services
On-Going Counselling – What To Expect
I offer both short and longer-term counselling, whichever fits best with your needs, schedule and budget. Sessions last for 50 minutes and we’ll usually meet weekly (initially at least), though the frequency and total number of sessions offered will be agreed between us. We can review this as and when needed as the work progresses. Prior to our first session I’ll send you further information about my counselling room. Our initial consultation will give us a chance to get to know each other a little and decide whether we’d like to work together. It will be helpful for us to talk through what brings you to counselling and what you hope to get from the experience. You’ll also have the chance to ask any questions you may have. We’ll work completely at your pace and address any concerns as they arise. Once we have decided to work together, we’ll go through a counselling contract which will give further information about important issues such as confidentiality and also more practical issues such as when we will meet and making payment.
I may draw on a number of different approaches during our work together, depending on what feels right for you. The way I work is heavily influenced by attachment theory, that is how our earliest childhood bonds act as a blueprint for how we connect, trust, and relate to others throughout our adult lives. I may also draw on aspects of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) as well as mindfulness techniques to support you in developing a more peaceful relationship with your thoughts and to explore self-limiting and restrictive beliefs that may be consciously or unconsciously holding you back. However, at its heart, my work has a person-centered ethos. This means I shall listen to you attentively and strive to understand what things feel like for you at this time.
Brief and Blended Therapy
Counselling doesn’t always need to be ongoing and long-term to be effective. In addition to the more traditional model of ongoing counselling work outlined above, I also offer Brief and Blended Therapy. This is a structured, intentional therapeutic approach designed to provide meaningful intervention in just one session. In the session we will focus on a specific problem, leverage your existing strengths and create actionable takeaways.
The Brief and Blended package involves:
1) an initial questionnaire assessment
2) an extended single session of counselling incorporating mindfulness techniques and strategies where appropriate
3) a follow-up check-in a few weeks later.
This may work well for you if you don't have the time or money to commit to a more lengthy course of therapy. There is a large body of research which suggests that brief therapeutic interventions can be highly effective for resolving current and pressing issues, for example making a tough decision, navigating a life transition or resolving a recent conflict. It is not suitable for addressing severe, chronic, or complex mental health conditions and or deep rooted trauma. Whilst we would approach the session with the goal of resolving the concern, further support remains an option if needed later.
© Caroline O'Keeffe
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