What happens in your first counselling session? Many people in Sheffield ask me what a first counselling session is like. It is completely normal to feel unsure or nervous before coming. You might be wondering what you will be asked, what you should say, or even if you are doing the right thing. If you […]
What to expect from your first counselling session – Sheffield Read More »
Do I need counselling or am I just overreacting? This is one of the most common questions people sit with before they get in touch. ‘Maybe I’m making a fuss.’ ‘Other people have it worse.’ ‘I should be able to deal with this myself.’ I hear this a lot. Reaching out for counselling can feel
Do I need counselling or am I overreacting? Read More »
Making Tax Digital for counsellors and psychotherapists starts in April 2026. If you are anything like me, your first thought might be, ‘How can I do this in a way that suits me, not in a way that suits accounting software?’ This post is for UK counsellors and psychotherapists in private practice who complete Self
Making Tax Digital for counsellors and psychotherapists 2026 Read More »
One of the harder parts of counselling is knowing what to do when a client’s values feel very different from our own. Sometimes that difference is political. Sometimes it is about relationships, identity, parenting, religion, class, gender, immigration or social issues. Whatever form it takes, it can stir something strong in the therapist: discomfort, sadness,
Different Values in Therapy: When a Client’s Views Feel Hard to Sit With Read More »
When something upsets us, it can feel as if it just happens. A comment, an email, a look, a silence. And suddenly we are anxious, angry, shut down, tearful, defensive, or all of the above. In those moments, our nervous system is doing its job: protecting us. The trouble is that when we are in
How to use a Thought Review Sheet when anxiety takes over Read More »
Today is the Winter Solstice, the shortest day and the longest night. In the UK, the exact moment is around 3.03pm GMT. From here, the light returns, slowly, almost imperceptibly at first, but it returns. I like that the solstice is both simple and profound. Simple, because it is astronomy. The Earth tilts, the sun
Winter Solstice Reflection: When the Light Returns Read More »
When I trained as a counsellor in the early 2000s, the message felt simple. Talk through the contract, note it in your records, and you’re fine. Written contracts were not talked about. We explained boundaries verbally, maybe had some information on a leaflet or website, and that was considered good enough. Fast forward twenty years,
Do counsellors really need a written contract? Read More »
If you have read my earlier post, ‘Losing my BACP Accreditation‘’, you will know that I lost my senior accreditation with BACP. In that piece I described what it was like to wake up one day and find that a title I had held for many years had gone. Nothing about my work in the
Reading BACP’s new routes when you have lost senior status Read More »
Unconscious bias isn’t a weakness. It’s the brain’s quick shortcut. In therapy, those shortcuts can quietly shape how we assess risk, set goals, listen, and end. This post discusses unconscious bias in the counselling room as well as suggesting some supervision questions to explore it to help protect the relationship and improve the counselling journey
Unconscious bias in the therapy room: a practical guide for counsellors Read More »
When you’re thinking about starting counselling, it’s natural to wonder: Can I trust this person? Will what I say stay private? What happens if something goes wrong? That’s where counselling ethics come in. They’re the quiet structure in the background that help therapy feel safe, respectful and transparent. In this post I’ll explain what I
How counselling ethics keep your therapy safe Read More »