I am a person-centred therapist.
What does that mean? It means I believe you know best what’s right for you. My role is to help you explore your life and experience as deeply as possible. I am not there to give advice, to judge you or to steer you towards particular goals. I am there to help you find out more about yourself. This in itself can lead to radical, lasting change.
“Being an effective person-centred counsellor is not so much a matter of possessing skills and knowledge, but of having a particular set of deeply-held values and beliefs.”
― John McLeod, Person-Centred Counselling in Action
FAQs
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Each therapy session is 50 minutes long, and I generally meet with clients once a week.
We will meet for as long as you find our work useful and choose to come back. This may be just a few weeks or it may be several years. You will decide when our work is done.
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Because I work online, you will need to find a safe and private space where you can talk to me without worrying about being overheard or interrupted.
I work via Zoom, Skype or Google Meet, so you will also need one of those programs.
To get started with me, please send me a message via the form on the Contact Me page of this site. We can either book a full session right away, or arrange a short free video call so you can get more of a sense of me and how I work.
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My fee for individual therapy sessions is £70.
I offer a half-price first session, so you have a chance to find out if I am the right person for you. -
I charge for missed sessions unless you have given me at least one week’s notice. If you need to cancel at shorter notice, I will try to offer an alternative time slot during the same week.
I will always aim to give you at least six weeks’ notice of any breaks in our work, such as over Christmas and New Year.
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I do not offer other therapies such as CBT, EMDR or IFS. However, my way of working with you is influenced by my reading and study of many different theories and approaches, especially existential therapy. We will draw on any ideas that you find useful.
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There is an introduction to the approach on the BACP website here.
There is also a good summary on the Counselling Directory website here.
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Therapy is all about your relationship with the therapist, so trying out a few different therapists to see whose approach and style resonates with you best can be useful. This article by Carolyn Spring sets out some excellent questions to ask about a potential therapist.
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I don’t expect you to trust me from the start, especially if you have had bad experiences in therapy in the past. Trust is something we will build over time.
However, you may find it reassuring to know that I am a registered member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP). You can find me on their registry and will be able to raise any concerns about our sessions with them.
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Yes, you can tell me about absolutely anything.
However, there are some legal limits to be aware of. First, if I believe that you are likely to harm yourself or others, or that a child is at risk, I reserve the right to inform outside agencies. I would not do this, wherever possible, without fully discussing this with you first.
Second, if you disclose information about certain serious criminal or terrorist offences I have a legal obligation to tell outside agencies without informing you first. We can discuss how to approach these topics if you do wish to discuss them with me, and I will strive to find a way to support you without breaking confidentiality.
Finally, I will sometimes discuss our work together with a supervisor, who is also a qualified therapist and BACP member, and bound by the same confidentiality rules. I will generally try to conceal your identity if discussing our work with a supervisor.
Except in these circumstances, everything you tell me will be kept entirely secret and confidential.
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No, I work in a way that doesn’t involve diagnosing and labelling you. What matters in our work is how you see yourself.
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No. All you will ever have to do is turn up. But if you would like me to, I am happy to suggest books, ideas and articles that you may find helpful to read or research.