Practicalities & Fees

Fees

Feel free to contact me to arrange a free, no obligation, 10-minute phone call to find out if you think we could work well together.

Those on low incomes can request to pay a fixed amount by standing order monthly.

N.B. Therapy is a commitment to a cumulative process and because your slot is set aside for you my practice incurs a loss is you do not attend. I therefore charge for missed sessions where a swap has not been negotiated 24 hours in advance.

Payment

You will receive a bill via email reflecting the number of weeks / sessions in that month (typically 4 or 5 during term times and fewer during holiday months). Bills must be paid on the date of the last session of the month by bank transfer. Or, if you prefer, you can pay a fixed amount by standing order monthly. As of April 2020, I no longer accept cash or cheque.

Your initial consultation

The initial session is an opportunity to for us to meet; to explore your reasons for coming to see me; and for you to ask any questions you may have about the way we would work together. Additionally, because many people seek me out specifically for my expertise in trauma and / or energy psychotherapy, you are invited to have a taster in one or more of these methods.

Because it is your therapy, you can state your preferences about the way you wish to work. Because I have an integrative training I am able to draw on a number of different ways of working including traditional and contemporary approaches. You are encouraged to state your preferences for the sort of therapy which will suit you and together we will find a way of working which is uniquely tailored to you.

How many sessions are needed?

Our work together can be short-term or open-ended, depending on your needs and what you are hoping to achieve. In short-term counselling, our focus would be on a specific problem, or supporting you through a crisis. In open-ended work we are able to explore issues in more depth, looking at how the past, relationships with parents and other important people, are influencing you in the present. This process can enable you to re-connect to parts of yourself that have been lost or denied, and can lead to a profound sense of becoming your true self.

Based on our discussions during the initial consultation, you decide whether you wish to do short-term counselling (6 sessions); medium-term counselling (12 sessions) or long-term therapy (open-ended and ongoing). I work with some clients to find resolution after 6 sessions; and with others who are committed to working at deep levels over many years. You are the client and so the number of sessions depends on you and your individual circumstances and choices. Unless a fixed number of sessions has been agreed, one month’s notice must be given before ending the therapy. This is to protect us both: I am able to run a viable operation and you are kept safe within it, since endings bring up significant issues.

Your commitment

Therapy is a demanding journey and regular and consistent commitment is needed from both sides: you and me. Please expect to attend regularly and consistently and to pay for sessions cancelled with less than 24 hours’ notice. I will give you a contract outlining my terms and conditions. My intention is to work with you towards rewarding and significant change.