FAQs

We offer face to face sessions at Courtwood House in Sheffield City Centre - you can check availability of face to face sessions on our calendar by clicking Book An Appointment. 

If you are unsure which mode of counselling to choose this article may help Remote vs Face to Face Counselling - Which to Choose?

All of our counsellors are happy to use either telephone or video call for counselling sessions so you can choose which feels best for you.  Video allows you to see each other which makes it feel more similar to face to face sessions and you may feel this helps you to build a relationship with the counsellor more quickly.  Telephone sessions have the benefit of needing no new technology and it may be easier to find a private place to speak over the phone.  

Sessions last 50 minutes.  For telephone sessions the counsellor will call you at the agreed time.  For video call sessions they will email you a link to click on at the agreed time.  

Remote sessions may feel quite different from speaking face to face.  You may feel more relaxed and safer speaking to the counsellor from your own home. You may find it easier to share at a deep level more quickly.  Your counsellor will discuss with you ways to approach the sessions carefully and at a pace that feels comfortable for you.

For more information see this article Telephone vs Video Counselling - Which to Choose?

Please contact us if you have any further questions - info@sheffieldcentralcounselling.co.uk 0114 326 0043

Counselling provides a time and space for you to talk about whatever is troubling you.  

Being able to talk to someone is important as it helps you to make sense of confused and painful thoughts and feelings which you may have held inside yourself for a long time.  It may be difficult for you to talk to family and friends about personal issues, or it may be that you have found  these kind of discussions uhelpful in the past. Talking confidentially to a professional who is outside your immediate situation and who can offer  new questions and perspectives can be very helpful.

The counsellor may suggest exercises or activities that could help resolve issues. These may be done during the counselling session or at home, and may involve for example, relaxation techniques, writing or drawing about your thoughts and feelings. 

These are some of the issues that counselling can help to address:

• Anger management
• Anxiety and panic attacks
• Bereavement and loss
• Confidence building
• Depression and low mood
• Eating disorders
• Low self esteem
• Mid- life crisis and other major life changes
• Relationship difficulties
• Self harm
• Sexual issues
• Sexual abuse and rape
• Sexuality and gender identity
• Sleeping problems
• Stress
• Suicidal thoughts
• Trauma
• Work related issues including stress and redundancy

Some clients who attend counselling may have more general feelings of dissatisfaction or unfulfilment.  Also, some clients use counselling to help them come to a particular decision in their life.  You don’t have to have something ‘wrong’ with you, to find counselling helpful.

Our fee for individual counselling is £50 per session.  Our fee for couples counselling is £60 per session. 

We also offer Low Cost Counselling  with a Counsellor-in-Training to people who are on a low income and NHS staff. 

The length of counselling varies depending on the issues you are bringing and what you want from counselling.  It can last just a few sessions to up to a year or more. The length of counselling will be agreed between you and your counsellor. 

You may find that you feel an initial sense of relief after sharing your situation with the counsellor.  Many people begin to notice positive changes in their thoughts, feelings or behaviour after just a few sessions.  Issues and problems which are more complex or have been going on for a long time will take longer to resolve. 

Because counselling can involve talking about painful memories and difficult emotions, you may feel vulnerable at times during counselling.  This is a normal part of the healing process – painful emotions often need to be expressed and experienced before they can be resolved.  Your counsellor will help you to feel safe with painful emotions and discuss with you ways of taking care of yourself at these times. 

Sometimes it is important for us to do or say things that feel new, risky or uncomfortable, and the counsellor will provide support as you step out of your comfort zone.  But you are not obliged to do anything you are uncomfortable with, and sometimes just having a conversation about what feels uncomfortable can be the important work.

People often ask, 'do you think I need counselling?' It's difficult to answer this. The decision to see a private counsellor is always a matter of personal choice. A better question to consider is, 'might I benefit from trying counselling?'  You can read a longer answer to this question on our blog.

Research shows that the key factor in determining whether counselling is effective is the quality of the relationship between the counsellor and client (the person coming for counselling). So it is important to choose a counsellor you feel comfortable with and someone you can imagine building a good working relationship with.  

Your first appointment provides an opportunity for both you and the counsellor to meet, make an initial assessment of the issues, and very importantly, to decide whether it feels as if you would be compatible to work together.  

The counselling relationship is a distinctive one where trust, boundaries and respect are very important.  Our ethical framework ensures that we treat the conversations with absolute respect and confidentiality.  It also states that we are not permitted to meet clients socially, outside the counselling relationship.