How quickly can I begin counselling?

I always aim to respond to email enquiries or telephone calls within 48 hours, so if you have not heard from me within that time, please check your junk mail folder as my response may have crept in there. I can usually start client work within a week of you getting in touch, but there may also be times when I am unable to offer you the availability that you need.

How many sessions will I need?

There is no fixed amount of time that is recommended.

Some people come into counselling with a clear picture of what they need, and find that just a few sessions focused on a specific issue, can be helpful, while others, may remain in counselling for months and sometimes years.

In our first session, we will talk about what brings you to counselling and from there we can agree on an initial number of sessions that feels right for you, or we can just take things one week at a time.

As we work together we will review the therapy to make sure that you feel the time is meaningful.

How many times a week will I have counselling?

The standard approach is once a week but it isn’t fixed, because life isn’t. There may be times when more or less may be required and this is something we would agree on mutually at the beginning and throughout our work together.

How long is a counselling session?

A counselling session will usually last 50 minutes, however, I also offer accessible counselling sessions for individuals who may face barriers to counselling and these sessions can last for up to 75 minutes.

I also offer extended sessions for clients who feel they need the extra time. These sessions last 90 minutes.

Do you work with children?

I currently only offer sessions with individuals and couples who are aged 18 and above.

Is everything I tell you confidential?

Everything that you tell me within the counselling session is confidential, although as a therapist, I am bound by the ethics of my registering body, the British Association for Counsellors and Psychotherapists (BACP).

There are a few exceptions to confidentiality, for example, if you tell me something and I believe that you are at risk of immediate harm, or I think you might harm someone else such as a child or a vulnerable adult; then I might need to share that information with someone else.

We cover confidentiality together fully as part of our very first session.

What personal information do you keep?

So that we can work together, I will ask you for information about yourself. This will include information like your personal details, and some information about your personal history, as well as preferred contact details and GP details.

I will ask you to consent to me keeping these details.

When we have sessions together, I may write a few notes afterwards, but these will be limited and will always be anonymised. This means that you cannot be identified by them.

I won’t ever share your data with anyone else without your consent.

I am Registered with the UK Information Commissioner’s Office (Registration number ZB567950) and am fully GDPR compliant.

You can read more on privacy here

What happens if I stop counselling and then decide I want to start again?

This is no problem, simply get in contact as you did before and then we can have a chat and decide how to proceed.

What happens if I cannot attend my appointment?

A 48-hour notice is desired in order not to incur the full cost of the session.

I do understand that sometimes exceptional circumstances occur, which prevent advance warnings, such as sudden personal or family illness. In these times those issues might take priority and that is understandable.

I ask for a telephone call in the first instance as soon as you suspect you may not be able to attend. If I am with a client, then a voice message left with the answering service, or an email is also satisfactory for cancellations.

When and how will I pay for my counselling session?

All counselling sessions are payable in advance, and 48 hours before the scheduled session

This means, that once we have agreed and scheduled a counselling session in the diary for the following week, I will require payment to be received 48 hours before. If the payment has not been received 24 hours before, I will send a gentle reminder and a payment link to secure that session. The payment link can be emailed or sent by text depending on your preference.

Where this is not possible, a contactless option is available at the session, or payments can be accepted by cash.

I reserve the right to cancel o postpone future sessions where payment has not been made in full.

Is counselling face-to-face or do you offer remote sessions as well?

I usually work face-to-face, but where required I can also offer to counsel remotely online, or by telephone.