Session Details
Your Journey into Psychology Sessions
Starting psychology sessions can feel daunting, especially if it’s your first time seeking mental health support. Feeling anxious or uncertain is completely normal. However, working with a mental health professional can bring significant relief and improvement, with many people noticing benefits after just a few sessions.
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Before Your First Session
Ahead of your first session, you’ll be asked to complete some initial paperwork, including a consent form and a questionnaire about your medical and mental health history. This information helps me better understand your needs and tailor our work together. You will also receive details about me, my qualifications, my GDPR agreement, and my confidentiality policy.
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What to Expect During Sessions
Initial Appointment:
Our first session is about exploring your concerns and beginning the assessment process. Standard sessions typically last about 50 minutes, but this may vary for certain types of therapy. The assessment process might take several sessions to ensure we have a shared understanding of your difficulties and goals.
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Ongoing Therapy:
If we agree to proceed with therapy, we will arrange further appointments, usually on a weekly basis. These can be adapted to suit your needs and preferences. Sessions will blend structured, skill-based work with explorative discussions to address your concerns and achieve your goals.
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The Therapeutic Ending:
Our final session will provide an opportunity to reflect on the work we’ve done together and consolidate your progress. We will also discuss any onward referrals if needed, ensuring a thoughtful and therapeutic conclusion to our time together.
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Therapy as a Collaborative Process
Therapy works best when approached as a partnership. Here are a few key factors to consider:
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Openness and Honesty: Sharing your thoughts, feelings, and behaviours openly helps me understand your needs. Everything you share is confidential, with certain safety exceptions, and will always be met with compassion and without judgement.
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Active Participation: Engaging with sessions, completing exercises or tasks between appointments, and reflecting on the process will enhance your progress.
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Goal Setting: We’ll work together to set specific, achievable goals and review them regularly to track your growth.
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Consistency: Regular attendance is important for building momentum. Whether weekly or fortnightly, consistency helps establish a routine and supports progress.
Understanding the Therapy Process
Psychology sessions are not about "fixing" your environment or providing quick solutions. Instead, they offer tools to help you:
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Make sense of past events and their impact.
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Understand and manage your thoughts, feelings, and behaviours.
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Develop skills to improve communication, regulate emotions, and handle distress.
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Create healthier environments and relationships.
Therapy may sometimes bring up difficult emotions or memories, and my role includes gently challenging unhelpful patterns. When therapy feels hardest, it’s often when it’s most beneficial.
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Face-to-Face vs Online Therapy
I offer therapy in comfortable, professional rooms in Mansfield and Nottinghamshire, though availability is limited for face to face and I specialise in online working My online therapy is conducted via secure platforms, usually Zoom. I’ve undertaken additional training to deliver effective therapy remotely and am happy to discuss any concerns or questions you might have about this format. For more information, please visit the "Working Online" page on my website.
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Feedback and Questions
I encourage you to ask questions, share how you feel, and provide feedback throughout the process. This helps me continuously refine the support I offer.
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Looking Forward
Therapy is a journey, and I look forward to walking it with you. Together, we’ll work towards your goals and explore ways to create a more fulfilling and meaningful life.​​
