Frequently asked questions
How many sessions will I need?
Depending on the issue you present with, sometimes a short term series of 6-8 sessions will be sufficient to get your life back on track. Focusing on an agreed issue that you want to work with can be a way of managing your current situation.
Some issues can take longer to change for the better and would need an extended amount of time.
Whilst I mostly see people once weekly, it can happen that, during a particular crisis or difficult time, I can see people twice or three times weekly if this would be beneficial.
This would all be discussed in your first assessment session. And of course we can continually revisit this during our work together.
How much is a session?
My fees are £65 per 50 minute session including the first assessment session. I do have some reduced cost spaces available at times.
Will my Health Insurance cover this?
I can additionally register with another insurer if your policy is with a different provider.
As a general rule, insurance covers you for 6 sessions. You would need to check your specific policy details to find out what you are covered for.
What is CBT?
For example, you might be experiencing stress and anxiety. You might be thinking along the lines of: ‘I’m useless’ or ‘I can’t do this’. This might lead you to feeling overwhelmed and your behaviour might be that you are immobilised and can’t do anything. By addressing your thoughts and slowly changing your behaviour, you can change the downward spiral into a more positive (or balanced) one. With practice and trying out techniques yourself, we can work together collaboratively to shift the position that you are finding yourself in.
What is psychotherapy and how does it differ from counselling?
It can be difficult to understand the differences between so many approaches in counselling and psychotherapy, and it is quite a minefield trying to get the right sort of approach for you. One of the common questions I am asked is about the difference between counselling and psychotherapy.
Strictly speaking, the difference between a psychotherapist and a counsellor relates to training. Psychotherapists generally undertake more in-depth training over a longer period of time, which enables them to recognise and work with more complex mental health issues than a counsellor. Psychotherapy can delve more deeply into root causes of problems that have been laid down early in developmental life, and this is reflected in the capacity to work with a full range of mental health issues; from relationship breakups, anxiety, stress or depression, to more complex issues including bi-polar disorder, borderline personality disorder or trauma, for example.
There are many different ways of working within psychotherapy generally, and psychoanalysis in particular. However, a common theme amongst many psychotherapists is understanding the underlying emotional states that generate the experiences you have in the present. The important factor in all therapy and counselling is that the relationship between therapist and client feels right. This is the uppermost indicator of a successful therapy, whatever the approach.
In terms of my personal qualifications, I trained as a post-graduate psychodynamic counsellor for 2 years. I then carried out a further 5 year training as a psychotherapist. Since then, I have completed a further Post Qualified Certificate in CBT and also carried out training in DIT (Dynamic Interpersonal Therapy).
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Are sessions confidential?
This means that if I thought that you were at risk of harming yourself or others, I may consider breaching confidentiality in your best interests – perhaps by informing your GP for example. As a general rule, I would only do this in consultation and discussion with you.
