Frequently Asked Questions

Some common questions about therapy and how it works.

What’s the Difference between Counselling and Psychotherapy?

Counselling is an intervention that involves working on your issues in the here and now as well as how you can manage them into the future. Psychotherapy includes this but also involves going back to the root of the problem and working with you to resolve this - with the aim of preventing it from being a problem in the future.

What’s the Difference between Counsellors, Psychotherapists, Psychologists and Psychiatrists?

As above, there is a significant difference between the counsellors, psychotherapists, psychologists and psychiatrists.

Psychologists usually trained in assessment and research. Very few psychologists are trained to counsel clients.

Psychiatrists are medical doctors who specialise in mental health and who have the training to prescribe medications.

How can I tell which type of therapy is right for me?

The type of therapy, or combination of therapies will vary from person to person, depending on that person and the issue they would like to work on.

I am trained as an Integrative Therapist, meaning I have many "tools" in my "toolbox". 

Usually in the first session, after discussing what the issue is for you and how it affects your life, we can discuss treatment options and collaborate on an individualised plan which will work for you.

How many sessions will I need?

The number of sessions varies with the individual and depends greatly on what they want to work on.  Some issues may take only five or six sessions, whereas others may take six months or more. You don’t have to commit in advance to any fixed number of sessions.

How often do I attend?

Therapy is more effective when the client attends on a weekly basis. More often may not give you a chance to process the work from the last session before moving on, while less often than fortnightly can lead to the learning from the previous session getting forgotten or left behind.

With more serious issues, we would space out sessions more and more towards the end to allow you the security of seeing that you can move on with your life, independent of therapy (the ultimate goal!).

Is therapy fully confidential?

All sessions are fully confidential with the following very rare exceptions:

If you tell me that a child is being abused, whether at present or historically, I am obliged to report that to the authorities to protect the child. If you have serious intentions of killing someone, I must report that, and if you were imminently suicidal (absolutely determined to kill yourself), I would endeavour to prevent that happening. (Bear in mind that it is not unusual for clients to be somewhat suicidal, i.e, thinking you would be better off dead, and that degree of suicidal ideation is something that we work through in therapy).

However, none of this will happen before we have a conversation about it first - there will be no surprises!

What if I can’t think of what to say?

Don’t worry. It is the therapist’s responsibility to keep things moving along. You will find that you have plenty to say!

How can I tell who is properly qualified?

It can be confusing trying to figure out all the different qualifications and organisations. The easiest way to determine who is properly qualified is to look at the membership of the recognised professional organisations in the field. Examples are the Association of Professional Counsellors and Psychotherapists (APCP)  and the Psychological Association of Ireland (PSI). A therapist who is a member of any one or more of these organisations is legitimate. There are, of course, good therapists who are members of other similar organisations.

Is the therapist supervised?

Liam is supervised by a supervisor accredited with the APCP. Supervisors are very experienced and knowledgeable therapists with specialist qualifications for this role who act as advisors for therapists.

Therapists and supervisors are both bound by the confidentiality and ethical guidelines of the APCP as outlined above.

Should I see a male or female therapist?

It is really a matter of preference. The most important aspect of the therapeutic relationship is that the client and the therapist are a good match with regards to personality and whether you feel you can trust your therapist.