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Quotes

 "We cannot choose where we start out in life, but we may finish where we will" Tony Judt. 

 

"Isolation exists only in isolation, once shared it evaporates"  Irvin Yalom.

 

“In my early professional years I was asking the question: How can I treat, or cure, or change this person? Now I would phrase the question in this way: How can I provide a relationship which this person may use for his own personal growth?”  Carl Rogers.

 

 

If you are in immediate crisis, contact:

www.samaritans.org

www.befrienders.org

Books I recommend as a starting point
  • If Not Now, When? (Abacus Books)
    If Not Now, When? (Abacus Books)
    by Primo Levi
  • The Gift Of Therapy: An open letter to a new generation of therapists and their patients: Reflections on Being a Therapist
    The Gift Of Therapy: An open letter to a new generation of therapists and their patients: Reflections on Being a Therapist
    by Irvin D. Yalom
  • The Marshmallow Test: Mastering Self-Control (Unabridged)
    The Marshmallow Test: Mastering Self-Control (Unabridged)
    by Walter Mischel
  • H is for Hawk
    H is for Hawk
    by Helen Macdonald
  • Everything I Never Told You
    Everything I Never Told You
    by Celeste Ng

FAQs

 

  • What is your experience in this work?  I started the process by having my own personal therapy for a number of years.  I have been working as a counsellor and psychotherapist for 34 years, please see the tab on the left - "My training and experience" for more details.
  • How long is a session?  50 minutes.
  • How much does a session cost?  My standard fee is £70 for individuals and £75 for couples. 
  • How do I pay you?  You can pay by making a transfer from your bank to my bank account.  It is also possible to pay via Paypal, for which there is an additional fee. 
  • How often are sessions held? We usually start with weekly sessions, and may move to fortnightly or less frequent sessions.
  • Is there a cancellation fee? Yes, details of this are in the contract letter which we agree before we start to work together. 
  • Is it totally private/confidential?  The work that we do is confidential.  The only exception is that I am legally obliged to break confidentiality if I consider that you are in danger of causing serious harm to yourself or others, or in cases of terrorism.  Additionally I keep no records on the computer, and any notes I might keep will not be made with clients' names as part of them.  My work is covered by the UK Data Protection Act.
  • How long does therapy last? This is between the two of us to decide.  You may stop whenever you want to, but in general short-term work lasts between 6-12 sessions, longer-term work may last for months or in some cases years.
  • Is it all about the past?  What we talk about depends upon what you want to bring to the session.  The past may be the subject which you bring, or may rarely be foreground.
  • Isn't it very self-indulgent?  The process is about making your life work better for you, and is indeed indulgent to the self - and why not?
  • Will you give me advice?  Advice-giving rarely plays a part in psychotherapy and counselling, we can get advice from friends, colleagues and family members.  Coming to your own decisions as a result of a conversation in therapy or counselling is a different experience than being given advice.
  • How do I know if it's working?  If you are clear about what brings you into the process, then you can evaluate whether you are getting what you want and need.  It is not necessarily a comfortable process, so being  happy or satisfied with a particular session may not be an indicator that the process is working. We review the work on a regular basis.
  • What's the difference between counselling and psychotherapy?  There is no standard definition of the difference, but a general rule of thumb is that counselling is used for single-issue short-term work and psychotherapy is longer and more in-depth.
  • How is the profession regulated? There is currently no regulation of counselling and psychotherapy in the UK; however, appropriately trained and experienced practitioners can voluntarily apply for registration with one of the national bodies (BACP, UKCP). Registration is not a requirement in order to practise.  I am registered with BACP.
  • Do you have a complaints procedure?  Yes, all Codes of Ethics have Complaints Procedures as part of the Code, I am governed by the BACP Code of Ethics.
  • Have you been in therapy yourself? Yes, it was a requirement of my training that I undertake my own therapy, I found it a powerful process which changed the quality of my life.
  • How long might the therapy last for? This depends on what you want, the agreement we make, and on our regularly reviewing our work.
  • How does therapy end? Usually by agreement between us, and with a finishing session to wrap things up.
  • What happens if you, the therapist, get ill or stop working?  It is good practice for psychotherapists and counsellors to have a professional colleague to inform clients in the unlikely event that a session or sessions have to be cancelled, or the work terminated.  I have this arrangement in place with a colleague.

 

 

If you have any other questions, please contact me via the "To contact me" tab in the left-hand column.  I will get back to you within 48 hours, and we can set up an initial half-hour counselling assessment, free of charge.