services
On-Going Counselling
Counselling sessions last for 50 minutes and we’ll usually meet weekly (initially at least). However, the frequency and total number of sessions offered will be agreed between us depending on your needs, schedule and budget. We can review this as and when needed. 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’ve decided to work together, we’ll go through a counselling contract which will give further information about important issues around 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 draw on aspects of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) as well as mindfulness techniques and also Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), 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 Counselling
Counselling doesn’t always need to be ongoing or long-term to be effective. In addition to the more traditional model of counselling outlined above, I also offer Brief and Blended Counselling. 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 to help us identify your goals;
2) an extended single session of counselling incorporating mindfulness techniques and strategies where appropriate;
3) action points to take away and a follow-up check-in a few weeks later to review progress and identify next steps.
This approach may be a good fit if you're looking for focused support around a specific issue but don't want, or aren't able, to commit to ongoing counselling. 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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