Your Questions, Answered:

General Therapy Questions

  • Individual counselling, psychotherapy, and EMDR sessions are for 50 minutes (historically known as the "therapeutic hour"). Couples and relationship therapy sessions generally benefit from more extended processing time and are for 75 minutes.

  • Because I treat you as a whole person rather than a checklist of clinical symptoms, there is no fixed timeline. Short-term focused therapy to address a specific life crisis or adjustment typically lasts between 6 to 12 sessions. Deep-seated, long-standing emotional patterns, childhood trauma, or spiritual exploration through a transpersonal lens often benefit from longer-term, open-ended therapy. We will review our progress regularly together.

  • Counselling generally focuses on addressing specific, immediate issues or recent life disruptions (such as a job loss, bereavement, or acute stress) in a short-term format. Psychotherapy looks beneath the surface at long-standing, repetitive psychological themes, unconscious processes, relational patterns, and core identity or existential challenges. As an integrative practitioner, I weave both approaches together naturally depending on your immediate needs.

Answers to common practical and clinical queries.

Choosing a therapist and starting clinical work involves many logistical and personal considerations. Here in this section are the answers to the questions I am asked most frequently about individual therapy, EMDR, couples therapy, and supervision.

EMDR Therapy Questions

  • Is EMDR Right for You?

    EMDR is likely right for you if you are struggling to recover from specific distressing life events.

    • It is best for: Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), complex trauma, childhood abuse, grief, and single-incident traumas like accidents or assaults.

    • It may help with: Anxiety, depression, phobias, and chronic pain where a difficult past memory is involved.

    • It may not be ideal yet if: You lack stable coping mechanisms for severe daily dissociation, or if you are not ready to experience intense emotions in a structured setting.   In this case we would work on strengthening your stability and resilience before commencing trauma reprocessing. You can learn more through the EMDR UK Association Website. (Opens in a new tab)

  • Yes. Clinical studies confirm that online EMDR therapy is just as safe, effective, and transformative as face-to-face treatment. Guidance for online EMDR therapy can be found here

  • No. EMDR does not involve you endlessly explaining or getting lost in the granular details of past trauma. We actively work to reprocess the memory so it loses its painful charge. Crucially, before we begin any active memory processing, we spend dedicated time building your internal psychological coping mechanisms and "safe places," ensuring you always remain fully in control and grounded in the present moment.

Couples & Relationship Therapy Questions

  • Couples and relationship therapy sessions generally benefit from more extended processing time and are for 75 minutes.

  • Couples therapy requires both individuals to be active, willing participants to safely unpack relational cycles. If your partner is currently hesitant or does not wish to attend, I recommend starting individual therapy instead. Individual relational work can still be incredibly transformative, helping you understand your role within relationship dynamics and build personal emotional boundaries.

  • Absolutely not. My clinical client is the relationship itself, not either individual person. I do not judge, assign blame, or make decisions regarding the future of your partnership. My role is to act as an objective, compassionate observer to help you both see the hidden patterns operating between you so you can make clear, authentic decisions together.