Counselling Sessions

“You can’t go back and change the beginning, but you can start where you are and change the ending.”
C. S. Lewis

First Contact

You have two options re how to initially make contact with me in Prevail.

First you can directly book a firist session through the website. On the the top of each page is a book now buuton. That button connects to this booking page. The booking page gives you options to book acording to when you are available or according to what fee is most afordable for you.
If you are using this automated system you can still contact me directly to discuss any aspect of the booking you wish to before we start formal sessions.

You can contact me directly to make a booking, or discuss any aspect of my service before you make an online booking.

Your first contact with Prevail can be a brief video or phone call, text, message or email. It is important to clarify a day and time for the first session, and whether it will be video, phone or in person.

Once an initial booking is made, I will send an email with information about the sessions.

The First Session

The first session is for the client to become comfortable with the counsellor and for the counsellor to gain an understanding of the client’s needs.

There is very brief admin work to be done in the first session. The main part of this is the signing of the contract, which outlines the confidentiality and cancellation policies.

I use an assessment form to gather information on your needs. It is not necessary to complete the assessment in the first session.
For the client offloading their concerns may be the most important action for a first session.

General Session Structure

Each session begins with a review of the client’s well-being since the last session. Unless otherwise agreed, all sessions are 60 or 45 minutes long. Sessions consist of you exploring your issues related to the concerns you want to talk about. Suggestions may be made for client work in between the sessions. There is a regular review of the effectiveness of the counselling work done.

Finishing Counselling

You can finish your counselling at any stage. You are encouraged, though, to inform me of your decision before your last session. This allows for safe closure of emotional issues and possible referral to other agencies.

Opening Times

This is my general availability from Monday to Saturday.

  • Monday: 7:30am to  last session finishing at 8:30pm, in Clondalkin

  • Tuesday: 7:30am to last session finishing at 8:30pm, in Clondalkin

  • Wednesday: 7:30am to last session finishing at 8:30pm in Clondalkin

  • Thursday: 8:15am to the last session finishing at 8:30pm in Bray

  • Friday: 7:30am to the last session finishing at 5:30pm in Clondalkin

  • Saturday: 9:30am to the last session finishing at 1pm in Clondalkin

Number of Sessions

The number of sessions a client does is an individual decision. Clients may choose to do a preset number of sessions. Generally, clients decide when they feel the work has come to its natural end, though sometimes that can be a mutual decision.

If you want to do just 1 session, that is ok. Please inform me of this, and we can do a suitable session for you. The full fee applies in such a situation.

Some clients may desire to have a long-term counselling arrangement of an indefinite duration.

Frequency of Sessions

If you are using the online booking system, you can book sessions ahead to be as regular as you like. I would recommend weekly sessions for the first four plus sessions. This helps create a better working relationship and provides a firmer foundation for the sessions after it.
If you only want to do a set number of sessions, pace them out as suits your needs. Prebooking guarantees your sessions.

Video/Phone Sessions

You may prefer your counselling to be provided over video or phone, even if you usually have it in person. If you choose video/phone sessions, you need to maintain your confidentiality. It is also important to create your own therapeutic space that you are comfortable in. Try to maintain this safe space for yourself for a time after your session so that you can process properly what happened for you in the session. The same fee structure exists for video/phone sessions as for in-person sessions.

Confidentiality

Confidentiality enables trust in the therapeutic process and so is a key concern. How Prevail maintains confidentiality is discussed in the first session.

Reports

Any reports you request to verify on your counselling will be considered on a case-by-case basis. Generally, receipts for payment for each attendance are sufficient proof of attendance at sessions.