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FAQs

Q. How long does each session last?

A. Each session lasts between 50-55 minutes. A session cannot be extended as I may have another client coming for the next session. For this reason, if you are late to a session I can’t extend it.

Q. How often do we meet?

A. I have a minimum requirement that we meet weekly. Should you want to, we can arrange to meet more often. I find that meeting less than once a week means the work can become unproductive as both you and I may become disconnected from the process.

Q. How many sessions will I need?

A. This is extremely hard to answer, and entirely depends on the complexity of what you want to achieve. Some people feel better and decide they want to stop therapy after only a few sessions, whilst others might opt to work with no fixed end point until they decide they want to stop.

Q. What happens if I need to cancel last minute?

A. I have a seven day cancellation policy. If you have another commitment that clashes with your therapy session, I will do my best to find another slot for you that week. However, if I can’t find another one that works for us both, you still need to pay for your missed session. If you have some kind of emergency situation then I don’t charge cancellation.

Q. What holidays do you take?

A. I typically take two weeks off at Christmas and Easter and four weeks in August. If you go on holiday you just need to give me advance warning.

Q. I feel embarrassed about the problem I am bringing. How do I know I will be able to discuss this with you?

A. If the problem you are bringing is one you have been reluctant to discuss with other people in your life, it may take some time to comfortable talking about it in therapy. I will never rush you into disclosing anything. It might take a while to realise I don’t have a negative judgement of you and your situation - time and patience may be required here. You can read more about working out if a therapist is right for you in my blog.

Q. Can you give me a diagnosis?

A. No. As a psychotherapist I cannot give you a formal diagnosis (e.g. ADHD, autism etc). However, you are welcome to consult me on a diagnosis you have or discuss a dilemma in seeking one from a psychiatrist.

Q. You don’t claim to specialise in any specific area - why not?

A. I believe that many problems in living that people experience are more similar than most people realise. I am resistant to a culture that promises fixes in specific areas, and in doing so can reinforce ideas of illness in the minds of sufferers. If I had to claim a specialism, it would be in psychotherapy, the process of change over time, and human relationships.

Q. What is the difference between counselling and psychotherapy?

A. There is no universally agreed definition of either. However, often people refer to shorter term, less emotionally deep work as counselling, and longer, more in-depth work as psychotherapy. In my opinion, what matters is that whatever you call this process, it’s about creating real change in your life to make things better for you.