Practicalities for Psychotherapy and Counselling
Getting started
Following your initial contact we agree to meet for an assessment session. During this meeting I can hear what has brought you to counselling/psychotherapy and what you hope to get from it. You will also get a sense from this meeting of how I work and whether that fits with you. I will have a sense of what it is you want from the work together and whether I can offer you the help that you need. At the end of this meeting you may want to take some time to think things over or meet with other counsellors/supervisors to be sure that you make the right choice. Having met for an initial session you are under no obligation to continue working with me. If I feel I don’t have the skills needed to help you then I will talk with you about other options. If, on the other hand, we are both happy to proceed we will make appointments for further sessions.
How long is each session?
Each Psychotherapy/Counselling session normally lasts one hour. However, when we work in the outdoors the client and I sometimes agree to extend the length of the sessions. From this more open place clients are increasingly likely to connect at a deeper level with what would bring more meaning into their lives and what holds them back from doing so.
How often do we meet?
I prefer to see counselling clients on a weekly basis. This helps us build a strong working alliance and our relationship can then be a space where issues more readily come to the surface and you can safely explore and work through them.
How much do the sessions cost?
I have a sliding scale of fees depending on financial circumstances. The cost for each session of individual counselling will be between £60 and £80 per one hour session. We will agree the fee that is appropriate for you at our first meeting. If we decide not to continue to work together following our first session there is no charge for that session. However, if we decide we do want to continue to work together then I do charge for that initial session as part of the ongoing work together. You can pay by cash or bank transfer session by session or, alternatively, some clients prefer to pay in advance for a small number of sessions.
Re clinical supervision I charge £65 per hour
I review my fees on an annual basis.
For couples counselling I charge £80 per hour.
Do you charge for cancellations?
I ask you to give me at least 48 hours notice of cancellation. Otherwise, you pay me for the time I have set aside to see you when we next meet irrespective of the reason for the cancellation.
How many sessions will I need?
Due to the nature of counselling and psychotherapy it is not possible to predict how many sessions will be needed. For some clients only a few sessions will see them effectively working through the presenting issues. For others, especially those presenting with developmental issues, a considerably longer period of psychotherapy may well be required to allow the client to fully work through them. We will have regular reviews to check that the work we are doing together meets your needs. However, you are free to end at any stage.
What happens when I want to stop coming?
I suggest that when we end we do so face to face. This allows for a healthy ending in which we can explore the impact of the ending of this working relationship. We will negotiate an ending period which will vary depending on how long you have been in counselling with me and your needs.
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