How long / how frequent are the sessions?
A session is 50 minutes long, and is usually held at the same time once a week. However, do ask if you need something different.
I will usually suggest that we try and work for six consecutive weekly sessions at the beginning as, in my experience, this helps us feel grounded in the relationship. I can accommodate shift patterns.
I can’t come in to see you face to face. Do you have any other options?
I do work online, and I have found this to be very effective as a way of accessing therapy. I use the platform Zoom. I also have extensive experience working on the telephone if this would be better.
How long will I need to come and see you for?
It depends on what you’re looking for. Some people come for just a few weeks to think through something or to prepare for something difficult, some people come for a few months, and I have also had clients who have stayed with me for years. If you want a rough guide on how long a particular issue should take to resolve, ask me in the assessment session. Of course, it is hard to be precise, and I have no idea how you uniquely will respond to therapy, but I can probably give you a general idea.
Do you work with people from countries other than the UK?
Yes, I work with people from across Europe via Zoom and telephone, as long as you speak English.
Is there a difference between Counselling and Psychotherapy, and if so, what is it?
The most useful distinction I have heard is that Counselling tends to be shorter term, and deals with one specific issue or a few issues, and Psychotherapy goes on for a longer duration and is more in depth, perhaps bringing in childhood issues that might be causing you problems in your relationships with yourself and others.
Do I have to continue if I come for an assessment?
No. There’s absolutely no obligation to continue; it’s important that you find the right therapist for you.
Do you have any concessionary slots?
I am at the moment able to offer a time-limited course of counselling sessions to people on a low income. These cost £45 per 50 minute session. Please let me know in your initial email if you need a concessionary rate as they are limited in number, and only for people who are able to attend in the daytime.
My terms of confidentiality
We will talk about this in more depth in the assessment, but broadly speaking, I hold what you tell me in confidence. This includes both your identity and anything you tell me in session. The exceptions to this are:
- If you disclose that you or someone else is at risk of serious harm or has been seriously harmed, particularly if that person is a child
- I take anonymized details of my sessions to my supervisor to support me in my work and in order to practice ethically. This is a requirement of the UPCA, my registering body
- The very rare occasions where I am summonsed in a legal process, or my notes subpoenaed
a space to reflect 