MBACP
FAQs
How does therapy differ from talking to a friend?
- Working with a therapist means you can rely on receiving dedicated time and space, each week that is purely focused on understanding your experience and your inner world. It is time just for you.
- A trained counsellor will not only seek to understand your surface thoughts and feelings but also underlying thoughts and feelings that may be driving behaviours and that may initially be out of your awareness. This increased awareness and self-understanding is a helpful step towards positive change.
- A counsellor can offer objectivity and see your situation with fresh eyes, which is not always possible for those closest to us. Similarly our family and friends may find it difficult to see us in distress which can result in a well-intentioned endeavour to ‘fix’ problems with advice, which is not always what is needed. A counsellor is experienced in being with and tolerating challenging emotions.
- You may wish to explore your relationships with those closest to you; counselling sessions are an ideal space to do this freely, without needing to carefully choose your words or self-censor in anyway.
Is everything I say confidential?
Yes our work together is confidential. As a member of the BACP I am bound by their ethical framework for good practice, which means I would only share information with third parties in situations such as child safety, risk to life or disclosure regarding drug trafficking or acts of terrorism. I will explain this in full as we discuss our contract.
As a best practice approach I attend regular supervision to ensure I am always providing safe, ethical and effective therapy. This is in complete confidence with an experienced supervisor and I will never disclose your name or any identifiable information.
What is the cost of therapy?
It costs £45 for a 50 minute face-to-face session in my therapy room or online via Zoom. Payment can be made by bank transfer within 24 hours of your session or alternatively a card or cash payment can be made at the start of a session.
How many sessions will I need?
Everyone’s needs are different. We can work in a time-limited way focusing on specific issues or therapy can be more organic and open-ended. We will have regular reviews to ensure you are getting what you need from therapy and to discuss the appropriate time to work towards a successful ending. We can discuss this further at our initial session.
Do you have a room where we can meet?
Yes I have a comfortable, private space in a lovely converted Chapel building on the edge of Pudsey, Farsley and Stanningley. There is a dedicated parking place for my clients and it can also be reached via plenty of bus routes and is within 10 minutes walking distance from Pudsey train station.
I don’t have a waiting room so please arrive no earlier than 5 minutes prior to your session start time.
How does online therapy work?
This is an ideal option for some as it means you don’t need to leave the comfort of your own home. We use a secure software platform called Zoom that’s free to download on your desktop, tablet or phone. I will send you some simple instructions, in advance of our first session, to help with this. To prepare for an online session it’s good to arrange to have an hour to yourself in a private and comfortable space where you’re unlikely to be disturbed.
What’s the next step?
I appreciate that starting counselling and choosing the right therapist can feel daunting. If you haven’t received a recommendation then often you’re making the decision based on a feeling you get from looking at a photograph and reading a few details. I offer a free 30 minute consultation where we can get to know each other a little to help you decide if I am the right therapist for you. We can do this face-to-face in my therapy room or online over Zoom. We will discuss your reasons for seeking counselling and what you are hoping to get out of it. I will also share a little about how I work.
Have I missed anything?
If there is a question you feel I have missed, please submit it in the form below along with your email address, and I will respond as soon as possible.