How many sessions will it take?

Like most questions in psychology, the answer to this one begins with ‘It depends’. It depends mainly on the nature of the issue that you are seeking to address, how deep-rooted and long-standing it is and what you wish to achieve. You may only be seeking help to overcome a recent adversity. In such cases, we may agree on a small number of sessions, say 6, to help you to identify strategies and coping mechanisms to help you to navigate your current difficulty. Here, the emphasis is often on identifying strengths and solutions that you have previously applied to other or similar problems. On the other hand, when you have been badly affected by something for a very long time, it can take longer, sometimes months or more, before you feel that you have made significant, or sufficient, progress in altering the course of your life. In such cases, it is more apt to think of this as a journey of healing involving exploration, reflection, experimentation, acceptance and more reflection.