Making the decision to begin counselling is a positive step and gives the opportunity to explore your feelings, thoughts and behaviours – which may be causing you concern.
We can all have challenging times in our life which can make looking after our own wellbeing difficult. People are affected in different ways at different times – counselling can be a transformative way to process those feelings and emotions.
There are many types of counselling and different approaches work for different people. That’s why it is important to work with a counsellor best suited to you and your needs
We chat with Breathe’s Counselling Manager Christine about the process when making the decision to begin counselling.
What is the first step to start counselling?
The first step is to get in touch. We will send a referral form for you to complete and return, either by email or post – whichever is suitable for you.
Once your form has been processed we will book an assessment with one of our counsellors.
What should clients expect at the assessment?
The assessment lasts approximately 30 minutes and takes place with one of our counsellors, who will ask you questions about what your current concerns are. Whilst they are doing this, they will be thinking about what sort of talking therapy could work well for you, based on what you tell them.
The idea at this session is not to ‘open up’ the concerns that you have, but for you to tell a little bit about your background and the situation(s) that have led up to you contacting us. This, together with any previous experience of counselling that you have had, will help us to match you to a therapist – best suited to your needs.
We offer a number of different types – ‘modalities’ – of talking therapies. Our counselling guide and counsellor profiles will help you to have some input into the choice of counselling/counsellor. We want to get it right for you so that you have a good relationship and experience, which will help you to achieve your goals.
What happens after the assessment?
Once we have agreed on which type of counselling would work best for you, you will be asked about your availability and we will match you with an appropriate therapist.
Our counselling service provides one to one counselling delivered by our qualified counsellors – each offering a tailored approach.
Find out more about what to expect from your first counselling session