Selen Dawson Therapy

''When we are no longer able to change a situation, we are challenged to change ourselves'' Viktor Frankl

Often people seek therapy at a time when they are struggling to make sense of the things in their life that are causing them distress.

It can be a daunting task to take these first steps to finding a therapist that you feel can help and support you at this time.

Below I have listed some frequently asked questions which might help when making the decision about if I am the right therapist for you.

What is the difference between Counselling and Psychotherapy?

The terms "counsellor" and "psychotherapist" are often used interchangeably and have many similarities, but there are some important differences as well. In general, counselling is recommended for specific issues and situations, such as addiction or grief, and takes place over weeks to several months. Psychotherapy, in contrast, tends to explore past issues that may be contributing to present day problems, and often takes place continually in an open ended way. In actual practice, however, there is a great deal of overlap between the two types of therapies. I provide both short term and open ended therapy.

I feel anxious about starting therapy

It can be daunting especially if you have put this off for some time or others have been encouraging you to do so and your not sure. These feelings are quite normal and the thought of making first contact can often be worse than actually taking this first step. I would encourage you to bring what feels difficult when we have our initial contact so we can be open to exploring it together.

I don't understand what the different types or modalities of therapy are?

Lots of people don't and that's ok. Usually people start by finding a therapist they think they can get along with and who suits them with regards to connection, location and cost. I offer a free no obligation brief phone call as our first contact if you would like so we can introduce ourselves, some people prefer to book in an assessment session and meet face to face.

I am an integrative therapist which means that I will use a variety of approaches to help you be curious and explore different aspects of your experience. This might include your thoughts, body, emotions and behaviours so that you can feel more able to understand yourself and manage whatever feels difficult.

How much therapy will I need?

How much therapy you need depends on what you bring to the sessions and what you are able to commit to. I provide both short and long term therapy to clients based on what we feel suits your needs best.

I'm not sure what happens during assessment?

The assessment session allows us to explore what brings you to therapy now and what hopes you have for the therapy. It also allows us the opportunity to meet face to face and decide if we're a good fit.