When you get in contact we can arrange a mutually convenient time to meet online or by phone. I will then email you my Counselling Agreement, which outlines what I will offer you and what I will request from you. The agreement forms the basis of our work together.

You may be nervous before our first session. This is perfectly normal. We will go through certain points of the Counselling Agreement and you will be welcome to ask any questions you may have.

Our first session is also an opportunity to talk about why you are seeking counselling and how we can work together. At the end of the session we’ll decide whether to book in more sessions and agree on a day and time. 

During the counselling process we’ll review regularly to assess whether the counselling is still helpful and what we need to focus on.

The information you share with me in our work together will be treated as confidential. However, if I think you or someone else is in danger I may have to consider breaking confidentiality. In this case I will do all I can to discuss this with you first.

I have regular supervision to protect my work with you and to maintain ethical standards. This may involve talking about aspects of our work with my supervisor. I would keep it anonymous and not disclose your full name or contact details in this discussion. Also, I keep brief, factual, confidential notes about our session. These are kept securely and I will destroy them shortly after our sessions end, or keep them if you would like me to.

Each session is 60-minutes and is normally the same time each week. Generally, the work progresses best if sessions are every week, however some people, for varying reasons, have counselling every fortnight and I try to accommodate that. When deciding on this it is worth noting that if sessions are fortnightly and either of us need to cancel a session, there will then be a month before the next session.

Typically short-term work is 8-12 sessions. Longer-term therapy may be 30 sessions or more. However long the therapy goes on for we will continue to review regularly.

Sessions are online via Zoom or Skype, or on the phone. It is important that your sessions are private and confidential and that other people around you are aware of the need for privacy and not enter the room that you’re in. We will be mindful of children’s wellbeing during the sessions and would not hold a session if a child needs to be with you during that time.