What to expect from therapy
Frequently asked questions
It can feel quite daunting signing up to anything new, especially therapy - so here are answers to some of the questions you are likely to have before you can decide if this is for you.
I want this process to be as transparent and easy for you as possible, so if you can’t see the answer to your question here, send me a message.
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I offer a free introductory phone call (15 minutes) as an opportunity for you to ask questions and find out more about my approach, to get an idea about whether I might be the right therapist for you.
Having a call doesn’t in any way mean that you need to work with me - I know how important it is to work with the right person, and that might not be me! [https://www.counselling-directory.org.uk/articles/finding-the-right-therapist-a-personal-journey].
I will also be honest if I don’t think that I’m the right therapist to you, based on your needs and my experience.
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Currently, all of my sessions are conducted, either online (via Google Meet) or on the phone.
They are always 50 minutes long.
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I am currently available for sessions on Mondays and Tuesdays.
Most of my clients prefer to keep the same time slot each week, but this isn’t essential and I try to be flexible to your schedule as much as possible.
I mostly work 9-5pm, but can offer some 5-7pm slots on an ad-hoc basis.
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To book a session, you can contact me with your availability and a brief summary of what has brought you here.
Once we have found a time that suits us both, I will email you our counselling agreement to read before the session, and send you the meeting link just before the session starts.
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You don’t need to prepare anything for the 1st session, but some people like to write things down to prompt them e.g., any questions about how sessions work, goals that you have for therapy.
During the 1st session we will go through the counselling agreement, I will ask some questions to find out a bit more about your current situation and therapy goals, and you’ll have some time to talk.
At the end I’ll check in about how that was for you, and we can decide whether to book another session or you might prefer to try someone else, or take time to think.
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The counselling agreement outlines our terms of working together i.e., confidentiality, practicalities, cancellation process, expectations and legalities.
I will email this to you before we start, and you can find my cancellation and privacy policies on this site.
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It is completely your choice how often you have sessions, and how many you have.
Some people like weekly or fortnightly sessions, others prefer just to book as and when.
I am used to working to a short-term (e.g., 4 sessions) model, so I am skilled at helping you to get the most out of even just a few sessions.
But I also offer open-ended sessions for you to stay as long as you like / keep coming back.
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Have a look at the ‘Privacy policy’ link at the bottom of the page, and you can also contact me for my full confidentiality policy, but the crux is that everything shared in a session is confidential, with a few exceptions - including risk of serious harm, legal requirements and supervision.
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Each session costs £60 and is payable by bank transfer.
I ask that clients pay me up to 24-hours before our session.
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If you need to cancel a session, I ask that you do this more than 48-hours in advance, otherwise you will usually need to pay the full cost of the cancelled session.
Get in touch
I always aim to reply within a few days, but please bear with me if it takes longer.
If you need urgent help, please call NHS 111 or contact the Samaritans call 116 123 or text ‘Shout’ to 85258.