How can therapy help me?

Most of us will experience times in our lives when we need support. You may feel overwhelmed, lost, stuck or as though you are not right in yourself. You may have noticed that you feel particularly anxious or low in mood. Maybe you find yourself preoccupied by unresolved past experiences and losses, which are intruding into your present life. You may be struggling with significant pressures and stresses at work or in your home life. Maybe you have noticed that some of your behaviours feel harmful or destructive. Any of these would be good reasons to seek out therapeutic support.

Therapy can provide a non-judgemental, emotionally safe and confidential space to help you explore your problems and gain insight into the way you feel and behave. Your therapist will have no agenda other than your support and emotional wellbeing and seeking support from someone outside your circle of family and friends can mean it feels easier to open up and be honest. Therapy can help you to deepen your awareness of who you are and better understand your relationships with family, friends, colleagues and romantic partners. Engaging in therapeutic work can also enable you to reflect on the challenges you are currently facing and to either find a way to resolve them, or to accept them and move forward.

What to expect

After you have sent a message via the contact page, we will get in touch to offer an initial phone call to discuss your availability and main concerns. This is an opportunity for you to ask any questions or discuss any fears you may have around beginning therapy. After this we will arrange the first session.

The first session will be an initial assessment session, which will allow you and your therapist to talk through your current needs and reasons for attending therapy. At the Belgravia Psychology Practice, we understand that meeting a therapist for the first time can be a daunting experience, as it means allowing yourself to be vulnerable and open up about experiences which may be painful or distressing. We acknowledge the courage it takes to begin this process and your therapist will do their best to put you at your ease. You will also discuss which model of therapy might work best for you and whether short term or long term therapy might be most appropriate to address your needs.

It is essential that you feel comfortable with the person you choose as your therapist, so an important part of this initial session will be for you to determine whether you are a good fit as therapist and client and whether you both think that working together will be helpful for you.

There is no obligation beyond this first session, so if you feel that you and your therapist are not a good fit or that on reflection this is not the right time for you to engage in therapy and you no longer wish to attend, then this is entirely fine and you can let us know via email.

In person or online?

We offer in person therapy sessions at our offices in Eccleston Street (for a virtual tour click here) but we also offer online therapy sessions. Some people prefer the idea of speaking to someone in person, but online therapy can offer an easy and convenient alternative. Scheduling online sessions means that we can be more flexible with timings and offer you more availability. In addition, by meeting via video link you can engage in therapy from the comfort of your own home, without the need for commuting.

The evidence suggests that for most people online therapy is just as effective as in person therapy. However, online sessions will not be suitable for everyone. For more acute difficulties and for certain types of therapy approaches, we would recommend in person sessions. To find out if online support is right for you get in touch here. We will be able to answer any questions you have.