Christine Bailey

I welcome you to counselling where I offer a warm, calm and accepting professional relationship.  I invite you to tell your story in your own time and in your own words.  

I listen attentively and with compassion, with the aim of understanding your experience of your life as accurately as possible.  I am curious about what has happened to you, how you feel about it and what meaning you make of it.  I am compassionate about whatever distress, anger or confusion has brought you to counselling, and am willing to accompany you as you explore the questions you have on the way to greater clarity and peace.  

You may relish the chance to talk about yourself, and are looking for a counsellor who feels like a good "fit" for you.  Or you may (like many people) find it very difficult to ask for help, and the very thought of asking for counselling may provoke anxiety in you.

I want counselling to be accessible and empowering, so I do my best to explain how counselling might help without using jargon or making it sound mysterious.  I invite you to share your hopes and fears about the process to help me tailor my approach to you as an individual.  Once we start work together, I also invite you to tell me regularly how counselling is working for you (or not) so that we can make changes if we need to.

I qualified as a counsellor in 2006 and have completed over 5600 clinical hours with clients.  I've been employed as a counsellor in a number of organisations in and around York since 2008, and have seen clients and supervisees in my private practice since 2011. 

I'm keen for you to get the most out of your sessions so I tend to invite you to start each session by saying what you'd like to explore that day.  

I have responsibility for the process of counselling - things like making a suitable counselling agreement, reviewing progress and timekeeping - so when we first meet, and at other times during our work, I will raise these for discussion.

People who have researched counselling tell us that the most important factor in whether counselling is effective is the quality of the working relationship between us. That's why our initial session allows us to explore together if I am "your kind of therapist" as well as me assessing whether I am competent to work with your particular circumstances. 

Do see my website for more information about me and how I work!

My initial session is an opportunity for us to assess our suitability for each other and lasts for up to one hour (60 minutes).  

In this assessment session we will:

• discuss what has brought you to counselling at this time and what you hope to get from it
• explore your understanding of the counselling process and how it may help you
  
• assess whether you feel at risk from another person or from your own actions
  
• decide whether we can work together productively
• if so, consider how best we can work together and how many sessions we will have
• fill in some paperwork to record all the above

The number of sessions will be discussed between us at this stage but may be shortened or extended later by mutual agreement.

If counselling does not appear suitable, or I am not the best person to help you, I will signpost you to other sources of help. 

My current fee for this first session is £55, rising to £60 from 1 April 2026. The fee is payable before the session by bank transfer, or (for sessions in person) at the session by cash or cheque. Fees are reviewed annually.