Does what we talk about in therapy remain confidential?
During our therapy session I will help you to feel comfortable and at ease. There are no silly questions and no topics are off limits so rest assured that you can't say something 'wrong'. It will be just you and me in our session together regardless of whether we are working face-to-face or remotely and I will ensure that we can't be over-heard and that our space is confidential.
Counselling is primarily a talking therapy and whilst I will be led by you and what you want to talk about, I can support you with this if you are unsure where to begin. I will never force you to talk about something that you aren't ready to talk about but I may challenge you at times to look deeper.
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Psychosexual therapy is also a talking therapy but includes evidence based interventions which will you will need to practice in-between sessions in order to get the best outcome. These interventions do not involve any touch between therapist and client.
As our therapeutic relationship develops I will gain a greater awareness of how we work best together and can tailor sessions accordingly but always with your consent. Likewise, you may want to try something new in our sessions (such as breathwork practice) and I will encourage you to ask for what you need.
How many sessions will I need and will I have to see you every week?
During our first contact I will explain my confidentiality policy but in a nutshell, yes, what we talk about remains confidential. It is one of the reasons counselling is so effective, because you feel safe in the knowledge that what you talk to me about remains between you and me, allowing you the opportunity to talk about things you might not have explored before.
The only reason I might need to break confidentiality is if I believed that you or someone else was at risk of serious harm, you were involved in serious criminal activity, or I was ordered to by a court of law. In each case I would talk to you about breaking confidentiality first and work with you to find a solution to any risk posed, unless by doing so it would create a greater risk.
I have professional clinical supervision each month with an experienced counsellor who also abides by the same confidentiality policy. I might talk to her about some of our sessions to check that I am working in your best interests, but I will do so on a anonymous basis (she will not know your name or any other identifiable personal information).
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What are your fees?
It's really difficult to predict how many sessions someone will need, especially as in my opinion therapy is valuable even when you are feeling great! A single session can be valuable in itself, and for some people may be enough to meet their need of having someone listen and accept them without judgement. For deeper work, six plus sessions would be common, with some people continuing to have therapy for several years.
When we first start to work together I recommend that we have weekly sessions in order to develop the therapeutic relationship. As time goes on, I am happy to discuss and make changes to the frequency of sessions if there is a therapeutic rationale or practical need.
I charge £60 for an individual session (this can be face-to-face, via telephone or video chat). I can also accept AXA and Aviva private health insurance.
If you are struggling to afford my fees then I have a limited capacity to offer a reduced rate on a discretionary basis. There is no charge for an initial 20 minute telephone consultation to see if we can work together.
My fees are based on the costs associated with running my private practice including professional registration, insurance, clinical supervision and my own continuing professional development.