Frequently asked questions

During our first session I will ask you to complete a brief questionnaire about how you are feeling emotionally right now.  I will explain a little bit about me and how I work, and then we will discuss what brings you to therapy and what you are hoping to gain from the process.  By the end of the session, we should have an initial understanding of the psychological factors that have contributed to the issues, how things have developed and a shared agreement about how it might be helpful to proceed.  The initial session is an opportunity for me to establish a sense of the issues that bring you to therapy and how I might be able to help.  It is also an opportunity for you to get a feel for me and how I work.

There is absolutely no obligation for you to continue working with me past the initial consultation.  Not everyone connects with each other and if this doesn’t feel right for you, it’s important that you feel able to communicate that.

If you don’t feel I am the right therapist for you, or indeed if I believe it might be more appropriate for you to see someone with a different skill set, I can provide information about alternative options.  This also applies once we have begun the therapy process.

A good therapist will never ask you to make a financial commitment to therapy.  We will work together to agree on a plan for therapy, and preferably stick to a specific time each week to attend sessions.  However, there is no contractual obligation to commit to a set number of sessions.  We will regularly review the plan and our progress and amend things as necessary.  It is your choice to terminate sessions at any time you wish, although it is preferable to talk this over with your therapist and explore all appropriate options.

There is no right or wrong answer to this question, and every therapist works differently.  However, I tend to offer sessions to clients on a weekly basis.

Sometimes in life, stuff happens!  If you need to cancel or reschedule a session, please let me know with as much notice as possible.  I will have to charge the full session rate for sessions cancelled with less than 24 hours notice (see my Terms and Conditions for more information).  If we find that sessions are being cancelled frequently and it’s impacting on our progress, I may bring this up in therapy and discuss a way forwards.

There is no set timeframe for therapy.  Some people achieve their goals in a short space of time, others take longer, and there really is no way of knowing initially how many sessions you will need exactly.   It really depends on your individual goals and what shows up as we progress.  If your sessions are being funded from an external source (such as a solicitor or insurer) there may be limits on how many sessions will be approved.  I tend to work in a time limited way, so I most often complete therapy with clients within 10-20 sessions.  However, this can be extended if necessary.  We will regularly review how things are going and amend our plans as appropriate.

There are a number of different ways in which therapy is funded.  I am registered with most major health insurers (including Bupa, Cigna, WPA, Aviva and Vitality).  Sometimes payment is authorised via solicitors (for example as part of an insurance or legal claim).  If you are paying for sessions yourself, I will send an invoice prior to each session which must be paid 24 hours prior to the session taking place.  Payments are made by BACS transfer. See my terms and conditions for more information.

During the pandemic, there was a significant shift amongst many, including therapists, towards online working.  The evidence base resulting from research data during this time indicated that there was no significant difference in effectiveness between online therapy and face to face therapy.  This was certainly my experience.  Since lockdown has ended, many people are now requesting face to face therapy, preferring to be away from home, and sharing a physical space with their therapist.  This is certainly beneficial for some, but for others the convenience of online therapy, the fact that you can participate within the comfort of your own home and the potential for it to fit around work are really important factors in accessing therapy.  So I offer both services within my practice.  If you are accessing online therapy, it is important to consider whether you have an adequate wifi signal strength, a safe and confidential space to participate in sessions and that you feel comfortable to speak about potentially distressing issues within your own home or workplace.  My advice would be to use either a tablet or laptop to access sessions, rather than a mobile phone.  Online therapy sessions are conducted within a secure video platform (such as Zoom).