You can get in touch by phone or by email. We will have an initial conversation/email exchange regarding an outline of your reasons for seeking counselling so I can ensure I am able to meet your needs. We will then arrange a time to meet to discuss working together in more detail.

The first session enables us to get to know one another to see whether we feel we can work together. I will run through with you what my terms of working together include and share with you how I work. We will then start to understand what has brought you to counselling. If I feel I am unable to offer you support or your needs are beyond my expertise, I will always be honest and do my best to signpost you to another professional. If at the end of this session we feel we can work together, we will book in further sessions. If you would like time to think about it, that is fine too.

Each session is 50 minutes long

This is hugely variable and very personal. Each person comes to counselling with their own hopes, financial capacity and other commitments. Some comes with a specific issue they wish to address, and once that is ‘done’ they are happy to leave. Others want a broader understanding of themselves as a whole and this process may take longer. Others are limited by their financial means. You do not have to have an idea of how long you want to come for when you start. Often it is an evolving notion. We have regular reviews/check ins during the work and the subject of ending can always be discussed.

Of course. It is always good to talk about these things in session, to understand what has brought you to the decision. We will have regular reviews throughout the process and you can raise this at any point. Counselling works best with consistency and frequency of sessions, but there is also a place for consolidation of work whilst you take a break from sessions. Other life commitments may make it hard to continue with a weekly commitment and depending on where we are in the counselling process, it may be entirely possible to alter the frequency of sessions.

If you can’t make a session, you need to cancel it with at least 24 hours notice in order to avoid the full session fee. We can then arrange an alternative date/time. If you miss a session without cancelling, the full session fee will be chargeable.