Frequently Asked Questions

Mareel is a word from Shetland that means the bioluminesence or sparkle you can see in the ocean on a dark night. Lisa’s family is from Shetland and she has always loved when you poke beneath the surface of the ocean at night and see this sparkling magic. It reflects how she feels about counselling.

Counselling can be very useful for many concerns you might be having - including; relationship struggles, past trauma or feeling stuck in your life. It can also be very effective to come to counselling to be proactive during any life transitions and to give your relationship the occasional tune up!

Everyone is different in the issues they bring to counselling, their budget, their expectations and hopes for counselling and how they respond to counselling.

Some people may need only a few sessions and others might need or want longer term work. Many will do a series of sessions and then come back in the future as needed.

Even though this varies, most people will feel some movement or relief after the first few sessions.

Yes! Numerous studies show that video appointments are just as effective as in person.

For many, it makes access easier and they are able to attend counselling for the first time.

It is a personal choice and you can even try both.

During a first session, we will discuss what your goals are and what you hope to get from therapy. The first goal is always to create a feeling of comfort and safety. Every session will involve a check in to see how you are feeling and to revisit our progress.

All work is done with the principle that you are the expert in yourself and the tone is always one of care and respect. Each session will be a little different depending on what has come up for you or what we are working on.

With relationship therapy, there is the possibility that some sessions may be individual if we decide that would be beneficial.

Many extended insurance plans cover therapy done by a Registered Clinical Counsellor. You can submit the receipt and receive reimbursement from your plan if this is covered.

Talking about your life and thoughts with a new person can create a feeling of vulnerability. We work hard to make sure our clients feel heard and accepted. Everything said in therapy is completely private with a few legal exceptions. For example, if we know that you are a danger to yourself or others, or feel that a child is in danger, we have a legal duty to report.

If we see you in public, we will not acknowledge you. You are more than welcome to come up and say hello, but we will respect your privacy and never approach you. Just like in a therapy session, you are in charge!

Contact us first, and we will arrange a time to have a consultation to make sure that we are a good fit for counselling.

After this, you can book all your appointments online through the booking app. If you need help with booking, or prefer to book directly through us either by email or during our appointments, that is fine too.

Payment is set up through the booking site. If this is a problem, we can discuss alternatives.

We go beyond being aware and are knowledgable. We all have many courses and take every opportunity we can to learn more.

Lisa has worked in sexuality and sex education for over 30 years so has had a lot of time to accrue the knowledge! We work together as a team to build and share our knowledge.

While we always want to know more about you as an individual, you will not need to educate us about most areas of sexuality.