This will be carefully assessed at your initial consultation where your individual situation, wishes and anxieties are discussed before making a joint decision to continue.
Sometimes a second consultation is needed in order to get a full picture.
We may look at different treatments together and explore whether an alternative approach would benefit you more.
Your first session will be an initial consultation where I will take some personal history, and you can tell me something about yourself and what has brought you to consider psychotherapy.
Being as honest and open as you can will be helpful in assessing whether I believe psychotherapy will benefit you.
There is no commitment to ongoing therapy at this stage.
This is also an opportunity to ask questions and discuss any concerns as well as giving you a feel for working with me.
You will be arranging to attend regular sessions at a mutually convenient time.
For the process to work, it is important you maintain this commitment.
Psychotherapy sessions are arranged for the same day and time each week. A session lasts 50 minutes.
In a secure relationship with your therapist you are encouraged to be as open and honest as possible.
You will be encouraged to bring whatever is on your mind. In other words, you can talk about whatever is relevant for you, and the conversation is open and exploratory.
You won’t be asked to talk about anything you don’t feel ready or willing to talk about.
The duration of your therapy will depend on your specific difficulties and what you want to achieve.
Therapy could last anywhere between several months to over a year or more. It might not be possible to know at the start, but we can discuss and review as therapy progresses.
As a member of the United Kingdom Council for Psychotherapy (UKCP), I am bound by their code of ethics, which includes a commitment to confidentiality.
To ensure that professional standards are maintained, all UKCP registered psychotherapists are required to have their work professionally supervised. Your anonymity is respected, with no identifying information being shared during supervision.
It is common during therapy to feel stuck or hopeless about progress. This is a normal part of the work as feelings and thoughts are brought to the surface.
You may feel worse before you feel better, but we would talk about this and try to find out what is going on.
A planned ending is a key part of the therapeutic process.
There is not a clear line between psychotherapy and counselling, but generally counselling might be short term and focussed on a specific problem.
Psychotherapy may be once weekly or more frequent.
UKCP registered psychotherapists have undergone lengthy and rigorous training in order to work with complex difficulties and work in-depth and intensively when appropriate.
Psychotherapists hold a position of considerable responsibility towards their clients and their profession.
The United Kingdom Council for Psychotherapy ensures its allied training institutions and its members maintain the very highest standards.
My fee is £70 per session, which reflects my initial training and level of experience.
However, therapy is an intensely personal journey, and you may need to shop around before finding a therapist who is a good match for you.
I am a registered provider with the following insurers:
Bupa • AXA • Aviva • Vitality
At the initial consultation I will give you my professional opinion about whether I believe you will benefit, and you will be able to use your own judgement to decide whether you want to proceed.
Most people access psychotherapy when they have reached a point where they feel they must address their problems and feel an urgent need to achieve more fulfilment.
The work may address blocks to achieving this and these can be discussed in the course of the work together.
Psychotherapy is not a quick fix solution, but with hard work and commitment to greater self-awareness, significant and enduring change is achievable.
If you feel that psychotherapy may be right for you and would like to explore working together, you’re welcome to get in touch.