FAQs

​How long are the sessions?

Sessions last for 50 minutes and begin on the hour at a mutually agreed time. The sessions are held on a weekly basis, excluding pre-arranged holidays and sickness.

How long will I need counselling/therapy?

​How long someone needs or requires counselling very much depends on the complexity of their difficulties and their preference. I like to work together with my client's to decide what might be right for them however I normally recommend a minimum commitment of 6 - 12 sessions. Deep rooted, ongoing and complex difficulties may require a more open-ended timeframe of at least 6 months, with regular reviews. This would allow the work to take place at a deeper level.

What is your approach/How do you work?

I work relationally and integratively which means that I incorporate 4 main theoretical approaches to understanding and working with your challenges/difficulties/issues. At the heart of these theoretical approaches is an emphasis on the importance of the therapeutic relationship which I believe to be the foundation from which positive outcomes and effective personal change takes place. My intention is to offer a warm, authentic and non-judgmental therapeutic space and presence.

I believe the nature of our emotional, psychological and physical challenges are complex and multidimensional. I do not believe in a 'one size fits all' approach to therapy and therefore depending on the person I am working with, I seek to understand my client challenges through:

1. A developmental lens: attempts to gain insight into how adult challenges may be rooted in experiences and relationship patterns established in childhood
2. A trauma lens: uses neuroscientific, nervous system and body-based approaches to understanding the impact of both long-term and single-event cases of abuse/trauma/neglect.
3. An existential lens: focuses on struggles that are universally applicable to human existence including isolation, death, freedom, responsibility, and the meaning of life.
4. Social lens: recognises that we are all affected and influenced by the society and culture we grew and up in and live in. The social lens understands that our social and cultural realities and identities, which include but are not limited to our, gender, race, sexuality, can lead to complex experiences of shame and oppression and these can have a powerful impact on our mental health and our individual emotional, psychological and physical wellbeing.

Through support and guidance you will be invited in the sessions, at a pace which feels right and appropriate for you, to explore and process your thoughts, feelings and emotions. This exploration can take place through talking and through other body-based (somatic) and mindfulness-based activities and interventions which I integrate from my training as a Yoga Therapist.

What outcomes can I expect?

Each person has their own unique experience of counselling and psychotherapy. The outcomes and results will to an extent depend on you, on what you want to achieve from the experience and the commitment you make to the process. In general, results include, but are not limited to:

-a feeling of being recognised, understood and emotionally supported in your difficulty
-a processing and release of buried/suppressed/repressed emotions
-a greater understanding of self, self-sabotaging patterns and behaviours and the choices you make
-a greater understanding of others and the way you relate in relationships
-an ability to communicate differently/powerfully in relationships
-a clearer perspective on your life and clarity on what you like and what you want your future to look like
-an understanding of how to move forward with the understandings and insights you make
-a better ability to handle stress and anxiety

Will our sessions be confidential?

Everything that we discuss during out time together is strictly confidential.  The only person/people I will potentially discuss your case with is my clinical supervisor, and/or clinical peer group which are also strictly confidential spaces. Confidentiality is important as provides a space for you to talk freely in a contained environment. The only times that confidentiality might need to be broken is if there was a risk to either yourself or to someone close to you, but this would be discussed with you at the time.

What is your payment and cancellation policy

Payment for the sessions is required via BACS  prior to attendance of each session. I have a 48-hour cancellation policy which means you will be charged in full for less than 48-hours notice of cancellation.

Are you supervised?

Yes, as per the UKCP and BACP Code of Ethics I receive regular supervision designed to professionally assist and support my work with clients.

Is psychotherapy the same as counselling? 

The terms are not protected in the UK and are often used interchangeably. A person with a psychotherapy training may, for example, call themselves a counsellor.  Psychotherapy is more likely to be a long-term and in-depth offering and counselling tends to be a shorter-term and a more specific issue-focused offering. As these terms are not protected it is important that you check a counsellors/psychotherapists training background and professional affiliation(s).

Who are BACP and UKCP?

BACP and UKCP are two of the largest counselling and psychotherapy professional standard bodies in the UK. BACP and UKCP registered and accredited counsellors and psychotherapists undergo intense, rigorous  and in-depth training and along with meeting the individual training institute's protocols, practitioners are required to commit to long-term personal therapy and will have completed a minimum set of supervised clinical hours and practice which often exceed 450 hours during training.

Who can benefit from counselling and psychotherapy?

Anyone who is struggling emotionally, psychologically and physically and those who want to understand themselves and their life will benefit from attending sessions, though you do not have to be having a crisis to benefit from counselling and psychotherapy.  Counselling and psychotherapy is rarely, however, a quick fix. Although, in some instances, it may provide immediate relief, by in large, to benefit from therapy you must be committed to yourself and the process.

Can I contact you in crisis out of hours?

​I will be available to you at your scheduled appointment time only. In the case of an emergency you will need to seek other resources such as your GP, the Samaritans (call 116 123, www.samaritans.org), or, if necessary, emergency services.