Frequently Asked Questions
What happens at the first session?
The first session is an assessment, where we explore what brings you to counselling and what you would like to work on. Often, client and psychotherapist feel like they would like to commit to working together from this first assessment session. If we decide to work together, we will agree a time-frame for therapy and when our regular sessions will take place. We will also be able to cover any additional questions you may have. In some cases, either client or psychotherapist feel they are not best matched, perhaps in their preferences of working together or based on expectations of counselling. If we decide not to go ahead and you'd like to see if you prefer working with a different psychotherapist, I can try and signpost where possible.
How much will it cost?
I charge £30 for the initial assessment and my fee is £60 per counselling session.
How long is each session?
Each counselling hour lasts 50 minutes. Sessions usually start on the full hour and take place on the same day at the same time each week.
How do I decide which topics to bring?
At our first session we will talk about various aspects of your life and see if we can focus our sessions on specific counselling goals. If you don't know which aspect you wish to focus on first, don't worry. Sometimes people experience issues in more than one area of their life, e.g. work, family, relationship etc. Person-centred counselling allows for the client to be flexible in what they would like to talk about and the need to find a space for their thoughts and feelings as they emerge at that point in time. It is my role as a psychotherapist to check regularly if we are working on the issues that are crucial and we will evaluate together what we can do to ensure counselling is worth while and effective for you.
How many sessions will I need?
We will work out a time-frame together which can be reviewed later at any point. Some people come short term (for example 8-12 sessions), while others would like to engage for a longer period and opt for open-ended therapy.
Is it confidential?
What we talk about in our counselling sessions is kept confidential wherever possible. When presenting my work in my supervision I also uphold confidentiality and outline the work whilst maintaining anonymity for each client. The only times I would break confidentiality were if a client presented significant risk to themselves or others or in instances where breach of confidentiality aids the detection or prevention of a serious crime. Should this happen, I will talk you through the process and aim to get support from others where possible.
