What is Counselling?
Counselling is an opportunity to explore and enhance understanding through discussion in a safe, supportive and confidential setting. It’s an opportunity to examine what may be troubling you and your partner giving you the chance to work together. Sometimes this is helped by exploring how the past may impact on the present day. The aim is to increase self awareness enabling you to make informed choices in you life and to feel more confident in your future. It is an opportunity to talk issues through which may help to create clarity both for individuals and couples enabling you to improve your situation..
As a Counsellor I am committed to help in this process, believing strongly that if we are content in our personal relationships there is a positive impact on all other areas of our lives. Counselling can prevent the pain and anguish of separation and can benefit all those close to us.
However sometimes counselling can help us to unpick what has gone wrong in our relationships ensuring that we avoid a repeating the same pattern in the future.
What is Psychosexual Therapy?
Very often people struggle with their sexual difficulty in silence feeling embarrassed and ashamed unable to discuss their issues with anyone. Psychosexual Therapy helps both individuals and couples to overcome this.
I offer an initial assessment to talk through the problem and to decide the way forward. At this stage the aim is to give voice to what is happening and for me to inform you of your options. You could be offered a programme of therapy of Sensate Focus exercises which is based on behavioural change, practised in the privacy of your own home. It is designed to remove pressure on sexual performance and concentrates much more in the early stages on rebuilding intimacy. Sometimes I may suggest you visit your GP to examine other organic possibilities before engaging in Therapy.
What Sex Therapy is not
It is not a quick fix. Some problems take longer that others depending on your willingness to engage with the therapy. It is not ‘hands on’. You do the exercises at home alone or with your partner and bring your feed back to your appointment where we collaborate to analyse the information.
Programme of Therapy
It is a method of changing behaviour based in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy [CBT] but not exclusively, a skilled practitioner may draw on other modalities to increase the effectiveness of any particular area of focus. Whilst there are no guarantees of success the process produces positive change in most cases.
There are medical definitions which you may or may not find helpful, please be kind to yourself and know that we are all different! These are common reasons for people to seek help but this is not an exhaustive list and one of the most common reasons for seeking help is that a couple's sexual relationship has 'dwindled away' over the lifespan of the relationship.
Sexual Disorder Definitions
Male Erectile Disorder
Persistent or recurrent inability to retain or maintain until completion an adequate erection.
Premature Ejaculation
Persistent or recurrent ejaculation with minimal sexual stimulation before, on, or shortly after penetration and before a person wishes it. The Clinician will take into account the contextual situation ie age, new relationship, and recent frequency of sexual activity.
Male Orgasmic Disorder
Persistent or recurrent delay in, or absence of orgasm following normal sexual stimulation. The Clinician will take into account age, adequate focus and intensity and duration of sexual activity.
Vaginismus Response
Recurrent or persistent involuntary spasm of the musculature of the outer third of the vagina that interferes with sexual intercourse.
Dyspareunia
Recurrent or persistent genital pain associated with sexual intercourse in either male or female.
Female Orgasmic Disorder
Persistent or recurrent delay in, or absence of orgasm following a normal excitement phase. Women exhibit a wide variation in the type or intensity of stimulation that triggers orgasm.
Female Sexual Arousal Disorder
Persistent or recurrent inability to attain, or maintain until completion of sexual activity an adequate lubrication-swelling response to sexual excitement.
Sexual Aversion Disorder
Persistent or recurrent extreme aversion to, and avoidance of all [or almost all] genital sexual contact with a sexual partner.
Information for Clients
Agreement between the ‘therapist’ and the ‘client’.
Confidentiality
The content of each session is held in confidence by your therapist. There are, however, important exceptions to this rule. For example, if there is a risk to your personal safety or the safety of another person, or when required by law (examples below). Whenever possible and if it is considered appropriate your therapist will inform you of their concerns and seek with you the best way forward.
If, however, you are taken ill in session I will contact your GP or call emergency services, without further consultation.
To ensure good practice, your therapist’s work is regularly monitored in clinical supervision where the same rules of confidentiality apply. This is a professional requirement. Any information that a supervisor receives is also treated as confidential and subject to the same ethical criteria as therapy.
In law, if compelled by a court to share any notes I will do so. I am also required by law to disclose information where there is a any threat or act of terrorism (Terrorism Act 2012) or money laundering (Anti-money Laundering 2014) these reports would be made without consultation with the client.
Data Protection & Note keeping
To ensure transparency and accountability written notes are kept by your therapist, these are however, minimal in content and considered an 'aide memoire'. These are stored securely in a locked cabinet for 7 years after therapy has ended. In the event of the therapist being suddenly unavailable an appointed professional executor (Dr Ellie Birtley) will contact you, she will advise you on accessing alternative services. These are the only two individuals who will have access to your notes.
To enable your contact details to be held by me, in accordance with GDPR, I need your permission to retain your contact details (mobile phone and email address), your signature on this document gives your permission for this information to be retained.
Appointments and breaks
All appointments can be paid for prior to or at each session by BACS please be aware that your details may appear on bank statements, it is most helpful to put the session date and your initials for clarity (as a reference).
Cancellations made with less than two full working days’ notice will be charged at the full rate, exceptionally, e.g. if you are unwell the fee may be reduced at the therapist’s sole discretion.
If for any reason you do not attend a booked session, you will be contacted as soon as possible, usually within 24 hours, either by telephone, text or email, whichever is your agreed form of communication. This is done to ensure there has not been a misunderstanding about your appointment time and to acknowledge your absence.
Boundaries and sessions
Sessions will start and finish at the time agreed in advance and generally cannot be extended in the event of your late arrival. A counselling hour is 50 minutes, this is to enable the therapist to make any notes and book further sessions. Sessions take place, wherever possible, at the same time each week.
Please do not arrive early to ensure the previous clients have ended their session and the therapist is free to greet you.
Couple and Individual therapy
When a session is arranged for both parties to attend, it will take place with both parties present; if one cannot attend, the session will not take place unless previously arranged.
As part of the therapy, I may exhibit samples of explicit sexual material to explain an issue, if you have reservations it is your right to let me know and not have these shown during the therapy work.
Ending
It is always preferable to end therapy with notice and during a session. Talking about, and preparing for, the ending will be part of the review process.
Face-to-face contact outside of sessions
Should you meet your therapist outside of sessions please be aware that your therapist will not greet you. This is to protect your privacy and maintain confidentiality. Responding in this way is especially important if you are with other people. If, however, you acknowledge your therapist openly, then they will respond in an appropriate professional manner.
Should you find yourself in a situation where you and your therapist are part of the same group, either social or professional, important consideration will be given to the complications of this dual role relationship. Where appropriate, and possible, your therapist will withdraw.
