FAQ
What happens next if I decide I want counselling?
First of all, I offer a 20 minute phone consultation free of charge. This is an opportunity for us to ask each other questions. You may want to ask me questions about my experience and how I work. It is a relaxed conversation to help establish if we would feel comfortable working together.
If you decide you would like counselling with me, then we agree a day and time we will meet weekly. I will then email you a registration form/ contract to complete which asks for your contact and personal details, and also the data privacy notice for you to read through. These are to be returned before the first session begins.
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Where do you work?
I offer sessions face to face in my office in West Derby Village (L12) or over Zoom, whichever is more convenient or preferred. Experience shows that Zoom can be just as effective and can be more convenient to arrange around work and other commitments. The key thing with Zoom is making sure there is a quiet, private space where you are comfortable and will be undisturbed for the hour.
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How many sessions will I need?
Everyone is different, and it’s completely up to you. However, in my experience, people start to see a benefit after having between 6 -10 sessions. There’s no obligation to have a certain number of sessions.
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How often are the sessions?
I believe that for counselling to be most effective it is important to meet weekly. This regularity helps us build our relationship, which is key to Humanistic Counselling. Having regular weekly sessions helps to build and strengthen trust and rapport, which in turn improves the quality of the therapeutic process. Regular weekly sessions are key to maintaining the momentum of and gaining the most value from the therapeutic process.
Clients having sessions having fortnightly or longer, are likely to need more sessions overall and may not achieve the same level of progress.
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Do you offer fortnightly sessions?
Through previous experience, I found meeting fortnightly slows things down, making it difficult for us to make progress. When extended periods of time go by between sessions, some of the richness of the experiences involved in that process can fade. When meeting less frequently than every week, a significant amount of the therapy session needs to be devoted to catching up and telling stories of what happened over the week. Therefore, less time is available to focus on the here and now and to go into depth on the issues.
If it is difficult for you to afford the time or money to commit, we can agree to work in a short-term way to a negotiated set number of sessions.
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How much are the sessions?
The sessions cost £75.00 for a 60 minute therapy hour. Payment is made by BACS by the end of the day the session takes place.
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Can I cancel or rearrange therapy sessions?
At least 48 hours’ notice (2 days) is required to cancel or rearrange the sessions. Any cancellations made within 48 hours of the session will be charged. This is so that the space can be offered to someone who may be waiting.
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Why do I need to provide personal information?
Key personal information is required for legal, ethical and insurance purposes. In case of an emergency, crisis or when there is reason to believe there is a threat of harm to yourself or someone else, or certain illegal activities, I have a duty to report this. In all cases would aim to discuss this with you first and gain consent. Information is kept secure and private in line with Data Protection legislation.