The questions almost everyone asks

A lot of people I see have, and often the issue wasn't counselling itself but rather the fit with the particular counsellor, the timing in their life, or a course of six rushed sessions that ended just as things were starting to land. None of that means it can't work for you now.

The free first session is partly so you can find out, with zero risk, whether this time feels different.

That's very common, and it doesn't change anything about whether counselling will help. Medication and talking therapy work in different ways and they sit alongside each other comfortably. I'm not a doctor, so I won't give you medical advice, but I won't tell you to come off your medication either, or pressure you to stay on it. That stays between you and your GP.

Apps can be useful for getting through a difficult morning, but they were never going to do the work of being properly heard by another human being for nearly an hour. If apps had done the trick, you wouldn't still be looking, and the fact that you're here suggests you already know that.

Counselling does something different. It's a real conversation with someone who is paying close attention to you in particular, not a recording, not a chatbot, and not a five-minute meditation that gets interrupted by an email.

Life happens, and I'd rather you cancel than push yourself to come when you can't. If you can let me know at least 24 hours before our session, there's no charge. Cancellations within 24 hours, or missed sessions without any contact, are charged at the full session rate, simply because that time was set aside for you.

If you need to move things around for a one-off reason, just send me a quick message and we'll figure it out.

Most people don't in their first session. Some cry. Some apologise for crying. Some sit quietly for a minute before anything comes out. All of that is okay.

You don't need to prepare. I'll ask gentle questions and we will find the thread together.

No. You decide what we look at and how deep we go. If something feels too much in a session, you can tell me, or just shake your head, or pause. We can come back to it later or not at all.

That's very normal in sessions, especially early ones. Tissues are right there. You don't have to apologise. Crying is often the body's way of saying “at last, I get to put this down for a minute”.

The first session is free for exactly this reason. If by the end you don't feel I'm the right person, that's important information, not a failure. Tell me, or just don't book again. I won't chase you.

If it would help, I'm happy to point you towards another counsellor I trust.

In the UK, the words are often used interchangeably. Counsellor, therapist, psychotherapist all describe people trained to do talking therapy.

What matters more is the person, their training, and their professional registration. I'm a BACP-registered counsellor, which means I work to a clear ethical framework and have regular clinical supervision.

Honestly, it varies. Some people notice things shift in the first few sessions. For others it takes longer because the load is heavier or older.

What I won't do is promise transformation by week three. What I will do is show up consistently and pay attention.

Yes. What you say in the room stays in the room. I take professional supervision, where I sometimes discuss the work with another senior counsellor, but you are never named or identifiable.

The only exception is if I had genuine reason to believe you or someone else was at serious risk of harm, in which case I would talk to you first about what to do next.

Both. In person is at the Cranberry Wellbeing Centre in Eastleigh. Online is by secure video call. Same length, same attention. Online is £40, in person is £50. The first session is free either way.

The Cranberry Wellbeing Centre, Eastleigh, opposite The Point. There is free parking right outside, no permits or meters. The building has a small private waiting area inside.

Please tell me when you message. I keep a small number of lower-cost spaces. I'd rather you ask than not come at all.

My main work is one-to-one counselling, so the sessions themselves are just you and me. If you'd like to bring someone for moral support to the building, that's fine. They can wait nearby while we talk.

Send me a short message through the contact page, or email hello@hampshireheadspace.com. First name is fine. I'll reply the same day with a time. The whole thing takes about 90 seconds.