What to expect

If you've never been to counselling before, or you've had a rough experience somewhere else, it's completely normal to feel a bit nervous. Here's what actually happens so there are no surprises. The first session is a full hour, and it's free — it exists so we can both work out whether I'm the right person for you.

Before you arrive

You don't need to prepare anything. You don't need to have your thoughts sorted or know exactly what you want to work on. Just show up as you are. That's plenty.

Getting to know each other

I'll start by briefly introducing myself — who I am, where I come from, and what I bring to the work. Then I'll invite you to share about yourself. We'll talk about your whole context and your story so I can get a proper picture of you as a person, not just the thing that brought you in. From there we'll focus on whatever is going on in your life that you want to explore or get support with.

How we finish up

Towards the end of the hour I'll explain the kind of work I think might help, based on what I've heard. If it's something I feel comfortable exploring with you, I'll say so, and we'll talk about what that support could look like — how often we'd meet, how we'll check in along the way, and any other support that might be useful.

If I think someone else would be a better fit for what you need, I'll be upfront about that and offer to help you find the right practitioner. And regardless of what I think, if you don't feel I'm the right person, I'll help you find someone else too. No hard feelings — the fit matters more than anything.

After the session

A few days later I'll send you a check-in to see where you've landed. That gap is deliberate. It gives you time to sit back, process what we talked about, and decide what you want to do next. If your plans have changed by then, that's completely fine.