Common Questions
The Answers You Seek, In One Place
Is it Confidential?
Yes, what you discuss with me is strictly confidential.
There are a few important circumstances that I would need to link with other people. This would be when I need to act to keep you or someone else safe. This could be if I believed there was a serious risk of harm to yourself or another person. In this situation I would discuss with you my concerns prior to speaking to anyone else or taking any action.
How many appointments will I need?
The number of appointments will vary from person to person and their unique circumstances. Generally, I work within a short term frame work e.g. about 8 sessions, but sometimes people may need less or sometimes more.
My commitment is to work with you within the shortest number of sessions that can lead to your recovery.
In the first session we discuss your goals and develop an initial treatment plan. The number of sessions is negotiable, you will always have the option of ending therapy when it feels right for you.
We will regularly review our progress and decide together what is working best for you.
What happens in the first appointment?
The first appointment is a chance for us to begin to get to know each other. I will be interested in hearing about you, your current difficulties and what you hope to gain from therapy. We will discuss how therapy can help and decide on an initial plan to help you reach your goals.
How will I know therapy is helping me?
Starting therapy can feel like a big step. At the beginning you and I would set some goals to work towards, to help make sure that we stay focused on what’s important to you. If therapy is helping you would feel like you are moving towards your goals. Progress could often include things like; having a better understanding of problems, developing new skills, difficult emotions become less intense, you may be doing more or feel more confident.
I might ask you to complete some questionnaires so we can measure your recovery. If you or I thought therapy wasn’t helping, we could think together about trying a different approach
Do you prescribe medication?
No, I do not prescribe medication. Your GP or family doctor would be able to help with this. If you thought medicine might help, we could talk about how you could approach your GP about this.
What is Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT)?
CBT is the most researched and validated form of psychotherapy, and covers to a range of sub-specialities. There is very strong evidence that CBT therapies are effective with a wide range of psychological problems, in particular depression, anxiety, PTSD and stress.
CBT is a collaborative and active form of therapy, with the therapist and client working together to develop strategies to deal with problems.
CBT understands that our emotions and behaviours are determined by the meaning that we attach to things, for example if we perceive a situation or ourselves as negative this will result in negative emotions and behaviours. CBT aims to help us understand and change our relationship with unhelpful beliefs and behaviours, which in turn will help reduce emotional distress and help enable us to live a fuller and more satisfying life.
For further information see www.babcp.com
What is EMDR?
Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing therapy (EMDR) is predominantly used to help with distress associated with traumatic events from the past. It is a structured therapy that combines talking with eye movements to help process past events in a way that alleviates the distressing emotions, images and physical sensations.
More informtion here
How long are appointments?
Appointments are 60 minutes, usually once a week or fortnightly.
What does therapy cost?
My fees are £100 per hour. I have a small number of reduced rates for people on low income, students or therapists in training. Please discuss with me if you think this would apply to you
Do you accept medical insurance as payment?
I do not work directly with any insurance companies, however many insurance providers will allow you to reclaim the cost of therapy. It is best for you to speak directly with your provider to ask if this is possible and about their procedures.
What hours do you work?
I generally offer appointments on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursday, between 8:30am and 4pm GMT, with some flexibility.
Where else can I find support?
Check out the reources page here