GETTING STARTED
It can be really tricky trying to work out what kind of therapy is best suited for us. Even more so, what type of therapist to go for. Older? Younger? Male? Female? A similar ethnicity or background to us or not? Then there are the geographical and financial constraints to consider.
I know it can be daunting to make that first step. It’s also really important to make sure that you find the right therapist for you, so take your time and feel free to ask as many questions as you like.
Here are some suggestions, offered as a set of FAQs to help you work out whether my services are right for you.
What kind of therapy should I have?
Two factors you may like to consider:
- The manner in which an individual therapist and their approach “speaks” to you. For this: have a look at my How I Work page.
- Information on what kind of therapeutic style would best suit you. This is particularly important if your mental health issues are affecting your ability to function in your day to day life.
How much therapy will I need?
The number of sessions you need varies with each individual.
If this initial session session goes well and you feel like taking the next step we will arrange a day and time to meet up weekly.
I can offer brief Solution Focused Therapy (6-8 sessions) or a more open-ended approach. One off single sessions (up to 120mins) are also available. Research into single session therapy and Solution-Focused Therapy suggests that these too can be very beneficial to those who have a very specific need and goal.
What sort of qualifications should my therapist have?
Generally speaking if your therapist is a member of one of the main regulatory bodies (the BACP, UKCP, or BPS) they will have fulfilled the minimum standards to practice as a mental health practitioner.
What appointment slots would you be able to offer me, how soon can I get an appointment and how much will it cost?
I see private clients Monday to Friday at midday, as well as evenings, so as to suit your work and life commitments.
I can usually offer you an appointment within a week of contact.
What do you charge?
My mission is to offer an affordable service. I charge an initial consultation fee of £60/£70 (depending on the time of day), but I’m also happy to have a 15-20 minutes “vibes” chat on the phone beforehand if you’d like to give me a sense of what you’re mainly wanting to work on and get a sense of the dynamic between us.
The paid for consultation session is 50 minutes long and would allow us to go much more deeply into whatever issues you would like to talk about, as well as giving you some follow-up explorations which you can start putting into practice right away. For more information about fees, please have a look at my Location/Fees page.
What’s the best way to make contact and book an appointment?
The quickest way to contact me and book an appointment is on WhatsApp (07804197605) or via email if you prefer.
What happens in the initial consultation session?
In the first session we will develop a rapport, and develop a plan on how to tackle your situation.
What happens after the consultation session?
If you are happy to continue working together on some of the areas we’ve discussed in your consultation session, or just wanting to explore more on a weekly basis, we can set this up and start this journey of discovery together. This would generally involve meeting once a week (same day/time) on a consistent basis.
Is everything I tell you in our sessions confidential?
All communication between us, both in and out of session, is absolutely confidential. I might need to refer to our work together for in my professional supervision sessions, which are mandatory as a therapist.
If I am worried that you might harm yourself or somebody else, I may need to to contact family members or other people designated by you who can assist us, but in over a decade of doing this work, I have not needed to do this with anyone so far.
Do you offer sessions over Zoom or Google Meet?
Yes, I do! Google Meet is usually how I arrange for us to have sessions online.
How do you prefer to be paid?
Could you please make sure to pay on the day of the session itself, or leading up to the session:
If you would prefer to pay in cash after each session, that’s fine too. I don’t however have the means to process credit card payments on site.