What is counselling for?
Put simply, it’s for your mental health. To support you in exploring and making therapeutic changes so that you can feel healthier. To help you get to know and understand yourself better. To build self-esteem, to resolve inner conflicts and to process loss.
People have uniquely personal and complex circumstances that bring them to counselling. Anxiety and depression are the most common mental health problems but these don’t exist without context and neither of two these words adequately describes anyone’s mental health issues.
Whatever you are suffering with, there are ways to work through it. Pain is the agent of change and help is out there. Talking about personal problems is often easier and more effective with a professional therapist – someone who is not part of your family or friend group. Please read this leaflet for further information.
How do I know if this is right for me?
Try it out and see how you feel. I offer a free online or telephone session in which I will assess your needs, answer any questions and explain how I work. Please click here to find out How to Start.
How do you deliver counselling?
In-person (at The Practice Rooms in Richmond)
Online (using Skype, or other apps)
Telephone
Email therapy
How do I get started?
Get in touch and I will arrange for an assessment call. Click here to find out How to Start.
What is Email Therapy?
Some people find it easier to express themselves through writing, rather than talking face to face or over the phone. Email therapy allows you to take however long you need to articulate what you need to say. I will spend one hour reading your email and writing my therapeutic response. You will receive my response before the end of the next working day. If you want, this can be done using ProtonMail (encrypted email service).
What can you help with?
Abandonment, abuse, addiction, anger, anxiety, assertiveness, attachment issues, avoidance, bereavement, boundaries, burnout, confidence, connection, coping, criticism, depression, discrimination, disordered eating, dissociation, guilt, grief, identity issues, life transitions, loss, negativity bias, neglect, overwhelm, panic attacks, perfectionism, phobias, procrastination, redundancy, relationships, self-esteem, self-harm, shame, stress, trauma, work-related issues.
How long is a session?
Sessions last for 50 minutes and are held weekly.
How much does it cost?
Online and telephone sessions cost £45. In-person sessions cost £55. Fees are payable by the day of the session either by bank transfer or PayPal.
Will what I say be confidential?
Yes, everything you say will be kept confidential. The exception to this rule is if you inform me of an imminent risk of serious harm – this will be explained at the beginning of our first session. Any contact outside of your weekly session will be handled discreetly. I work in accordance with the BACP’s ethical framework which can found here.
What time can I get an appointment?
I offer flexible appointment times including daytimes and evenings but not weekends.
Cancelling or rescheduling appointments
Appointments can be cancelled free of charge up to 24 hours before appointment time. Where possible I am flexible with rescheduling appointments. If you cancel within 24 hours of a session you will be liable unless there are extenuating circumstances – these will be explained in our first session.
What types of therapy do you use?
Attachment-focused, CBT, Existential, Humanistic, Integrative, Mindfulness, Person-centred, Psychodynamic, Transactional analysis, Transpersonal.
Who do you work with?
Adults, Older adults, Young people.
Counselling or psychotherapy – what’s the difference?
Some consider that counselling might help to address a current difficulty more practically, whereas psychotherapy is often used in reference to exploring past issues that might be contributing to present day problems. In reality the terms “counsellor” and “psychotherapist” have a great deal of overlap and are often used interchangeably. Both will see you weekly for a set number of sessions. There may be an expectation that counselling is likely to last a number of weeks or months whereas psychotherapy is likely last a number of months or years.
Can anyone call themselves a counsellor or psychotherapist?
Yes. In the UK, “counsellor” and “psychotherapist” are not legally protected terms like doctor or physiotherapist. To ensure the proficiency and ethical practice of your therapist please ensure that they are registered with a professional body such as the BACP or UKCP.
If you have any other questions please contact me and I will be pleased to answer them.