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Text counselling - what's it like?

I'm always thinking about how I can change how people access therapy so that it works for more people. I created an asynchronous text message package so that you can message me whenever is good for you, day or night, week day or weekend, and you would know when to expect a reply from me.

This has gone really well. Clients have told me that they really like having the time to think about what they want to say and to send messages in their own time, instead of being ready to talk about their problems at 9am on a Monday morning. Autistic clients have also said that they find texting easier because otherwise they think they would mask for the therapist if they were face-to-face and they think this would impact the effectiveness of their therapy.

So, how does this work? I work with clients to build a way of working that works for them. Clients can send messages whenever they want to throughout the week, I read these messages as they come in so that I can move swiftly if there was anything that needed my immediate attention. I then reply to messages twice per week unless we've agreed differently. This gives clients time to process my response, to think about what they want to tell me and also to tell me the moment something crops up in their week that they'd like me to know about. Equally, I set aside dedicated time to read all of your messages, to think about the therapy theory that would be most helpful to you and to create my therapeutic response.

Video counselling - what will the first session be like?

Beginning therapy is a brave step, and I want your first session with me to feel calm and human. 

You won’t find buzzwords or a rehearsed script in our session. My focus is simply on you — how you’re arriving, what’s been feeling heavy or confusing, and what you might need from me as we begin. I’ll meet you with warmth, steadiness, and curiosity, not judgement or pressure.

We’ll start gently. I’ll check that your video and sound feel comfortable, and that you’re settled in your space. You don’t need to “perform” or have a clear story ready.

During the first session, we’ll move at your pace. There’s no right or wrong way to share. You can pause, take your time, or speak in fragments. I’ll help you find the shape of things.

My style is gentle and reflective. I won’t rush you, analyse you, or push you into anything before you’re ready. I’ll offer questions that help you understand your experience more deeply, and I’ll check in with you as we go so the session feels safe and manageable.

You might find that you can't voice what you want to say, which is where the chat function of video calls is helpful and you can use that whenever you feel you need to. There is no pressure here.

It’s normal to feel lighter, tired, thoughtful, or stirred up afterwards. I’ll offer a few gentle suggestions for grounding or self‑care before we end, so you can transition back into your day with steadiness.

The most important thing to know is this: you don’t need to prepare anything or be a certain way. You only need to show up as you are. I’ll meet you there.