Question 1

Who do you work with?

Accepted Answer

I work with individuals aged 11+ including young people, adults, and parents/carers.
You may come as:
a young person trying to make sense of yourself or your world
an adult feeling stuck, overwhelmed, or disconnected
a parent/carer wanting support for yourself or in understanding your relationship with your child
I work with one person from any family, but we can explore the wider relationships that matter to you, especially between parents and young people and how those dynamics are experienced from your perspective.

Question 2

What can I bring to counselling?

Accepted Answer

Some people arrive with something very clear; anxiety, low mood, overwhelm, relationship challenges. Others arrive unsure, only knowing that something doesn’t feel quite right anymore.
You don’t need to have the right words.

You don’t need to explain everything perfectly. Sometimes what we speak about is only part of the story. Together, we gently explore what sits underneath, patterns, emotions, experiences, and the parts that may not have had space before.

Question 3

Is everything confidential?

Accepted Answer

Confidentiality is a key part of counselling and helps create a safe and trusting space.
What you share is kept in confidence, with a few important exceptions where there may be concerns about safety (your own or someone else’s). These boundaries are always explained clearly at the start, so you know exactly how this works.

Question 4

Do I need to be in crisis to start counselling?

Accepted Answer

No.
Counselling isn’t only for when things feel at their worst.
Many people come when they notice:
something doesn’t feel like it used to
they’re holding more than they can carry alone
patterns keep repeating
or they want to understand themselves more deeply
You are allowed to seek support before things reach breaking point.

Question 5

Do I need a diagnosis to access counselling?

Accepted Answer

No. You don’t need a diagnosis or label. We work with your experiences — how things feel, what you notice, and what matters to you.

Question 6

What if I don’t know what to say?

Accepted Answer

That’s completely okay. Many people start exactly there. Silence, uncertainty, or not knowing where to begin are all welcome. Often, these moments hold important parts of your experience.
You don’t have to “perform” in counselling.

Question 7

How do I know if counselling with you is right for me?

Accepted Answer

The relationship is an important part of counselling. That’s why I offer a free initial call, a space for you to ask questions, get a feel for how I work, and decide if it feels comfortable for you.
There’s no pressure to continue if it doesn’t feel right.

Question 8

Can I book counselling for my child?

Accepted Answer

Yes. If you are a parent or carer, you can arrange counselling for your child or young person.
I will usually have an initial conversation with you, and then sessions will focus on your child’s space to explore their own thoughts and feelings. If you are seeking support as a parent yourself, you are also welcome to come for your own sessions.

Question 9

Can you work with more than one person from the same family?

Accepted Answer

As a counsellor, I work with one person only from within a family.
This is an ethical part of counselling practice and is there to protect the safety and trust within the therapeutic relationship. Each person’s space needs to feel fully their own, somewhere they can speak openly without concern about how this may impact someone else connected to them.
Working with more than one person from the same family can create a conflict of interest. Even with the best intentions, it can become difficult to hold each person’s experience equally and independently, especially where relationships, emotions, or differing perspectives are involved.
If another family member is seeking support, I can help guide you towards an appropriate alternative counsellor. 
This approach is about protecting each person’s space, so that the work remains safe, confidential, and truly focused on you.

Question 10

How can I support my child while they are in counselling?

Accepted Answer

Your role is not to “fix” what they are bringing, but to offer a steady, supportive presence alongside them. Often, the most helpful things are feeling available, listening when they want to talk, and respecting their space when they don’t.
Counselling offers your child a space that is their own, somewhere they can explore thoughts and feelings freely, without worrying about how it may affect those around them. What your child shares in counselling is confidential. This means I do not share the content of sessions without their permission. Even when a young person chooses to share something, this is led by them and remains within their control.
I understand this can feel difficult as a parent or carer, especially when you want to help and feel part of what they are going through. It can sometimes feel like being on the outside of something important. This is a very natural response.
Where appropriate, I can offer general guidance to support you in understanding your child’s experience, without breaking their confidentiality. This is not about teaching you how to parent, but about supporting the relationship around your child in a way that feels respectful for both of you.
Sometimes, small shifts in understanding, how we listen, respond, or make space, can have a meaningful impact over time.
I may also share optional resources, guides, or information sheets that can support you alongside your child’s journey, if this feels helpful.
If you would like space to explore your own thoughts or experiences as a parent, you are also welcome to access your own counselling support separately.

Question 11

What if I start and then feel unsure?

Accepted Answer

That’s something we can talk about. It’s okay for your feelings about counselling to change, whether that’s uncertainty, resistance, or questioning the process.
Exploring that together can often be a meaningful part of the work, even if it is preparing you to leave.

Question 12

How do sessions work?

Accepted Answer

Sessions are 50 minutes and take place either:
in person, or
online
There is no fixed agenda. We work at your pace, with what feels most important in that moment.
Some sessions may feel reflective and calm.
Others may feel more emotional or uncertain. Both are part of the process.

Question 13

How many sessions will I need?

Accepted Answer

There is no set number, but there are different ways counselling can support you depending on what you’re looking for.
Some people come for a shorter period, of about 12 weeks. This can be helpful if something feels immediate or specific a moment of overwhelm, a decision, or a situation that needs space to be thought through. Short-term work can bring clarity, relief, and a sense of direction.
Others choose to work longer term. This allows time to gently explore deeper patterns, past experiences, and the parts of yourself that may not be immediately visible. This kind of work can support more lasting change, self-understanding, and a different way of relating to yourself and others.
Neither is better than the other they simply offer different kinds of support.
We will check in together as we go, so the work stays aligned with what you need, at a pace that feels right for you.

Question 14

How much does it cost?

Accepted Answer

£55 per 50-minute session (in person)
£45 per 50-minute session (online)
I offer a free 20-minute telephone consultation so you can ask any questions and see if it feels like the right fit.
Concessions are available for:
students in further education (University)
emergency services staff

Question 15

Do I have to attend counselling weekly?

Accepted Answer

Weekly sessions are usually recommended, especially to begin with.
This helps create a sense of consistency and continuity, allowing the work to build gently over time. It can support you in staying connected to what is coming up for you, rather than feeling like you are starting again each time.
As the work progresses, some people choose to move to fortnightly or monthly sessions. This can offer space to reflect, integrate, and notice what is shifting between sessions.
Less frequent sessions are available, however they are offered at a slightly higher cost. This reflects the need to hold and reconnect with your therapeutic space over longer gaps between sessions.
We can talk about what feels right for you and adjust this as your needs change.

Question 16

Do you work with trainee counsellors?

Accepted Answer

Yes, I work with trainee counsellors and understand this part of the journey, having been through it myself.
Sessions remain centred around you as a client, working within your preferred modality or modalities, so the therapeutic space is protected and not interrupted by teaching or explanation.
To support your learning, I can provide a brief summary after sessions outlining the approaches used, and you are welcome to send any questions through between sessions.
This allows you to meet your training requirements while still having a space that is fully focused on you.

Question 17

What approaches do you use?

Accepted Answer

My work is pluralistic, which means I draw from different approaches depending on what supports you best.
This includes elements of:
person-centred therapy
psychodynamic understanding
CBT-informed thinking
and, where appropriate and led by you, creative or reflective approaches
I also work in a neuro-affirmative way, recognising that different ways of thinking and experiencing the world are valid.

Question 18

Is online or face-to-face counselling better?

Accepted Answer

Both online and face-to-face counselling can be effective. The difference is often in how the space feels and how we work within it.
Online sessions can feel more accessible and flexible. Being in your own environment can bring a sense of comfort, and for many people this supports open conversation. Approaches that are more reflective and conversational, such as person-centred work, can translate well online.
Face-to-face sessions offer a different kind of presence. Sharing a physical space can support deeper exploration, particularly when emotions feel harder to access or express. It also allows for more creative and engaging ways of working, using visual, practical, or experiential approaches where words may not always feel enough.
This can be especially helpful for young people, and for those who are neurodivergent, where working beyond just conversation can support understanding, regulation, and connection in a more natural way.
Some people prefer the ease of online sessions. Others value the contained, separate space that in-person counselling provides.
There is no right or wrong choice but if you are unsure, starting face-to-face can often offer a more grounded introduction to the process. We can always review this together as we go.

Question 19

What happens before the first session?

Accepted Answer

Once you book, you will receive a counselling agreement and some initial information.
You don’t need to complete everything perfectly, we can go through parts together in the first session if that feels easier.
Starting counselling can feel like a big step. You’re not expected to arrive with everything figured out.

Question 20

Why choose counselling with me?

Accepted Answer

Finding the right counsellor isn’t about choosing the “best” one, it’s about finding someone you feel able to sit with.  The relationship between us matters. It takes time to build, and it’s okay if that doesn’t happen immediately. The first few sessions are often about getting a sense of each other, how it feels to talk, to pause, to be heard in a space that is yours.
My role is not to lead or direct your experience, but to gently come to understand you and your world. This means taking time to listen, to notice what is spoken and what may be harder to find words for, and to meet you where you are.
Sometimes, what comes into the room may be something that has never been spoken about before, not to others, and at times, not even fully to yourself. That takes care, patience, and a space that feels safe enough for those parts to emerge at their own pace.
You are always at the centre of the work. We move in a way that feels manageable for you, with your needs, your pace, and your understanding guiding the process.

Question 21

What are your Policies and Procedures for Safeguarding, Data Protection, Privacy, Emergency & Risk and Confidentiality?

Accepted Answer

At Counselling with Kuldeep, these are taken seriously and you can find the Policies and Procedures here: Counselling with Kuldeep Polices.docx

Frequent Asked Questions