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Common Questions about Counselling
How do I book my first sessions?
Click on the Book a session button and this will take you to my online calendar
If it feels more comfortable to contact me first you can complete the contact form on the first page of this website.
If you have any questions before booking you can phone, text or email me.
I will respond to you in the same way you contacted me, unless you ask otherwise.
I will usually try to get back to you within 2 hours of your initial contact, and at the very least the same day, with my availability.
I will provide you with location and payment details and require pre-payment for this first session to secure the appointment for you
Why is the 1st session at a reduced rate?
Counselling will work best for you if you feel comfortable and relaxed with your counsellor.
This 1st session is a chance for us to get to meet each other and you can decide if I feel like the right counsellor for you to work with.
This session is also taken up with some form filling and questions from myself so I can assess how we might be able to work together.
It may be at the end of the session you do not feel I am the right counsellor for you, or I may feel I am not the right counsellor for the problems you are facing.
However if we both feel we will be able to work well together we can then book in further sessions and agree a set day and time for your weekly sessions.
How much will it cost and how do I pay?
The 1st session, the assessment session, is at a reduced price of £30 for 50 minutes.
Sessions thereafter are £60 for 50 minutes.
Payment can be made by BACs before the session or Cash at the beginning of a session
The cancellation policy is 24 hours notice, otherwise payment will be due for the session
Do you offer any discounts for students or low income?
I try to keep up to 4 sessions per week for concessions.
If you are a student without a regular income or on low income in receipt of benefits I am happy to discuss what is affordable for you.
If you are a counselling student looking for a counsellor whilst in training I also offer a discounted rate, please enquire at your initial contact.
How long will I have to wait for an appointment?
If I am not fully booked I can generally make an Introductory appointment for you within a week of your enquiry.
We should then be able to book your next session within 4 weeks of this introductory session.
However at times I may be fully booked and will keep a waiting list if this is the case
Daytime appointments are generally more easily available than evening appointments.
I've not had counselling before what can I expect
First of all let me reassure you that counselling is not something to be scared of, it really is an opportunity for you to change your life
As a counsellor I am here to help you and ensure that you are kept safe and feel comfortable and relaxed with the counselling process.
You are in control of the counselling sessions and together we work at a pace that feels right for you.
As your counsellor I will sit alongside you and help you to understand what is going on for you.
This usually involves me reflecting back your own words to you, to help you understand what you really mean, and perhaps ask some questions to help you understand things at a deeper level.
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy may be useful for you, often if anxiety or depression are a concern for you.
This will involve a little more input from me and together we will look at worksheets that may help you understand things a little better.
I may set you tasks to do in between sessions to help you find ways to manage difficulties in your life and give you a 'tool box' of skills. stratergies and excercises that you can continue to use to help you once you have finished counselling.
What kind of problems can counselling help me with?
Counselling can be useful to anyone at any time in thier life.
It is essentially a safe and confidential space that allows you to talk about anything that you want.
Sometimes it can be really difficult talking to friends and family about some of the things that are going on in your life.
You may feel they will not understand, or you may not want them to know, or maybe you feel you will burden them with your problems.
As your counsellor I can sit and listen without judgement and allow you to find relief from the things that are bothering you.
What I am saying is that counselling can help you with ANY problem you are facing in life, however big or small it may be.
1 session of counselling may be all you need or you may need longer to process your problem
Do you offer video or telephone counselling?
Yes there is the option of online video or telephone counselling.
I generally prefer a first face to face appointment to discuss options and for us to get to know each other, but thereafter we can use the telephone or video option.
How long will I need to continue counselling for?
The simple answer to that is - its up to you.
As you work through your problems you will be the best judge of whether you have achieved what you want from counselling, and when you feel you are ready to finish you just have to let me know.
I specialise in working with anxiety and panic attacks and the number of sessions that people have varies depending on whether they want stratergies to manage the anxiety as it happens, or whether they want to explore what may have contributed to the anxiety and gain an understanding of how to prevent those experiences contributing to their feelings of anxiety in the here and now.
If a particular problem such as work stress, relationship difficulties or exam stress are the problem you may just want a few sessions to talk about the problem and get things off your chest.
If childhood trauma is something you want to explore this may be long term work to ensure you work through a lot of long held beliefs about yourself.
So it is difficult to give you a concrete answer to this question.
I have worked with people for one session and I have worked with people for 3+ years.
It is your counselling and so it is for you to decide what you want from it and how long you would like to continue coming to counselling.