This depends very much on the problem that has led to you seeking counselling. If your difficulties are longer lasting and more complex, it wouldn’t be safe or ethical to try to resolve them in a short number of sessions but some clients have been happy to end their counselling in as few as three sessions. If you need to have a limited number of sessions because of the time or money you can afford (see the question about costs) then we can agree on specific goals to work on. I am happy to work in a time-limited way but can also agree to work with you over a longer period and some of my clients have continued for over a year to resolve significant challenges.

I believe strongly that counselling shouldn’t only be available to people who can afford typical session fees so I offer discounts for students, people who are on low incomes and keyworkers. Please discuss the cost of sessions with me if your only reason for deciding against asking for counselling is because of the cost.

My usual session fee is £50 for a one hour session. This is the same no matter which type of session you choose.  I ask for payment by bank transfer and when we arrange your first session, I will send you details of my account. I ask that you make the payment for the session the day before as confirmation of your attendance. All sessions cancelled with less than 24 hours notice are payable unless there are particular extenuating circumstances.

You can have your appointment in the morning, afternoon or evening. Morning appointments are at 9.00, 10.15 & 11.00, afternoon appointments at 12.30, 1.45, 3.00 & 4.15 and evening appointments at 5.30, 6.45 & 8.00. Appointments are available as shown below –

To make good progress and concentrate on improving your life, it is best to have sessions weekly, particularly in the beginning. This allows you to keep track of what is going on in your counselling and helps the work to gain momentum. I realise that it is  not always possible to have weekly sessions because of  work patterns or your financial situation, so let me know if you would like to arrange a different pattern. I am also happy to consider different intervals between sessions in response to your needs and I’m happy to discuss the pattern you would like.

I am a member of NCPS and follow their Code of Ethical Practice which sets out standards for high quality counselling. If there is something about your counselling sessions that you believe doesn’t meet the highest standards, I hope that you will raise the issue directly with me so that we can solve it together. If you are still unhappy with my response you can seek help from NCPS. When we discuss the counselling contract I will provide more detail if you want it.

I limit the amount of information I keep  about you and your counselling to the minimum. The records that I keep are kept on a password protected computer in encrypted files. If you arrange an initial session with me I will send you a copy of my Privacy Policy which will provide more detail about what information I collect and the reason for requesting this.

I realise that I can only answer the most common questions in this section but I welcome any question you have. To find out about something not covered here, please send your question using the contact form.