If your question isn't here, please just ask — there's a contact form at the end. Counselling is unfamiliar to a lot of people, and there's no question that's too basic.
Most people start by getting in touch — usually through the form on the contact page, or by phone. We then schedule a free 15-minute call, which is mostly a chance to see whether I'm someone you'd feel comfortable working with.
You don't need to know what's wrong or have it neatly articulated. "I'm not sure what's going on but something is" is a perfectly common starting point.
The terms overlap and are used differently by different practitioners. Roughly: counselling tends to be shorter-term and more focused on present issues; psychotherapy tends to be longer-term and includes more depth work; CBT is a specific structured method for changing thought-and-behaviour patterns.
My training is in integrative counselling, which means I draw on several traditions including CBT where helpful. In practice the distinction matters less than whether the work is useful for you.
No. Private counselling is self-referral — you just get in touch directly. If you're going through NHS talking therapies, that route requires a GP referral, but that's a different service from mine.
It varies. I usually have some availability within two to three weeks, sometimes sooner. Email me and I can let you know what's available.
Yes. What you tell me stays between us, with very narrow exceptions: if I believe you or someone else is at imminent risk of serious harm, or if I'm required by law (e.g. terrorism-related disclosures or court orders, both extremely rare). I'd always tell you before breaking confidence if at all possible.
I have fortnightly supervision with a senior practitioner where I'd discuss aspects of my work — but anonymously, without identifying you.
Yes — brief notes after each session. They're factual and minimal: themes we discussed, anything we agreed for next time. They're stored encrypted on a UK-based service. I keep them for seven years after our work ends (which is the BACP guidance) and then securely delete them.
You can ask to see your notes at any time. This is your right under data protection law.
No — not unless you tell them. There's no obligation for me to inform your GP, and I won't do so without your explicit consent. Many of my clients prefer to keep their counselling private from other healthcare records.
Belfast's a small city, so this happens. If we cross paths in the street or at an event, I'll follow your lead — I won't approach you or acknowledge you unless you say hi first. I'd rather give you the choice of whether to acknowledge knowing me.
We sit down, I check in with how you've been since we last spoke, and we follow what feels alive. Sometimes that's something you've been thinking about all week; sometimes it's something that comes up in the room. There's no template.
The session is 50 minutes. I'll keep a discreet eye on the time so we can land things rather than being cut off mid-thought.
Mostly no, but sometimes yes. The bulk of counselling isn't advice-giving — it's helping you think more clearly and notice your own answers. But if I see something practical that's worth saying, I'll say it. I'm not a blank slate.
What I won't do: tell you whether to leave your partner, change your job, or move house. Those are yours.
All normal. Crying is fine — there are tissues. Anger is fine — it tells us something. Periods of not being able to speak are also fine; sometimes silence is where the work happens.
You can't do this wrong.
It often doesn't feel dramatic. People usually notice changes outside the room first — that they reacted differently to something, that something doesn't preoccupy them the way it used to. Every couple of months we'd pause and review together.
It's also fine to say "I don't think this is working" if that's how it feels. We'd talk about why, and either adjust how we're working or part ways with my blessing.
In a quiet street in South Belfast, in the ground-floor room of a small Victorian terrace. I give the exact address after the first call is booked, so visitors aren't wandering around looking for me. There's free on-street parking after 6pm and within easy walking distance of the city centre.
The practice room is on the ground floor with one shallow step at the entrance. The room itself is step-free, but the doorway is 78cm wide which may be tight for some wheelchairs. The nearest accessible toilet is a 5-minute walk away. Please ask me about specifics if you're unsure.
I have some early-evening slots available (last appointment 6:30pm) and occasional Saturday morning availability. I don't do late-evening sessions — past 8pm I'm not at my best for this work.
I'm not a crisis service. If you're in immediate distress or thinking about harming yourself, please call Lifeline on 0808 808 8000 — they're free, 24 hours, and trained for exactly this. You can also contact your GP or A&E for urgent mental health support.
Once the crisis has stabilised, counselling can be a really useful part of figuring out what comes next — but it's a different kind of help from immediate crisis intervention.
Yes, absolutely. Many of my clients return at various points over the years as new things come up. Just get in touch the same way as anyone else and let me know we've worked together before.
Get in touch — I'm happy to answer anything by email before we book anything. There's no expectation that you commit to a session just because you've asked.
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