What to Expect After your First Contact

Seeking support is not always easy. It can feel daunting to acknowledge, even to yourself, that you may need someone’s help to make sense of what you are going through. So, before anything else, I want to say: you are incredibly brave for taking this first step, and you have every reason to feel proud of yourself.

At this point, you might have already contacted me or you might still be thinking about whether to press that ‘contact’ button. Whichever stage you are at, I would like to offer some reassurance by walking you through what to expect after you get in touch.

After You Contact Me

Once you’ve reached out, I’ll respond within 48 hours to arrange an initial meeting. I’ll get in touch by email, or by text message if you prefer. I won’t phone you, as I understand how sensitive and personal seeking support can be, and I want to make sure you feel safe and in control from the start.

Our Initial meeting

You can choose to have our initial meeting via Zoom or phone, whichever feels more comfortable for you.

This meeting will last 60 minutes, which is slightly longer than a standard counselling session (50 minutes). The extra time allows us to really get to know each other and see whether we feel like a good fit. Choosing the right therapist is a very personal decision, and this first meeting is your chance to see whether I might be the right person for you.

Therapy works best when you feel safe, comfortable, and understood, which is why I offer this meeting at a reduced rate of £15.

This meeting is also an opportunity for me to listen and understand your situation, and to consider whether I am the right person to support you. As an ethical counsellor, I always put my clients’ best interests first. In rare cases, I may feel that your needs would be better supported by another therapist or professional. If so, I would signpost you to someone more suitable.

What will we explore in the meeting?

During our initial meeting, we will gently explore:

• What brings you to counselling

• Any previous experience you have had with therapy

• Your overall emotional and mental wellbeing history

• What you hope to gain from therapy

• Any questions you may have about the process or my way of working

I will also need to collect some basic personal information, such as your contact and GP details.

As with all sessions, confidentiality and GDPR apply fully. If we decide not to continue working together, any notes taken during the session will be immediately and securely destroyed.

If We Choose to Work Together

If we decide to continue, we’ll look at your availability and hopefully schedule your first “official” session. At the moment, I don’t have a waiting list, so we can begin as soon as it works for you.

Following the initial meeting, I will email you a counselling agreement, outlining the practical and therapeutic framework of our work together. I will ask you to read it through before our first session.

At the start of that session, we will take a short time to go over any key points or questions you may have, and then the space is yours. From there, we will go at your pace.

A Gentle Reminder

I understand that the first meeting can feel overwhelming. Please know that you don’t need to prepare anything. Just come as you are, and share only what you feel comfortable with.

After our initial meeting, and the first session, it is completely normal to feel a mix of emotions, and perhaps even some you were not expecting. So, take care of yourself afterwards. Be gentle with yourself. You’ve taken a meaningful step toward caring for your wellbeing.