Questions and Worries
Finding a counsellor is something you may not have done before or not for a long time.
There are practical things to consider and questions which often come up.
Everyone will have different concerns and they may not all be covered here, please contact me if you don't find the information you want.
How much will it cost?
How many meetings will I have?
When can I start?
Who do you work with?
I'm worried that ......
How Much Will It Cost?
£35.00 for each one hour on-line meeting
Am I tied into paying for a number of meetings?
No - you only pay for one meeting at a time and you can stop at any time
How will I pay?
Bank transfer before each meeting
How many meetings will I have?
You choose what works for you
- a fixed number of meetings
- meetings up to a fixed date
- a block of meetings, take a break, another block of meetings
- an open-ended number of meetings
We would think about what you want to get out of counselling, your practical constraints and any timetable you have.
Whatever you choose we would have regular reviews - see Working together
You can stop meeting at any time
When can I start?
Can you give me an appointment straightaway?
Yes
Who do you work with?
I work with adults
I am not trained to work with children.
If you are looking for help for a child click Young Minds for a useful starting point.
Individuals
One-to-one therapy
Two or three people together
Sometimes people are facing something together and want to use counselling together. They may be friends, family members, business or life partners.
This is different to relationship counselling where the focus is on the relationship between people, which I do not offer.
If you are looking for relationship counselling these links may be a useful starting point click here for a local organisation or here for a national organisation.
Small Groups
For several people who all want to work on the same theme. This is usually based on skill development e.g. Assertiveness, Increasing Confidence.
Working language
English
I am happy to work with a language interpreter (verbal or sign) who you bring.
Think carefully whether this may restrict what you say. Counselling offers a chance to go anywhere in your thoughts, to say anything.
It may be more useful to find a counsellor who works in the language you think in, the language in which you best express complicated thoughts and ideas as these can become simplified in translation.
I'm worried that .....
I won't know what to say?
That's OK, you don't need to.
It's my job to help you tell me a bit about what has led to you looking for a counsellor and we'll take it from there.
You may not take me seriously?
I will
You will tell me what to do or You won't tell me what to do
I will not tell you what to do
- I will help you think more clearly about your choices
- I will give you information if it will be useful
- I will answer your questions
I will also introduce techniques and suggest practical tasks to develop skill in managing situations if that is part of our work together.
Can I bring someone with me?
Yes
Meeting a stranger on-line or face-to-face to talk about yourself can be worrying, maybe frightening. It can be helpful to have someone whose judgement you trust at our 1st meeting.
Do you tell anyone else about me?
What we talk about is private between you and I.
There are only three exceptions:
1. I am legally obliged to pass on information concerning terrorist offences and some other serious criminal offences.
2. If I think there is a serious risk that a child may be harmed or that you will harm yourself or another person, I would discuss this with you and may decide that I must pass on information.
3. I may discuss the progress of our work with my Supervisor (see below). I am not required to disclose identifying information and would never do so.
Does anyone Supervise you?
Counselling and psychotherapy take place in private. It is important that someone outside that setting scrutinises how the counsellor is working, helping them ensure their practice is competent and ethical. I attend regular supervision with an experienced therapist. The focus is on me, in any discussion about my work I never give any identifying information about anyone else.
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