What happens?

You will see one of the InterHealth Psychological Health Team trained and experienced in counselling.

You will be invited to book a General Consultation in the first instance during which you have the opportunity to talk about what you are looking for. Don’t worry if you are not entirely clear about it – that’s partly what the appointment is for!

There is no obligation to proceed on either side. Appropriate ways forward will be discussed and if the option of personal counselling at InterHealth is to be taken up, the arrangements will be agreed. These include timing of appointments, fees and conditions and number of appointments initially envisaged.  There are a limited number of places for more in-depth personal therapy.

On agreeing arrangements for counselling the InterHealth team member undertakes always to be available at the agreed time unless there are exceptional circumstances making absence unavoidable. You may negotiate a change to the arrangements or a withdrawal at any time.
You will always see the same counsellor who undertakes to safeguard confidentiality and to ensure that a suitable room is available. We try to keep changes to a minimum but we do occasionally have to ask you to change rooms. The regular appointment time is one hour.

What is it for?

That depends largely on you. Our aim is to work professionally, with respect, honesty and integrity, to help you address your concerns, thoughts and feelings. We do not make unrealistic promises but people who come for a period of counselling regularly say they feel better equipped to live their lives, often in ways they did not anticipate.

What about your concerns?

Counselling is a specially focussed conversation which is kept within the properly agreed arrangements so you always know where you stand.  The counsellor will seek to help you to express yourself as fully and authentically as possible, using your own words and in the context of your own life values. People usually find this satisfying and enlightening, but sometimes it may be painful as things that have been difficult to address emerge into the conversation.

This may arouse concerns. We invite you to talk to the counsellor about them. We recognise that this is not always easy to do, so the counsellor will ask you from time to time if you have any concerns you want to air. Counselling proceeds only with your continuing consent and desire for it to do so.