About Counselling

WHAT IS COUNSELLING OR PSYCHOTHERPY FOR?

Counselling and Psychotherapy are “Talking Therapies” which aim to provide a safe environment for a client in distress to talk about their problems. Clients meet with a professional helper who listens and works with the client towards a shared goal of helping the client find a better way forward. Both counselling and psychotherapy aim to provide an opportunity for clients to work through issues in their lives and can be of great support in times of crisis or change. Therapy provides an opportunity to explore, discover and clarify ways of living more resourcefully. Stress, Anxiety, Bereavement, Addiction and Relationship issues are some of the reasons why people engage the services of a counsellor/psychotherapist.

WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN COUNSELLING AND PSYCHOTHERAPY?

There is no clearly defined line between counselling and psychotherapy; both practices overlap heavily with both terms being used interchangeably. Both counselling and psychotherapy involve the provision of professional assistance to people who are experiencing personal issues in order to help alleviate those difficulties. In general, counselling tends to deal more with immediate issues that may have arisen more recently e.g. bereavement or relationship breakdown. Psychotherapy tends to deal with deeper, more long-term issues that may be rooted in the past e.g. a trauma or a serious mistreatment where the effects of such are ongoing.

WHO IS IT FOR?

Any person who is open to exploring their issues and is open to change is suited to therapy. Our service specifically works with clients who are 18 years of age and older however, but do provide a service for children and young adults. Please be aware that working with clients under the age of 18 requires specific training and not all therapists have opted to undergo this training and so places are quite limited.

Our therapists are trained to work with clients experiencing issues such as: Sexual Abuse, Panic Attacks, Anxiety, Depression, Stress, Past Trauma or Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Addictions. Drug and Alcohol Misuse, Cancer, Bereavement, Self Esteem, Bullying, Motivation, Anger, Relationships and Suicide (thoughts of, or anyone affected or bereaved by suicide).

WHAT IS INVOLVED?

If you feel therapy may be for you then please call one of our therapists to have a no-obligation chat about your situation. Should you then decide to proceed with therapy a first appointment will be arranged. At the end of your first session your therapist will outline a plan that he/she feels best suits your needs. The number of planned sessions varies with each client. In many cases therapy involves only a few sessions (e.g. Where CBT is viewed as an appropriate approach to be used to address the client’s specific issue, 6 to 8 sessions will be planned), whilst other, possibly more entrenched issues, could require longer term work.

If you are happy with the plan your therapist suggests you will be asked to commit to an agreed number of sessions on a regular basis (weekly or possibly each second week – usually on the same day and at the same time, though this can be changed to suit your specific needs). Any questions you may have about therapy or our policies can be answered during your initial meeting with your therapist.

You can read about our therapists here

How much does it cost?

Cost per session: The price per session is agreed with your therapist on initial contact with them or at your first appointment. Payment is made directly to your therapist at the end of each session. Each therapist sets their own rate per session and this will be discussed when you first make contact with them. Our rates vary between €70 and  €100 per session but the rate charged may possibly be reduced for those for whom the full rate would make attending counselling prohibitive: please note that any reduction is at the individual therapist's discretion and that the number of available reduced cost sessions at any given time is limited so there may be a delay in getting an appointment if you need this service.

Overall cost: For some people therapy can involve as little as two or three sessions: for others it is a longer process. Until you get into the work you won't know how many sessions you may need.

  • We don't set an exact number for how many sessions you need.
  • Depending on the issue a client brings it my not be necessary to attend weekly: a session every two or even three weeks may be sufficient and this helps spread the overall cost out.
  • We never ask you to contract and pay for a set number of sessions.
  • We NEVER ask for money up front.

As a rule of thumb, between 6 and 8 sessions (attended weekly, fortnightly or even monthly) are sufficient for many people (though it can be as few as two or three). For more complex issues, for those who need longer term support and many other reasons, the number of sessions is more. Ultimately it is you who will decide how many sessions you need and when it is right for you to finish attending.

Full information on our pricing can be found on our Pricing Policy page.

Therapy is about you. You have to feel comfortable attending; comfortable with your therapist and comfortable that you are getting the service and support you are paying for. If you have any questions then please contact us and we will be happy to deal with them.

SPECIAL NOTICE REGARDING ONLINE SESSIONS

Several of our therapists are offering online and/or telephone support to existing, old and new clients. We request that any client who participates in therapy either by video or phone notes that, in addition to the Confidentiality terms discussed and agreed with your therapist, the recording of audio and/or video (by either party) is strictly forbidden. By agreeing to use either form of communication it is taken that both client and therapist are agreeing to this additional condition.