What happens in the initial consultation session?
The initial consultation session provides you with the opportunity to meet and, experience what working with your therapist or coach would be like. You will explore what brings you to therapy and we’ll discuss how we may work together. You may share more than you expected, and this may bring relief or concern. We can work through this, these are normal feelings. We’ll discuss the terms which includes important areas like confidentiality.
We have worked with people who have experienced a wide range of challenges and issues, often complex issues are knotted together. Ranging from: Anxiety, Depression, Relationships, Identity, Abuse, Self Harm, Loss & Grief, Shame, Anger, Bullying, Stress, Sexual Identity, Self-Esteem, Self-Confidence & Self-Worth. Existential challenges.
How many sessions will I need?
Often it can be challenging to predict how many sessions you will need because it depends on a number of factors, as we talk areas are revealed and some issues require more time. Short term therapy ranges from 6-26 sessions, longer term therapy can be over a year. What can work well is an agreement to meet for an agreed number of sessions with a review near the end in which we discuss progress and agree either to end or renew.
What is Relational Transactional Analysis?
Transactional Analysis is an integrative practice, drawing on psycho-analytic roots and bringing in contemporary existential, neurobiology and psychodynamic approaches. What this means in practice is that the therapist may share models that will enable you to have a shared understanding of what is happening and is likely to add in other techniques like meditation, grounding and sometimes more creative approaches. It is primarily a talking therapy, with additional experiences tapping into the thought, the unconscious, body, connection and feelings.
What challenges have you worked with clients on?
How do zoom and phone sessions work?
Zoom is the video platform most use for online sessions and some also offer telephone sessions, where this would work better for you. Both require you have access to a quiet, safe and confidential space where you will not be disturbed for the duration of the session. If you are struggling to identify a location please contact me and we can discuss some potential solutions.
Do you provide face to face sessions?
Most do provide sessions face to face. If we am at capacity we can place you on a waitlist and contact you as soon as sessions become available.
What is the difference between psychotherapy and counselling?
Therapy is often used interchangeably to describe both counselling and psychotherapy. Psychotherapy tends to be more in-depth addressing underlying issues and unprocessed experiences and therefore takes place over a longer time frame. Whereas counselling, although touching on the same experiences, focusses on more specific challenges.
What is the difference between coaching and therapy?
Coaching is short term and goal focussed whereas therapy, tending to be over a longer period of time is focussed on fundamental change. Coaching goals tend to be more aligned to achievement, work life balance and living a happy life. Coaching inevitably includes challenges in relationships with people and in groups. Although coaching, like therapy, is non-directive the coach will keep in mind your end goal and hold you accountable. There is also homework in-between coaching sessions which are typically further apart, every 2, 3 or 4 weeks, whereas therapy is weekly.
Are you a qualified, insured member of a professional body?
We are insured and qualified as psychotherapeutic counsellors or psychotherapists and members of BACP, or UKCP
We are also members of our modalities professional bodies e.g. EATA, IARTA.
How and when do I pay for sessions?
The sessions for therapy are weekly and payment is usually due via BACS on the day of the session, before the session begins.
What if I cancel or miss a session?
If you miss a session the full fee is due because our therapists hold the time for you. If you need to cancel a session 7 days notice is required and we appreciate four weeks notice for holidays. We try to offer alternative times.
What if you [therapist] cancel a session?
If your therapist is unable to attend a session they will provide alternative times. We also provide four weeks notice of holidays. In the event of an unavoidable cancellation the session will not be charged.