the information gathered at assessment to understand where difficulties are likely to have come from, look at the different ways they are impacting on your life and your emotional and psychological wellbeing, and explore what might be keeping problems going. This will help us clarify and set goals for therapy. 

As the therapeutic relationship develops it is very likely that new information and insights continue to emerge - this will help us continue to build and develop our formulation. Additionally, we will regularly review our work so that we can reassess and adjust our goals accordingly. 

Therapy requires a collaborative client-therapist relationship and you will be expected to be an active agent in this process. You are a unique individual and you are the expert of your own life. Therefore, by bringing yourself, your experiences, thoughts, emotions, and perceptions to therapy, and I my knowledge of psychological theories and therapeutic skills, we could work together to achieve your goals and bring about change. Depending what you would be working on, you may also be required to do some work in between sessions in order to achieve your goals.

In terms of the duration of therapy, the reasons for which people seek therapy may vary significantly; some may engage in long-term in-depth therapeutic work, whilst others may be looking for more brief solution-focused work. Additionally, the success of therapy is dependent on the engagement, motivation, and willingness of the client. As a result, the duration of therapy may vary significantly between one client and another.
"Happiness is not something ready-made. It comes from your own actions" 
 - Dalai Lama
Give me a call, or if you'd prefer not to speak in person initially, get in touch with me by completing the form below.
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