FAQs

You don’t need to be in crisis to come to therapy.

Maybe you’re feeling anxious or overwhelmed, things feel difficult in your relationship, you’re grieving or you just feel a bit stuck.

Sometimes it’s hard to put your finger on what’s wrong, you just know that something doesn’t feel quite right.

You don’t need to have it all figured out before you get in touch. We can start with what you do know and work it out together.

Once I receive your message, I’ll get back to you within 48 working hours, in whichever way you’ve said you’d prefer by email, phone or text.

From there, we can talk a little about what’s bringing you to therapy, what you’re looking for and whether working together might feel like a good fit.

If you’d like to go ahead, we’ll arrange a first session and take it from there. There’s no pressure to decide anything straight away.

Mostly, we talk.

I’ll want to get to know you a little and understand what has brought you to therapy.

You can tell me as much or as little as feels right, there’s no expectation that you arrive ready to tell me your whole life story.

It’s also a chance for you to get a sense of me and if I’m the right fit for you. Therapy is a relationship, and it matters that you feel comfortable enough with the person sitting across from you.

No. I believe you’re the expert in your own life, so my role isn’t to tell you what you should or shouldn’t do.

That doesn’t mean I’ll just sit quietly and leave you to figure everything out on your own.

I’ll ask questions, share what I notice, offer different perspectives and when it’s helpful, bring in some understanding about why we might think, feel or respond in certain ways.

We’ll make sense of things together, but ultimately, the choices about your life are yours.

That’s completely fine. Lots of people don’t.

You don’t need to arrive with a perfectly organised explanation of what’s going on. Sometimes all we have to begin with is “I don’t really know, I just know I’m struggling.”

That’s enough. We’ll work it out together.

Very.

Talking to someone you don’t know about personal things can feel a bit strange at first especially if you’ve never been to therapy before.

You don’t need to arrive feeling comfortable, know what to say or have everything figured out.

We’ll take our time getting to know each other and you can share things at a pace that feels right for you.

And if you’re nervous, you can tell me that too. We can start there.

Every person is different, so we’ll decide together what feels most helpful for you.

I usually recommend starting with weekly or fortnightly sessions. I’ve found that meeting regularly at the beginning gives us a better chance to get to know each other and understand what’s going on for you.

We can review how often we meet as we go and make changes if we need to. Nothing is set in stone.

It really depends. You might come for one session to talk something through, work with me for a few months or find that you’d like the space for longer.

There’s no set amount of time you need to be in therapy. We can agree on a number of sessions and then see where we are, or leave things more open-ended and check in as we go.

We’ll work out what suits you together.

Yes. Feeling able to talk openly is an important part of therapy, so I take your privacy and confidentiality very seriously.

There are some circumstances where I may need to share information, for example, if I’m concerned about a serious risk of harm to you or someone else, or where I’m required to do so by law.

If something like this ever came up, wherever possible, I would talk it through with you first.

I’ll explain confidentiality, and its limits, more fully when we begin working together.

Yes. I offer both in-person and online sessions and you’re welcome to choose whatever works best for you.

Online sessions take place via Zoom and I’ll send you the link before we meet. All you need is a private space where you feel comfortable talking and a reliable internet connection.

You can also move between online and in-person sessions if you need to.

Sessions are 50 minutes and my standard fee is £70 per session for both individual and couples therapy.

I keep a small number of lower-cost spaces available for people who might otherwise find the cost of therapy difficult. You’re welcome to ask me about these.

You can pay by bank transfer, cash or card when we meet in person.

Yes! I’m registered with Bupa, AXA Health and Aviva, so if you’re covered by one of these providers, you may be able to use your private health insurance for your sessions with me.

It’s always worth checking with your insurer first, as your level of cover will depend on your individual policy. They’ll also let you know if you need an authorisation code or referral before getting started.

If you’re not sure what you need, feel free to get in touch and I’ll be happy to help.

Life happens and sometimes plans need to change. If you need to cancel or rearrange a session, just let me know as soon as you can.

I ask for 48 hours’ notice for cancellations. If something comes up at shorter notice, the usual session fee will normally apply.