The terms overlap and are often used interchangeably. Counselling tends to be associated with shorter-term, episodic work focused on a specific difficulty. Psychotherapy tends to mean longer-term, deeper work that addresses underlying patterns as well as presenting concerns. In practice, the distinction depends on the depth of the therapist's training and the work itself rather than on the label. I am trained in both, and the work I offer can be either, depending on what you bring and what you need.

It depends entirely on what you bring and what you are looking for. Some difficulties are met in a few months. Some kinds of work want a year or more. The depth of relational psychotherapy is part of what makes it useful for patterns that have not shifted with shorter approaches, and that depth takes time. We talk about it as we go, and you are always free to end whenever you choose.

Both work well. The research is clear that online therapy is broadly as effective as in-person therapy for most kinds of work. What matters more is the fit between you, the format, and the therapist. Online suits people across the UK who value flexibility, privacy at home, or a room of their own. In-person suits people who prefer the embodied experience of being in a room together. Some clients combine the two. We can talk about what would work for you when we meet.

That is entirely normal. We will go at your pace. There is no pressure, no assumption, no jargon. The first session is partly designed to give you a feel for how I work so that you can decide for yourself whether to continue.

No. The room is a non-judgemental space, and that is not a slogan, it is a working condition of the therapy. You can talk about anything, including the things you have not been able to say to anyone else. My job is not to evaluate you. It is to sit alongside you while you become more visible to yourself.

You do not need to know. Many people start therapy with only a sense that something is off. Articulating what you are bringing is itself part of the work, and it often becomes clearer as we go. You do not need a diagnosis, a clear story, or a goal. You only need to be willing to begin.