Frequently Asked Questions
What is psychotherapy?
The aim of psychotherapy is to help you make sense out of your experience, improve your self-awareness and make better informed choices in your life. This may involve an examination of some of your long-standing assumptions about yourself and your relationships and perhaps experimenting with new ways of behaving or relating. My role is to support you in this process, meeting with you regularly to ensure that you are heard and understood. Sometimes I will offer my own reflections and sometimes we attend to the relationship that we have created together as a source of insight and learning. At all times my commitment is to offer a safe, confidential and constructive space in which you can learn and grow.
How does psychotherapy help?
Psychotherapy provides an opportunity to reflect on your experience and gain in self-knowledge and self-acceptance. By knowing ourselves better we can become more of who we are, giving us the confidence to make important practical changes in our lives.
What happens during our first session?
The aim of our first session is for us to get to know one another and to discuss what has brought you to therapy and what you would like to achieve. It's up to you whether or not we meet again following this initial meeting.
How long does it last?
For some people a few sessions are sufficient to work through a specific or pressing issue. For others, particularly those with more deep-rooted or complex issues, the work might go on for considerably longer.
Is it confidential?
Everything that happens in your therapy session remains confidential between us, unless I believe that you are likely to cause harm to yourself or others. If this is the case I may contact your GP but would discuss this with you before I do so. The only other time I might break confidentiality is when I am required to by law, but this is ver rare.
I discuss my clinical work with my clinical supervisor but your identity remains protected if and when I do so.
How much does it cost?
My fee for a 50 minute session is £80 for individuals and £140 for couples. I ask for a minimum of 48 hours notice of cancellation.
