Frequently Asked Questions
What is counselling and what is psychotherapy?
Counselling and psychotherapy are both types of talking therapy which involve meeting with a professional who will listen to you and offer emotional and psychological support. There are many different approaches to therapy - please see the BACP or Mind websites for more information.
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How long is each session and how much will I need to pay?
First meeting (30-45 minutes): £25
Any following sessions (around 50 minutes): £45
Click here for more details or to book in a session, you can contact me.
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How many sessions will I need and when will they be?
This is a hard question to answer because it depends on what you bring to therapy, your personal circumstances and how much support you feel you need. Some people attend on a short-term basis
(e.g. for 5 or 6 sessions) to work on specific issues while others find more long-term support/personal development work beneficial. It is always your choice to come to therapy and you can make the decision to stop at any time. Many people choose to book sessions either weekly or fortnightly and in my practice, appointments can be booked one at a time (I don't offer block bookings).
To find out my current availability, please see my homepage or get in touch via the details below.
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What if I need to reschedule or cancel a session?
If you wish to cancel a session or change the time/date of our appointment, I ask that you let me know as soon as possible. For cancellations/changes made less than 24 hours before we are due to meet, a fee of £20 is payable to book in a new appointment (this includes not attending a confirmed session). The fee will only be waived in exceptional circumstances at my discretion. Please note: if you have already paid our usual session fee at the point of cancellation, you would not need to pay it again for the new appointment.
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Can I get in touch between sessions?
Contact between sessions is only for practicalities e.g. scheduling future appointments, completing forms/admin etc. If you feel you are in a mental health crisis or need immediate support, please see
my Resources page which has contact details for services which are available 24/7.
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Can I tell you things in confidence?
In general, anything you decide to share with me during our sessions will remain confidential (it will stay between us). However, in certain situations I may need to break that confidentiality:
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If I believe you or someone else may be at serious risk of harm or abuse
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If I am legally obliged to disclose information e.g. you tell me you are involved in or have knowledge of an act of terrorism, money laundering or drug trafficking, or a subpoena is issued by the courts
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What are some of the pros and cons of accessing therapy via telephone or online?
Accessing counselling and psychotherapy remotely has some unique benefits such as being able to attend sessions from your own home and deciding whether you feel either telephone or online sessions would be best for you. However, working in this way also requires a certain level of ability in dealing with technology and relies on having access to a telephone or a computer/device with a good internet connection. There is some research to suggest that both face-to-face and remote therapy can be equally effective.
Can I do sessions while travelling?
Unfortunately, I cannot offer sessions while people are driving or travelling as there are often issues with safety and/or distractions which can affect our ability to focus on the work within therapy. Although it isn't always possible, many people find it beneficial to access sessions from a private place where there is less chance of disruption.
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What if we don't get on?
I know that my approach to counselling and psychotherapy won't be a good fit for everyone and if that's the case, there are other therapists available who work by telephone and online. That said, I'm open to feedback about how people are finding their therapy sessions and I'm more than willing to look at different ways of working if something isn't quite right.
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