FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
what is counselling?
Honne considers counselling, or psychotherapy, as a listening and holding experience where clients have the opportunity to explore issues that may be troubling them. Sessions are confidential and compassionate, so that you can feel safe enough to express yourself fully.
what is person centred counselling?
Person-centred counselling is one of the humanistic modalities of therapy. It was founded in the 1940s by the American psychologist Carl Rogers who believed that, given the right conditions, a person can reach their full potential and become their true self, which he termed ‘self-actualisation’. This actualisation process is innate and accessible to everyone.
To help you achieve self-actualisation, the person-centred therapist will offer:
Unconditional Positive Regard (UPR) – accepting and valuing you.
Congruence - being honest and transparent in how they experience you and your world.
Empathic understanding – seeing your viewpoint as if they were you.
When you’re attending counselling sessions with a person-centred counsellor, you’ll be encouraged to bring your own issues to the session – the counselling is led by you and not directed by the counsellor.
Many clients, with no prior knowledge of counselling, believe that the counsellor will offer direct advice on how to solve their problems. A person-centred counsellor understands that while this may be a helpful short-term solution, it will not build the self-trust and empowerment that creates long lasting change in life. We will help you to explore your own issues, feelings, beliefs, behaviour, and worldview, so you can become more self-aware and achieve greater independence.
how long does it take?
Typically, session are held weekly for 50 to 60 minutes.
We trust that our clients can determine what is best for them including how long they choose to be in therapy. In our experience, some clients come for a short time time whilst others see their therapy as an open ended process.
how much does it cost?
We try to meet as many clients’ needs as possible and we realise that counselling can be an expensive process. To work with a BACP accredited therapist costs £40 - £60 per 50-minute session. If you would like to discuss our prices and what you can contribute to your counselling, please enquire as to pricing and availability.
what can I expect?
When you choose to work with us you can expect a warm, friendly and professional approach.
Most people seek support from us when they are experiencing difficulty, either in their own life or in a relationship. At this point, it can seem as if there is something wrong with them; embarrassed and ashamed that they need to reach out for support, or worried what others would think of them. In this way, coming for counselling can seem like a weakness, and so discretion can be an enormous concern. Honne maintains confidentiality with every client. You can be certain that, apart from a few reasonable exceptions*, everything they say to us is confidential. This means you can receive the support you need, without unnecessary worry or shame.
*The exception is a risk of harm to themselves or another person. This would be dealt with the utmost sensitivity.
You will receive complete confidentiality, warmth and acceptance. We will create a short form of agreement between us before beginning session. There is no minimum number of sessions and you simply pay each time you see us. We do our best to make the process a straightforward as possible and hope that these few words might help anyone who is thinking about reaching out to do just that.
can I cancel a session?
We ask that you give 24-hour notice if you are unable to come to your appointment. Otherwise we reserve the right to charge for short notice cancellations. You can learn more from our Pricing information.
who is Mimi?
Mimi is a qualified person centered counsellor who specialises in creative and mindfulness based tools for personal transformation. You can learn more here.
what can counselling help me with?
We work with those struggling with common mental health problems and common life problems, such as,
anxiety
abortion
abuse
addiction (though we do not offer rehab)
anger management
bullying
burnout
betrayal
body acceptance
chronic illness
depression
disability
displacement
family issues
grief
identity issues
infertility
loneliness
low-mood
low self-confidence
miscarriage
panic attacks
phobias
parenting tensions
redundancy
relationship issues
s.a.d
self-harm
seperation + divorce
sex + sexuality issues
stress
spirituality
suicide
trauma
what can counselling not help me with?
Person Centred counselling is non-directive, which means we will not tell you what to do or how to to think and behave differently. We work in a way which honours your autonomy and self-insight, so that all of the ‘answers’ and change come from within you.
The boundaries of our safe and ethical work do not extend to working with those in crisis or those experiencing PTSD. We can work with you ‘around’ these issues. If you are in crisis, we offer helplines and recourses here.
