What is the difference between counselling and coaching?

The integrative model that I have studied is called Personal Consultancy. Personal consultancy is a hybrid approach to counselling and therapy that integrates elements of psychological support, coaching, and personal development. It combines the reflective depth of traditional therapy with the goal-oriented structure of coaching (when necessary), making it a versatile modality for addressing emotional, cognitive, and behavioural challenges. This approach recognises that we often need both therapeutic healing and practical guidance, allowing us to process past experiences while also developing strategies for future growth.

Counselling is a wonderful tool to be able to explore past experiences and learn how they may continue to show up in our lives. Sometimes we may want a space purely for curiosity, exploration, and to be heard, and sometimes we might want to take steps to change how our past experiences are affecting us.

Coaching is often a more-forward thinking tool, looking at the present and the future. Coaching can help identify areas in our lives that we may want to enact change, and can offer structure to support these changes.

You may not know what support you’re after yet, and that’s okay! Reach out, and we can arrange an introductory call to discuss where you’re at and what you might need.

What can I expect from a first session?

I offer a free 15-minute introductory call to anyone interested in support. This no-commitment introductory call is a chance to get to know a bit more about you and what has brought you to counselling or coaching, and to understand if I may be able to help.

In our first full session together we will begin to get to know each other, I may explore a timeline of significant events with you, and we may begin to look at what you might like to get out of counselling or coaching, including clarifying goals and expectations for therapy or coaching. As well as an introductory call, the first session is a chance for you to ask me any questions you may have about counselling, coaching, or the way I work.

What are your rates?

I charge £45 for 50-minute online counselling sessions, £55 for in-person counselling sessions. I charge £45 for 60-minute online coaching sessions or £60 for a 90-minute session.

How often should I have a session?

Ideally, counselling happens weekly at the same time each week. However, many of us have busy and unpredictable lives, and so I understand that this may not always be possible. If you are looking for more flexibility, just ask, and I will do my best to accommodate this for you!

If you are a returning client and are seeking support around a specific event, anniversary or experience. Please reach out to me directly.

Coaching sessions can be weekly, fortnightly, or more spread out. With coaching, we are generally working within a specific timeframe or working towards specific goals - we can decide on the frequency together.

What do all of the different modalities mean? And do they matter?

If you’re a trainee therapist, and looking for a specific modality, or if you’ve had therapy before and know what works for you, they can be helpful to get a picture of how I work.

If they mean nothing to you, don’t worry. Working integratively means I do my best to tailor my counselling work to everyone I work with. I’m always happy to answer questions about how I work and learn from you about what feels most helpful.

Is there anything I should know about online counselling?

The space you access your sessions from is really important - private, quiet, and free from distractions. You may need to speak with others in your house to let them know how important it is that you have this space and time to yourself. Safety also includes being considerate about the device you are accessing counselling on.

Being uncomfortable, cold, hungry, thirsty, tired, these are all things that can distract us from leaning into the process and allowing ourselves to be vulnerable. Curating comfort might look like bringing a blanket, comfy clothes, water or tissues with you.

When attending counselling face-to-face, the time spent travelling can act as a nice buffer between your session and the rest of your day. Consider taking an extra 10 minutes before and after online sessions to ground yourself. What might you do for yourself after your sessions?