What to expect from Counselling and Psychotherapy
Please click on the links below for more detailed information on my terms, fees and location.
Our First Meeting
Our first meeting is half price and will take approximately 60 minutes. During this first session we would talk about your reasons for coming to therapy and I can tell you a little more about what to expect. At the end of this first meeting we would discuss whether therapy with me is the most appropriate course of action and if so I would ask you to complete a form with contact details and a brief history. I’m very aware that coming to therapy can be daunting and we’d take our first and subsequent meetings at an appropriately gentle pace. In some cases we could have a first therapy session straight after our first meeting, we would discuss this at the time.
Therapy Contract
We would also agree a fee for the sessions and I would be able to give you an idea of how many sessions we would need. We would set a date to review progress and I would ask you to read and agree to a simple contract covering our terms for working together, this covers timings, methods of contact, fees etc. Details of the content of this agreement is available on the “Therapy Terms” tab on this page.
Insurance and Memberships
I maintain professional indemnity insurance specifically for psychotherapy and have third party accidental cover for the times we are meeting. Details of my insurance are available on request. I maintain memberships of the following professional organisations UKATA (United Kingdom Association of Transactional Analysis), BACP (British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy), ITAA (International Association of Transactional Analysis), EATA (European Association of Transactional Analysis), UKCP (United Kingdom Council for Psychotherapy). These organisations all have ethical codes to which I adhere.
Therapy Sessions
I usually see individual clients once a week for a 60 minute session. Couples Sessions last 90 minutes. We would ideally meet at the same time each week. If you need to cancel for any reason I need 48 hours notice otherwise you would need to pay for the session.
Confidentiality
Finally, therapy is confidential. As a therapist I agree and am bound by the code of ethics of the various organisations that I subscribe to which exist to ensure ethical practice and client confidentiality. There are a few exceptions to this mainly if I have good reason to believe you or another person is in danger of injury or death. Please refer to the “Terms” link on this page for more detailed information on confidentiality and personal information.
Accessibility
The room I operate from in in an older property and has stepped access from a private driveway at the front doorinto a large internal hall with a second door into the therapy room. Please contact me if you would like to know more about accessible spaces for therapy prior to making an appointment.
