Your questions answered (I hope!)
What happens first?
In the first instance, we have a brief chat on the phone, during which we arrange the first meeting.
What happens at the first session?
Our first session together – your Assessment Session – lasts for 1½ hours. It is your chance to tell me what you need. It is a no obligation meeting which allows us to see how we might work together and lets me think about the best way forward for you. If we agree to continue, we arrange a time to meet regularly each week. This time and space is kept for you and you alone until you choose to finish.
How long is each session?
Each session lasts 50 minutes.
Where do we meet?
We meet in a quiet, comfortable room in one of the three practices I work at (either Windsor, Burnham or Maidenhead). We work calmly within an accepting, non-judgmental and empathetic environment. Here, you can explore your thoughts and together we can find ways through the difficulties.
How many sessions will I need?
This is hard to say, because it depends on what you bring to our meetings. However, as your therapist, I can work with you on an open-ended basis or for an agreed time period. It’s your decision how long you stay in counselling. We will regularly review the process and explore your thoughts on how you’re getting on and if you are getting what you need from it.
How much does it cost?
I work with both adults and children and have a different charge for each, as follows:
Adults £50
Children £35
I also offer concessions for the elderly, so do please ask, if this is appropriate for you.
What about confidentiality?
Anything you tell me is in complete confidence. Information you share is never disclosed to others unless required by a court of law or there is a serious risk of harm to yourself or others. (I would always seek to discuss this with you in the first instance.) If by any chance we live near each other and I pass you in the street or in a shop, I won’t acknowledge you unless you acknowledge me first – after all, neither of us knows who the other is with and what they may or may not know. The two case studies on my website are of genuine clients who have given me permission to share their thoughts, where disclosed.
