How do I know if a therapist or counsellor is right for me?

Starting therapy can feel a little nerve-wracking — that’s completely normal. The best way to tell if a therapist or counsellor is a good fit is to notice how you feel during your sessions and how they respond.

Ask yourself:

✨Do I feel safe and respected here?

✨Does my therapist check in with me about how things are going?

✨Can I be honest if something doesn’t feel right?

Tip: Feeling comfortable doesn’t mean you have to be happy all the time — it’s about feeling safe enough to explore your thoughts and emotions openly.

A good therapist will help you feel supported and empowered. And remember: it’s perfectly okay to speak up if something doesn’t feel right — your comfort and trust matter.

How many sessions will I need?

There’s no one-size-fits-all answer. It really depends on you, your goals, and your situation.

A skilled therapist, counsellor, or coach will discuss what you’d like to achieve and give a realistic idea of how long that might take. Some people feel supported after just a few sessions, while others prefer ongoing sessions over a longer period.

Tip: Progress isn’t always linear. Even small steps forward are meaningful.

How do I book a session?

Booking a session is simple:

✨Fill out our Contact Form, or

✨Give us a call.

If we’re on voicemail, please leave your name, number, and some times for us to call you back.

Your privacy is important to us. Didsbury Therapy Centre is registered with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), and all your details are handled safely and in line with GDPR. You can find more details in our Privacy Policy.

Tip: Taking the first step can feel daunting, but reaching out is often the hardest part — we’ll make the rest as smooth and welcoming as possible.

What if I’d like to see a different therapist or counsellor?

Finding the right therapist, counsellor, or coach can take a little time, and that’s completely okay. If you feel you’d like to try someone different at Didsbury Therapy Centre, just drop us an email.

We’ll help you find someone who feels like the right match for you. Everyone deserves to feel comfortable, heard, and understood — and we’ll support you in getting there.

Tip: Switching to a different therapist doesn’t mean you’ve failed — it just means you’re finding the best fit for you.

How does psychotherapy or counselling help?

Let’s start with a simple idea: psychotherapy and counselling are really about releasing tension to increase wellbeing.

We all do that in our own ways, right? A walk outside, good music, cooking, laughing with someone we love — those little moments help us breathe again. They’re all therapeutic in their own way.

In therapy and counselling that same principle applies, but on a deeper level. It’s not about “fixing” you. It’s about helping you trust yourself again.

Because over time, we all lose that trust a bit. Life happens — we start second-guessing our feelings, hiding parts of ourselves, trying to live up to expectations. Therapy and counselling helps you reconnect with the parts of yourself that were hidden away and the values that are real for you. And when that happens, something shifts: you feel lighter, less self-critical, more open. The inner noise quiets down. You have more energy to live, to move towards the things that actually matter.

Most of us carry tension we don’t even notice. Not just in our shoulders or our jaw — but emotionally. Maybe it’s grief that never got space, a breakup you powered through, a loss of identity you you never really processed. Those feelings don’t just disappear; they sit beneath the surface. Therapy and counselling gives them somewhere to go. It’s a place to finally let go of what’s been weighing you down and start to feel free.

And here’s the thing — often, what keeps us stuck isn’t the emotion itself, but the story we’ve been telling ourselves about who we are. Those fixed, self-critical beliefs — “I’m not good enough,” “I shouldn’t feel this way,” “This is just who I am.” We hold on to them so tightly, we forget we can question them.

In psychotherapy and counselling, you start to loosen those beliefs. You explore where they came from, and whether they still fit the person you are now. And a remarkable thing happens. You start to feel freer. You stop being quite so hard on yourself. You become more open, more accepting. The constant tug-of-war inside you begins to settle down — and when that happens, you find you’ve got more energy to live your life, to make choices that feel true to you, and to move towards your goals with a bit more clarity.

That’s the heart of therapy and counselling - change through acceptance.
Not by forcing yourself to live up to old rules, but by allowing yourself to grow beyond them.

Because you’re not a victim of your past — you’re a person becoming. And that process — discovering who you really are — is one of the most exciting, meaningful things you can do.

Couples therapy and marriage counselling

Couples therapy or marriage counselling isn’t just for relationships in crisis. It’s for anyone who loves their partner but feels a bit stuck, disconnected and lonely in their relationship, or unsure how to move forward.

Couples therapy isn’t about taking sides. It’s about understanding what’s changed, what’s getting in the way, and what each of you really wants.

Therapy helps turn arguments into connection, and confusion into clarity. It’s about seeing what’s behind the words—and the ones left unsaid.

Love looks different for everyone, and so does the support we offer. No matter who you are or who you love, we work with all couples.

Taking the step to come to therapy shows you care enough to try—and that’s already a big step toward change.

It’s important to know that couple’s therapy can bring up tricky feelings — that’s normal. If one of you isn’t ready to continue, talk things through together or continue individual sessions safely and supportively.