FAQs
How do I start counselling?
It is as simple as making contact with me. You can either email or telephone me.
What should I expect from sessions?
As counselling is a very personal process, I believe it is important that we both feel comfortable to work together therefore the first meeting would involve the gathering of some routine information and a general overview of the issue. It would also be an opportunity to see if my style of working and approach is something that you feel would be beneficial to you. That said, I believe that all people are individuals and therefore do not subscribe to one particular ‘style’ of therapy but prefer the approach that suits your personality and issues. However I would outline the way I feel your needs might best be met and then we would discuss and agree how we could work together to unravel the issues for which you have sort counselling. Whilst I believe that these sessions would be very much led by any things that you wish to bring to them, I would reserve the right at all times to discuss with you a different agenda if I felt it was in your best interests to do so . That way you will get the maximum benefit from each session.
How long and how much are the sessions?
I have tried to make counselling as affordable as possible and therefore offer counselling at the lower end of the normal counselling rate. This is not because I devalue my skills, and therefore effectiveness as a counsellor, but because I believe that sometimes with a little intervention we can all lead much more fulfilled and happy lives. Sometimes people may be put off seeking that little help because of cost. My contribution to your well being is to offer is as follows:
Face to Face Counselling:
60 minute sessions – £38.00
Counselling by Email:
One off email exchange (of approx 500 words) – £28.00
Or pre-paid package of emails (paid ahead in one payment):-
3 emails (£26.50 per email) – £79.50
5 emails (£25.00 per email ) – £125.00
At the initial consultation/enquiry we can discuss which we both feel is the most suitable and beneficial for you. You can pay by bank transfer
(details provided when you have made contact)
3 email packages should be completed within one month
5 email packages should be completed within two months
Please note to gain maximum therapeutic benefit, we need to be in regular contact.
Please note that Email Counselling I do not consider effective for addictions.
Counselling by Skype:
60 minute sessions – £38.00
At the initial consultation/enquiry we can discuss which we both feel is the most suitable and beneficial for you. You can pay by
bank transfer (details provided when you have made contact).
Please note to gain maximum therapeutic benefit, we need to be in regular contact.
Can I afford counselling?
If you looking for some kind of help because you know that your life is not all that it could be, then the question has to be asked “what value do you put on your own well being?” In the case of problem eating, drinking, drug taking the cost of recovery can easily be measured. Not just in the cost of sustaining that habit but in how much are you going to loose if you don’t deal with the problem. The cost of counselling is nothing in comparison to loosing a job, a driving licence or getting a divorce.
Most of us feel ok to give ourselves a bit of short term tlc in the form of new clothes, having a meal out, going on holiday etc all of which are a good boost to our feelings of well being for a short time. However as a generalisation we are reluctant to invest in our long term emotional well being. So the answer “can you afford counselling” is a straight personal choice as to the value you put on your self and if you have even got to think about counselling then the answer must surely be simply “how can you not”.
How many sessions will I need?
Very difficult one to answer. It really depends on the issue. If you have been holding onto negative thoughts for a long time it will take time to unravel these and this could take anything upto 12 sessions or even more, again depending upon the issue(s). Sometimes however all we need is just to have a few sessions so we can “offload” to someone impartial in order to feel so much better. What is certain is that the longer you leave it before you deal with the issue(s) that has brought you to this site, the longer it may take to unravel. What is also certain is that these feelings that you are now experiencing will continue until you can no longer ignore them.
Confidentiality
Our work together remains completely confidential and we will not discuss what we talk about in sessions outside of the sessions. However there are some exceptions to this.
- I am required to attend supervision as part of my ongoing professional development and in order to ensure that you receive the best possible service and I may discuss, completely anonymously, some details of your case. This is common to all ethical counsellors and practitioners.
- If, in exceptional circumstances, I felt that either you or someone else were in danger or at risk of harm, whilst I would discuss with you first the possibility of breaking confidentiality if the risk was serious enough I may have to break confidentiality.
Where are you based?
I am based central to Haywards Heath town for face to face therapy and I also offer online counselling via email and Skype for those in more remote areas or who might find face to face counselling difficult for various reasons. (See “What is online counselling and how does it work?”)
Any other formalities/requirements?
We will need to have a Agreement between us to set out boundaries such as confidentiality, timekeeping, notice etc. and I have attached a copy. It is probable that I shall set some “homework” between sessions. The process of counselling is to get you have more insight into yourself so that you can live the best life you can. Therefore , depending upon the issue, there could be quite a lot of “thinking” and “challenging” to be done and if this only happened during our sessions it would not be very beneficial. So some “thinking” or “written” tasks may well be set for us to discuss in our next session.
