Format of sessions I offer and fees

RATES per session (sessions are 50 minutes)

• £65 per session for online/telephone sessions (weekdays, 10-4pm). EMDR - £75
• £78 for in-person sessions (weekdays, 10-4pm) EMDR - £85
• £75 for evening online sessions. EMDR - £85
• £85 for weekend in-person sessions. EMDR - £95

I require pre-payment within 24 hours of agreeing a session time for all sessions. 

Note, If you require invoices and receipts a £10/session admin charge will be added.

Payment
I accept payment by bank transfer.

ONBOARDING

Initial consultation
I offer a brief telephone consultation, no longer than 15 minutes which is free of charge, to people who are genuinely ready to start therapy. This allows you the opportunity to decide if you think I'm the right therapist for you because, however great my credentials, finding a counsellor who suits you and who you feel you can trust will make a huge difference to your comfort levels and the likelihood of successful outcomes. You can briefly say what you are looking for from therapy and I can explain how I work and what I can offer. From here we decide if we are comfortable with the idea of working together. If we do decide to proceed together, then we can confirm a suitable time and day that works for us both, for an initial session.

If you feel you are ready to start therapy and a 15 minutes telephone consultation would be useful, I invite you to arrange this by getting in touch using the contact form.

First session
The initial session is an opportunity for us both to assess if we are a "good fit". This is a collaborative process providing you with a safe and confidential space to start to talk about the issues that are troubling you, the impact they are having on your life and aspects of your personal history. You do not have to disclose anything that you do not feel ready to, but at this stage, it would be useful if you can describe what has brought you to therapy and what you are struggling with. You will also have the opportunity to externalise your expectations of therapy and identify your aims, essentially what you would like to achieve from counselling and explore the reality of what can be achieved together. I will ask you questions to help me develop my understanding of your difficulties, to enable me to assess your needs and determine whether I am able to provide the psychological support you need. If I think a referral to another counsellor or service is more appropriate, I will discuss this with you.
At the end of this session, if we both feel we are a good fit, we can agree on how best we can work together and set a time for the next session.

Therapy has been found to be most productive when most typically delivered once weekly. Having sessions fortnightly or less often, result in similar number of sessions to those having weekly sessions, so in the long run the financial costs are similar but it means your healing would be over a longer duration. Evidence-based research studies generally show an association between weekly therapy sessions and positive outcomes for clients. This appears to be especially important in the first stage of therapy, when you’re building rapport with your therapist and beginning to get to the core of things. Another reason is that weekly sessions helps with emotional safety and containing. Having your session at the same time each week lowers the stress and anxiety around attending therapy and creates often much needed stability and trust.

The sooner you get help, the faster you can get back to enjoying life.



I have a special interest in working with:

Those who have gone through or are going through major life changes such as change at work or career, illness, personal loss, bereavement and grief, environmental shifts, menopause, loss of purpose, status or responsibility and challenges that come with relocation. We all face difficult life changing events at times like retirement, the loss of a job, a divorce, or the loss of a loved one. When difficulties such as these arise a short period of counselling can be helpful. Talking with a counsellor can be an effective way to process your feelings and work through any lingering unprocessed thoughts and emotions.

Work related issues such as stress, career change, redundancy, conflict, dealing with retirement, burnout, illness and bullying. In our fast-paced society, more and more people find it challenging to juggle unrealistic work and home life demands. We frequently have to deal with high levels of daily stress, which negatively affects our physical and mental health. Many of our most common physical ailments, such as headaches, digestive problems, high blood pressure, insomnia, and an impaired immune system, can be attributed to stress. The same is true for many of our psychological issues, including anger, irritability, depression, and anxiety. Finding ways to lower our stress levels is therefore extremely important for our overall health.

Personal Development – If you have concerns about how you feel about yourself, are feeling unworthy or ashamed for not being like how you imagined yourself, is this preventing you from living a more fulfilled life? Perhaps you may be doubting yourself which is hindering your capabilities and would like to feel more empowered to achieve your full potential. Would you like to simply explore ways to take better care of yourself and live a happy and fulfilled life? I can provide support so you are able to achieve your goals.

Culture related issues - Expatriate & Multicultural Counselling

Infertility – fertility treatment

Stress, anxiety and panic attacks - The fight, flight or freeze response can be useful for our survival as the stress this induces within us, motivates us to keep ourselves safe. When we get stuck in the stress response too long due to feeling unsafe in our environment, it can potentially consume us to the point that we don’t see a way out and we feel engulfed in our anxiety response. At times this can manifest as a panic attack. If these issues are affecting your life there are things you can try that may help. Support is also available if you're finding it hard to cope with stress, anxiety or panic.

Depression, loneliness and sleep issues – Are your feelings of sadness and low mood stopping you from leading your normal life and making everything harder to do and seem less worthwhile? Do you feel numb, empty and that you can't see a way forward? Perhaps you feel isolated, alone and trapped in your head and unable to talk about how you are feeling to anyone around you. Loneliness interferes with sound, plentiful sleep and can be connected to feeling depressed. Depression is a very lonely and scary place to be stuck in. I want to support you in finding your way out of this dark place.

Relationship difficulties – romantic, friendships, colleagues, marriage, children. If your child or children have been misbehaving and you are at your wit’s end trying to figure out what to do, talking with a professional who has experience with children’s issues can be helpful. A counsellor can frequently provide you with some additional parenting tools to make your life easier.
Whatever issues you are facing, I will strive to work with you, to help you find a way forward. If you are interested in finding out more about what I offer, please take a look at my service and fees page. If you have any questions about how counselling and therapy could work for you, please do contact me.