Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

  • The first counselling session generallly involves getting an overview of what brought you to counselling and how we can work together to help you. I will generally do a lot of listening in the first session. We will also talk about the administrative side of things, such as confidentiality, communication between sessions, and fee structure.

    The next counselling sessions generally follow this structure:

    • 10 minutes: Checking in and setting goals for the session

    • 30 minutes: Working towards counselling goals

    • 10 minutes: Wrapping up and planning for the week ahead

    In exploring your goals and problems, we might look at:

    • What is happening?

    • How does this impact you in your life?

    • Is there anything that is contributing to or perpetuating the problem?

    • What can we do to help you feel better?

    It is very common to feel awkward or nervous when you first come to counselling. This tends to subside as we to get to know each other better with time.

  • If you are struggling with any concern, big or small, you can reach out for counselling. Counselling may be helpful if you would like some help to cope or to increase your awareness around your patterns of behaviour, thinking, and feeling.

    You may find counselling helpful for any issue. Some common things people see a counsellor for include:

    • communication

    • stress

    • anxiety

    • depression

    • grief and loss

    • problems at work or education

    • relationships

    • life transitions, including becoming a parent or retiring

    • parenting

    • self-esteem

    • drug, alcohol, and/or gambling support needs

  • Maybe you want to understand your situation better, process an emotion or experience, or change how you do things. Maybe you are looking to recognise, manage, and communicate your emotions better. Maybe you are living in a way that is different than you had hoped.

    Counselling can help you to live the way you want to live, on your terms.

  • Counsellors and psychologists both work in mental health.

    Psychologists can provide counselling, and often assess and diagnose mental health conditions. They often work with more severe mental health conditions. Their training focuses on theory and research methods behind human emotion and behaviour, assessment, diagnosis, and interventions based on diagnosis.

    Counsellors also provide counselling, working with you around your current, past, and future goals and challenges. Counsellors cannot diagnose conditions but can work with you around presenting symptoms. You may find a counsellor has a more person-centred and less clinical approach, making counselling less intimidating. There is no limit to the amount of counselling sessions.

    Seeing a counsellor is often cheaper than the gap fee of a psychologist, making it a more affordable and accessible option.

  • You do not need a mental health treatment plan or a referral from a GP to see a counsellor. I can look at your mental health treatment plan and work with you on any goals identified in your plan.

    I do not bulk bill.

  • No. This is your safe space to talk about the things you want to address, as you choose. Respecting your boundaries and decisions is very important in counselling.

  • What you talk about stays between you and me.

    You can talk to whoever you would like to about what happens in your counselling.

    There are some circumstances where I am legally or ethically required to break confidentiality. In the extremely rare event that this happens, I will talk to you first and make sure you have as much control over what happens as possible.

  • This is different for everyone and depends on the individual circumstances. One person may only need four to six sessions, while another person may have a few things they are seeking help with, and may require many more sessions.

  • Absolutely not! It is very common for people to initially find it hard to talk about themselves and their experiences. Most people find it becomes easier with practice and as you feel more comfortable with your counsellor.

    We can do counselling at your pace and talk about the things you want to talk about. Counselling is your space to talk about and you are in control of how much and what we talk about.

  • This again depends on your needs and preferences. It is common to begin with weekly or fortnightly sessions to start with, and then reducing the frequency as needed.

    People often have more frequent sessions if they find themselves needing more support, such as if a problem is intensifying or they are struggling to cope with it.

  • Your sessions are yours. You can talk about whatever you are comfortable exploring.

  • My name is pronounced “Ash-len”.