Therapists are impartial professionals who listen and express warmth and empathy to assist you to talk openly about your feelings and emotions. They are non-judgmental (not judging what a person discloses about themselves, their attitudes, or behaviours); fair; open and trustworthy to enable a respectful working relationship to develop between you.

Therapy is time set aside by you and your therapist to look at what has brought you to therapy. This might include talking about life events (past and present), feelings, emotions, relationships, ways of thinking and patterns of behaviour. Your therapist will do their best to help you to look at your issues, and to identify the right course of action for you, either to help you resolve your difficulties or help you find ways of coping.

Therapy is a very personal process and sometimes it is necessary to talk about painful feelings or difficult decisions, so you may go through a period of feeling worse than when you started. Research shows that this is common and natural. It is important to discuss this with the therapist if you are concerned.

At Overstone Counselling™, we work on an open-ended basis as I believe there is no 'one-size-fits-all' when it comes to therapy; it varies from person to person and will often depend on the depth of the issues you are facing and what your individual needs are.

Some people find that after several sessions they have clarity and focus and are ready to end therapy. Other people value the ongoing support and relationship with me and will continue for weeks, months, or years. You decide how long your therapy will last, and we will review the process together at regular intervals to ensure therapy continues for only as long as it is of benefit to you.

Here are some practical examples to get the best results from your therapy:

• Be Open and Honest: Share your thoughts and feelings, even if something feels embarrassing or difficult to talk about, being honest with your therapist helps them understand what’s really going on. The more you share, the more your therapist can help.

• Be Patient with the Process: Progress doesn’t happen overnight. Sometimes, it may feel slow or difficult, and that’s not unusual. It’s important to be patient with yourself and the therapeutic journey. You might feel like giving up if things get emotional or uncomfortable, however this is often when growth happens.

• Be Open to Feedback: Sometimes your therapist may point out things you didn’t realise about yourself. This can feel surprising or even challenging, but being open to their feedback can lead to powerful insights and progress.

• Communicate with Your Therapist: If you’re feeling or noticing positive changes, let your therapist know! If your therapist suggests something that you don’t understand or that doesn’t sit well with you, speak up - it helps them understand what’s working and not working, and can help you feel more in control and engaged.

• Trust the Relationship: A strong therapeutic relationship (connection with your therapist) is one of the most important factors in successful therapy. Trust and rapport take time to develop, so give yourself space to build that connection. Therapy works best when you feel safe, supported, and understood.

Protecting the confidentiality and privacy of my clients is an essential part of my service, however no therapist can offer 100% confidentiality as there are exceptions and situations where the law requires disclosure of risk.

If there is a risk of serious harm to yourself or others, confidentiality may need to be broken. Where possible, I will aim to discuss any issues of confidentiality with you and obtain your consent to pass information (if needed) to a third-party (e.g. your GP). Confidentiality will also be broken where I have a statutory obligation to do so, for example, reporting disclosures of information, involving terrorism, money laundering or drug trafficking under the Terrorism Act 2000.

However, breaking confidentiality is rare, and happens (but not always) after talking with the person concerned, and with their knowledge and consent. Therapists do not make telephone calls or engage in discussions about you to your GP, employer, partner, family members, friends or to other agencies to find out, clarify, or add to your personal information without your knowledge.

When you attend therapy, it's important you feel free to talk about whatever is significant to you. Having a friend or family member with you is not usually helpful because they may have their own agenda for you. Even if this is them being supportive, or wanting you to 'get better', this may prevent us talking about the things that matter to you. You may need to explore thoughts or behaviours about which you feel ashamed or embarrassed, and you may censor yourself so as not to hurt someone or find that what they want you to talk about is not really what you want to discuss.

On some occasions, family and friends may even be part of an underlying issue which needs to be aired and discussed. If in asking this question you are feeling nervous or anxious about coming to an appointment alone, this anxiety is quite normal, and you will not be forced to talk about anything you feel uncomfortable about - but you do need to be able to talk openly about whatever is important. For this reason, I do not see clients accompanied by friends or family.

Where a friend or relative may be providing transport to and from your appointment, as I work from home and do not have a waiting room, they are welcome to remain in their vehicle while you are at your appointment.