Everyone’s discovery is different. For some people there can be a sudden change in their lives which throws up a behaviour or feeling which they are struggling with. Working through that could be the work and then we would end and possibly never meet each other again. Others start like that but can find a few months or years down the line, they need a little bit more understanding or something else pops up. There is no definitive plan that we work to but tailor it to suit what it going on for you. I would say that I encourage people to think of a minimum of 6 weeks to get something shifted. If I could do it in one session, believe me I would but no-one is that good!! I would encourage you to visit a couple of people if you want to. Get a feel for who ‘fits’ with you as you need to feel comfortable talking about difficult things you may not have told your nearest and dearest before. Saying it out loud for the first time can make you feel very vulnerable and you want to feel well supported through that time. Look for counsellors who are a member of BACP, UKCP or NCS as a minimum. Being a ‘counsellor’ isn’t a protected job title so some people can do a 3 week correspondence course or no training at all and call themselves one. Being on a national professional registered means that we have done a minimum 3 years of training at degree level, have continual professional development, regularly audited, adhere to professional code of ethics and have supervision of our work.
