FAQ's | All Is Calm

What's the difference between counselling, therapy and psychotherapy?

A lot of the time, these words all mean the same thing. They can all mean a form of talking therapy - a relationship between you as a client and me as a therapist during which we'll talk things through and find solutions to problems and relief from burdens that may be troubling you.

Am I right for therapy?

If you've got this far, then probably yes. I hear new clients say "but other people have it a lot worse than me" quite often, but the reality of it is that I care about how you feel, not how everyone else feels. During each session you'll be encouraged to treat yourself with a bit of kindness, and not compare your troubles to anyone else's.

How does it work?

We will have an initial assessment session to make sure that I am the right therapist for you – if it is decided at the end that I’m not the right option for you, there will be no charge. We will then arrange one 50 minute session at the same time each week, either in person at Rutland House, by phone, or online via Zoom. We will talk about whatever needs to be talked about on the day - there are no specific agendas or schedules. At any point if you are under the influence of drugs or alcohol we wouldn't be able to continue with the session - therapy and alcohol/drugs just don't mix.

How long will therapy take?

That all depends - sometimes all it needs is one or two sessions to get a particular something straight in your mind. More complicated issues that have been there for many years can take longer - although research has shown many clients with these issues start to feel a lasting improvement after a few months.

Is it ok if someone comes with me?

For therapy to work effectively, you will need to be somewhere that you can talk completely confidentially - so if you brought anyone else along, you wouldn't be able to do that and it would probably end up being a waste of your time and money. (This is the same with online appointments - although many of my clients have cats and dogs who I might see on our appointments, and that's fine with me!)

Please, can you just tell me what to do?

Nope! The best thing about therapy is that you will embrace having faith in yourself, in your own judgement and your own values - not mine. But I'll be there to help you get to that stage, and it might not take as long as you think.

Can you prescribe medication?

No. I can help you unpick how you feel about medication, but it's not my place to prescribe medicine or advise on it. Many clients will be on medication when they start therapy, and I will ask you about it in our first meeting, but therapy is something that can help in a different way than medicine.

Does online therapy really work?

From my experience, absolutely. Although it may not be ideal for everybody, I have found since the pandemic started that many clients are able to enage emotionally with online therapy really well - and during this time I have used specific resources and exercises that I have personally designed and developed to allow us to really get the most out of online therapy.

What’s better - in person therapy, online therapy, or on the phone?

Again, that's up to you. Therapy is all about having a trusting relationship with each other, and some people find this easier with the immediate connection of being in the same room. Others may find the convenience of online therapy really works for them, and we are still able to make that connection. Others may prefer the relative anonymity of a phone therapist - I have had long-term clients who I have had a great relationship with, but could pass in the street and not recognise. But, again, through our voices we can still make that connection. If you try one method and find that it's not working for you we can always switch to another.

Is it going to be difficult?

There might well be some things that you might find it hard to talk about. But if you have got this far, you have already started the hard work. The hardest thing of all can be taking the next step and getting in contact - if you can do that, you can do therapy.