Gillian Davis

I am a Relate trained counsellor, providing relationship and couples counselling in central Harrogate. I work with both individuals and couples, where there may be increasing arguments, a loss of closeness and intimacy, where there has been an affair, or where relationships from the past are impacting the present.

Qualifying as a 'Relate Counsellor' required two years formal training at the national Relate Institute, followed by 500 hours of supervised counselling and I have been practicing as a Relate Counsellor since 2009. My website explains more about what I do and how I might be able to help - www.listening-room.co.uk

 I also work with children and young people, who may be struggling with relationships such as parents, friends or other family members. I have worked with young people at Relate, at schools in North Yorkshire and Leeds and also in private practice - see my profile at www.harrogate-counselling.co.uk

Our initial appointment is structured as a 1 hour assessment session. Some people find that this initial session is all they need to clear their thinking, help them decide what to do and that no further counselling is necessary.

We will talk through how counselling might be able to help and plan a way forward. It is just as important that you feel comfortable with your counsellor, as it is that your counsellor feels able to work with you. If together we decide that I cannot provide the appropriate help, I can provide details of alternative Counsellors that may be more useful.

what happens then?

We will organise on-going 1 hour counselling sessions, ideally once a week on the same day and at the same time. I have found that by attending regular hourly sessions, clients can achieve more than if they just attend on an ad hoc basis. It also provides evidence, to all those involved, that everyone is committed to the counselling process.

There may be times when you are unable to make your session and I will look to accommodate any changes if we can. I also recognise that not every client will be able to commit to such a rigid structure, for example, if work commitments prevent weekly sessions. Providing I can know in advance, I will always try to find suitable alternatives.

Counselling will continue for  as long as you we both think it is helpful. The number of sessions depends on you, but I typically see most people between four to ten sessions.