Your questions answered.

How can I pay?

Payment must be made online, in advance, via Stripe and within 24 hours of each session. Please be aware that counselling and psychological services are not subject to VAT.

N.B. Missed or cancelled appointments without 24 hours notice will be charged in full.

Do you accept health insurance clients?

Unfortunately, I am not currently registered with any insurance providers and, therefore, all sessions are required to be paid for privately. By engaging with me privately, you are able to avoid diagnostic labels being added to your permanent health record and can work collaboratively with me on achieving your therapeutic goals, while avoiding a predetermined and prescriptive number of sessions.

What is the cancellation policy?

Cancellation or rescheduling of an appointment requires 24 hours’ notice. This is because your time slot is reserved exclusively for you. If you are unable to attend your session, I will endeavour to offer a suitable alternative time. Where such a time is unavailable and you have not provided 24 hours’ notice of cancellation of the original session, the full session fee is payable.

How do I know if now is the right time to have counselling?

The simple answer is, you don’t. There is never a right or wrong time. However, if there are aspects about your current life experiences that feel challenging, then this may be the time to work towards positive change. It is worth bearing in mind that it will take commitment and motivation and won’t always feel easy.

Will you keep what we discuss confidential?

What we talk about in the sessions is confidential. However, there are certain circumstances where I may need to disclose information to others. More specifically, this may be necessary where you or someone else may be at risk of serious harm or where I have a legal obligation to do so. However, in these circumstances, such disclosures will, where possible, be discussed with you first.

Can you keep my GP informed?

I am happy to provide a brief letter to your GP detailing that you are currently undertaking therapy with me. However, this is not essential if you have self-referred.

How many sessions do I need?

While I offer both long and short-term therapy there is no fixed number of sessions. Every client is unique and comes to therapy with their own set of circumstances and expectations. The duration of the therapeutic process will depend on the type of difficulty or problem you are facing. Some people will prefer to work with an open-ended contract, others may wish to work towards a fixed number of sessions. A minimum of 6-12 sessions is suggested to get the most from the process.

Most important is that it feels right for you. This is something we can discuss, and I will conduct regular review sessions throughout your therapy. During these sessions, we will review your progress and check in to ensure the therapy progresses in a way that both parties feel happy and comfortable with, and that sessions are feeling beneficial to you.

What happens if I need extra sessions?

I can offer additional, on-demand sessions if there is a particular need, and I have availability. While I cannot guarantee additional sessions, I will do the best I can to be flexible and ensure you feel supported.

What if I need a different type of support?

During our initial consultation, I will take brief details about the difficulties you have been experiencing. If I feel, at this time, that I am not the person best placed to support you and that your needs could be better met elsewhere then I will support you to find appropriate alternative options. Similarly, it may become clear that during our work together, you may benefit from a different type of support and this is something we will discuss together.

Supervision

All counsellors and therapists adhere to a strict code of ethics, which requires us to meet regularly with an accredited supervisor. The practice of meeting with a supervisor allows me to reflect on my client work and ensures I am held accountable for the quality and delivery of my practice. Clients will remain anonymous in any such discussions.

Data protection

My practice is fully compliant with GDPR legislation, I am registered with the ICO and I record the minimum level of data necessary to keep track of your therapeutic progress. Please refer to my data privacy policy if you would like additional information.