Beginning Therapy
Initial Consultation
Choosing a counsellor or psychotherapist and preparing to begin therapy can feel like stepping into the unknown, so to help you decide if you would like to work with me, I offer a free online consultation. This video call usually take place on Zoom and lasts about an hour. The consultation is an opportunity for us to get to know each other and think about how we might work together. I’ll invite you to tell me what’s happening in your life right now and reasons for starting therapy. We’ll think about how we might work together, your readiness for therapy and what you hope to achieve. I’ll answer any questions you have about how my approach.
During the consultation we'll also talk about your background, support, safety and privacy. If we’re preparing to work online or then we will cover important practicalities like your IT confidence, security and creating a suitable space for therapy.
Working Online
If we decide to work in this way, ahead of the initial consultation, I will provide you with an information sheet to help you get started.
Frequency of Sessions
When starting therapy, I find it helps to have a regular and consistent appointment time that fits into your schedule. Usually I see clients weekly for 50 minutes.
When you're ready to start, we will seek a mutually convenient day and time to meet. Ideally, I will offer you the same appointment slot each week. If needed, we may be able to look more flexible arrangements to fit around your work or family commitments. However, my diary tends to fill up quickly and there is high demand, particularly for evening appointments, so this may not always be practicable.
When you feel more settled or as you begin preparing to end therapy, you may decided to reduce the frequency of sessions. When you are ready, we can think about this together and come up with a plan for ending.
Number of Sessions
I offer both long-term open ended and short-term psychotherapy. The number of sessions depends very much on you, what you would like to achieve and your budget. During the initial consultation and at our first session we will talk more about this and explore what might work best for you.
Once you start therapy with me, from time to time, I will invite you to review progress and check with you that we are still on the right track. It is important to remember that you are not tied in to a fixed number of sessions and can decide to end at any point. However, when you are ready to stop, I would invite you to bring this up a few weeks before our final session, so that we can prepare for a good ending.
Fees and Terms of Business
My current fee for individual therapy is £65 per 50 minute session. Payment is made by bank transfer in advance of the session.
Before we start working together, I will ask you read and sign a Therapy Agreement. This document sets out my terms of business and explains my approach to cancellations, missed appointments, late arrivals and contact between sessions. I will also provide you with additional information about my approach to data protection and confidentiality.
Confidentiality
Our therapeutic relationship and the content of our sessions are confidential. This means I hold your personal details and everything you say to me in complete confidence. I will not release any information about you to a third party, without your written consent, except where I am required to do this for safety reasons or by law.
As an ethical practitioner and registed member of BACP, I attend regular clinical supervision. Supervision and my onging training in group analysis are important aspects of my continuing professional development. In support of this, I may from time to time use anonymised material from our work for teaching, learning and academic purposes. Any material I use will be appropriately disguised to protect anonymity and preserve your confidentiality and the confidentiality of our relationship.
Before we start working together, I will provide you with a copy of my confidentiality statement. This document explains the circumstances where I may be required to break confidentiality.
Keeping Your Personal Information Safe
To support our therapeutic work I will keep certain records and information about you. I will always treat your personal information with care and respect. I am registered with the ICO (Information Commissioner’s Office) and work in accordance with data protection law as it applies to small businesses in England and Wales. Before you start therapy with me, I will provide you with a copy of my data protection and privacy statement.
Emergency Support
If you need help for a mental health crisis, emergency or breakdown it is important that you contact your local NHS urgent mental health helpline. You can find the number for your area on the NHS website www.nhs.uk alternatively you can use the NHS 111 online service or call 111.
If you or someone else’s life is at risk or if you do not feel you can keep yourself or the other person safe call 999 or go to your nearest A&E department now.
Your GP can also offer mental health support and refer you to specialist services. You can ask your GP for an urgent appointment.
Ready to Start
Please visit my contact page to request your free consultation.