Frequently asked questions Melanie Hill Counselling
How does online counselling work, is it as good as being in the same room ?
FAQS: Melanie Hill Counselling
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We meet on Zoom; when we've arranged a time, I arrange the meeting and send you the link. Don't worry if you haven't used Zoom before because I have a simple, clear guide I can send you. If you prefer, I can also offer you telephone counselling. Online counselling, otherwise known as video consultation, has grown hugely since the Covid pandemic and there's growing research supporting its effectiveness when compared with in-person work. This has been my experience and is why I've chosen to practise solely online. Additionally, the ability to access it in your own home with no travelling and parking worries make it a more comfortable and less stressful experience for you
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£40 / 50min session
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We'll arrange a time to suit us both:
(I am as flexible as I can be in order to
fit in with your needs)
Pay by BACS on the day of our session​
I work with adults
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To book, email
contactme@melaniehillcounselling.co.uk
or text/call 07908 725159
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How much is it?
What times do you offer?
How do I pay?
Who do you work with?
How do I book?
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First, I provide a safe, accepting space so that you can feel comfortable sharing your struggles. I will be completely with you. This means I will closely listen to you with warmth and openness in order that I can understand what things are like for you. It's like walking alongside you. Between us, a space opens up which enables you to experience and focus on what's going on for you from a new, broader, standpoint. For example, what the loss that you've had really means in your life. For most of us, when we grieve for someone or something, what we've lost embodies something much larger: a shared future, love in our life, security or certainty. Things that are fundamental to our lives. Finding the importance of whatever this is for you and how to adapt and incorporate it into your life will be a real and empowering step forward. I've worked with people who feel that, through their loss, they've lost a part of themselves. Through the work that we do together, you can explore that part in a new way and find a way forward that wasn't apparent before.
What is your approach
to counselling? What is a
counselling session like?
How will counselling help me
with my bereavement and loss?
The pain of bereavement and loss is overwhelming and it can feel as if nothing could possibly help. If someone you love has died, how can anything help? Perhaps one of the greatest challenges you face is a loss of hope that you can ever feel any better than this. But coming to counselling provides an opportunity to address this head-on and find your way forward. People find that they are in a different place by the time they finish, and one in which they begin to see what hope looks like for them.
It's totally normal to be nervous about starting counselling. It can be difficult to imagine how to form the words. Maybe you've experienced feeling tongue-tied when you've tried to open up to friends in the past. The fear around that can feel overwhelming and it takes courage to take steps towards the help you need. Therapy is that rare space where you can be yourself and feel safe from judgement for however you are, including being nervous.
I'm nervous about starting therapy.
Is this normal?
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Take your time to read through my website. If you sense that I might be a good fit for you based on what you're reading, please contact me. If you want to know more you can then ask me what a typical session with me is like, ask more about how I work as a counsellor, or any other question you have that is specific to you. You'll also be able to share what's going on for you and we can decide together how I can help. It may be helpful to think of the first sessions as us trying out the water together while you learn what it's like. What's important is that you're with someone who is a good fit for you.
How do I know if you're the
right therapist for me?
It's quite likely that something like this will be present for you at the beginning. It could be about anything because it's a situation that's unique and specific to you. It can often feel hard to say difficult things and these same things can weigh us down the most. Therefore, they're probably the things we most need to say. During our sessions, it will always be up to you to decide if and when you feel ready to bring something in. It's my job to bring enough space and safety for you to work through the tough stuff. Gradually, and at your own pace, you can share what you feel ready to share. Whatever is present for you, whatever you are going through, you bring it at your own pace and we explore it together.
What if there's something
that I just can't, or don't want to,
talk about?
I know from my own experience of being a counselling client how daunting it can be at the start. So I know it takes courage to take that step. I've included this one because so many of us have this fear, even if it’s just at the back of our mind. In fact, this inner judging that we all do can really get in our way. Counselling helps you find what in your life is worth having, and what perhaps could be in your way. I know we all suffer in different ways, usually it is down to us having perfectly understandable reactions to challenging circumstances that have shattered, or threatened our world. We're all humans, trying to keep going. Whatever you're going through, our shared space is a safe and accepting one. One that's unclouded by judgement, whether that's your own or from others. Something that can be hard to find in day-to-day life.
Shouldn't I really be able to handle this
bereavement, (or whatever it is) myself?
I'm worried that coming to therapy means
there's something' wrong' with me?
You might already know that you want to talk about sensitive things, or be aware that sensitive issues may come up for you. Obviously, you don't want anyone to find out what you said. So it's important for you to know that, unless it involves danger or harm to you or to anyone else, everything you share with me remains confidential. Respecting your privacy and trust are at the core of our counselling work: you can talk without fear. If you have any specific questions confidentiality, you can ask before we start working together.
Does what we talk about in therapy
remain confidential?
You might be asking this because you are currently struggling and want relief fast, which is really understandable. The total length of therapy varies from person to person. Some people find that by the time they've had a few sessions, their perspective and view of what's possible for them has shifted enough to become their stepping stone out of where they've been. Other people feel more supported by longer term counselling. We work together to find the length of time that works for you and what you need.
How long does it take?
Think of our first session as the opening and start of the conversation between us. We start getting to know each other and, when you're ready, looking at the challenges that have brought you to counselling, including what has happened. The most important part of the first session is that you feel I'm a good fit for you and that you want to continue with your sessions.
What will the first session
be like?
This is such a good question and no, it is not solely for people bereaved by the death of loved ones. Any loss that is significant and felt deeply will rock our world. Losing a much-loved pet, for example - a being who may be one of the most important in your life. Or the end of a relationship, a role that's been important to us. Or loss of health, our own or that of someone close. Loss is something that arises in multiple forms throughout our lives and all of these impact each other. An important part of our work together lies in exploring this.
Is bereavement and loss therapy
only for those who have lost a person?
This is another common question and oft-felt concern. Everyone's loss is unique to them: but sometimes there are really complicating factors, leading you to doubt your own experience. One way this can happen is if your loss is unacknowledged by, or unknown to, the people around you. Another is if a person you've lost is someone with who you had a difficult or damaging relationship, or whose death has brought up old conflicts. In fact there are an infinite number of ways in which we might tell ourselves we 'shouldn't' be feeling as we do. Judging ourselves like this, while common, is painful and exhausting. Counselling is an opportunity to free up just these types of personal tangle.
My loss isn't as bad as others' losses -
I'm not even sure it's a 'proper' loss:
so would counselling help?
If I haven't answered a particular question that you have, or you want to talk further about whether counselling can help you. Please email or call and we can arrange a free 15 minute call to discuss your needs. Or, if you'd prefer, in order to book a first session.
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