Question 1

How much do sessions cost?

Accepted Answer

For individuals, the first counselling session is at the reduced cost of £35, following which sessions are charged at £70For couples and relationships (2+ people), the first session is at £50, following which sessions are charged at £95

Question 2

How long do sessions last and how often are they?

Accepted Answer

Individual sessions last 50 – 55 minutes and couples/relationship sessions last 60 minutes. They are usually held weekly at the same time. If this arrangement doesn’t work for you, please contact me, and we can discuss the viability of other options. Some clients might move to fortnightly sessions after a while, for example.

Question 3

How many sessions do I need?

Accepted Answer

I offer both short-term and long-term counselling for clients. Some clients feel they only need around 6-8 sessions, and others continue for much longer. You’re in control of this and you’re not tied in to a fixed number of sessions. We can discuss this question at the start and review it regularly. You are free to decide to end therapy at any point – where possible, I recommend an ending session to discuss and review our work together.

Question 4

Do you provide relationship/couples therapy?

Accepted Answer

Yes! I work with couples and 2+ relationships, with a particular specialism in poly and open relationships.

Question 5

Where do the sessions take place?

Accepted Answer

I have therapy rooms in Bristol (Stokes Croft) and the outskirts of Bath (Englishcombe). Click here to see the locations.

I also offer online sessions, and the possibility of working outdoors (March – October, weather permitting). Send me a message if you want more information on any of these.

Question 6

Are your therapy rooms accessible?

Accepted Answer

Unfortunately both of my therapy rooms are in buildings with stairs. If you have accessibility requirements and would like to work in person, please get in contact, as I am happy to discuss finding an alternative, accessible location.

Question 7

Will the things I say be confidential?

Accepted Answer

It can feel really difficult to share some things and to say them out loud, maybe for the first time. As a counsellor, I have a duty of confidentiality to my clients, and with a few rare exceptions, I will not break this confidentiality.

It is an ethical requirement for counsellors to have supervision – when I discuss client work with my supervisor, I don’t share any identifying information; My supervisor also has a duty of confidentiality to my clients. Anonymised session notes are kept separately from any identifying information, and they are stored in line with GDPR guidelines.

Exceptions where confidentiality may be broken include when there is disclosure of risk of harm to you or someone else; disclosure of a serious crime; when the law or a court order requires me to; or when you request it to be broken.

If I ever need to break confidentiality, I aim to discuss this with my clients first.

Question 8

What can I expect from an initial session?

Accepted Answer

Choosing a therapist can feel like a difficult decision, and it can also feel challenging to share things that you might not have shared before. I always work at the pace of the client, and there is no pressure to share anything until you feel ready to. It’s my job to help you feel safe and at ease in the space with me.

To help you decide if you feel comfortable talking with me, I offer a free initial 20-minute call, and a discount on the cost of the first full session, both of which hold no obligation or commitment to continue.

In the initial call, I won't ask you to go too deep or share anything too vulnerable. It’s a chance for me to explore what’s brought you to counselling, and for you to get to know me a bit better. We’ll also discuss what you would like to get from counselling, and start to think about how we might move forward. Working collaboratively with you is central to my approach, so if you choose to work with me, we will review things as we move forward in our work, and you don’t need to feel pressured to decide everything in that initial call.

Question 9

What happens if I cancel a session?

Accepted Answer

If you cannot attend a session, please give me at least 48 hours’ notice. I realise that this is not always possible due to illness or emergencies, but I will strive to follow this way of working and I hope that you will too.  If you do not attend, or cancel without notice, you will still be charged for your session.

I will let you know my holiday dates well in advance. Where I have to cancel a session at short notice because of illness or some unforeseen event, I will try to rearrange the session. Where this is not possible, I will offer a refund, or the fee can be carried forward to the next session.

Question 10

What can I talk about in therapy?

Accepted Answer

You can bring almost anything to talk about in the therapy room! I aim to hold the space for any concerns that my clients bring, but please click here to see some areas where I have additional training and/or expertise.

Question 11

How do I know if I need counselling?

Accepted Answer

Only you can make this decision, but maybe you’re feeling stressed or overwhelmed, having distressing thoughts or lacking self-confidence. Or you might want time and space to process some aspects of your identity, your relationships or decisions that you’re facing in life.

Question 12

Do you offer online or telephone counselling?

Accepted Answer

I offer online counselling through video calls on Google Meet.

I don’t offer telephone counselling

Question 13

Do you offer outdoor counselling?

Accepted Answer

Working outdoors and accessing the healing powers of nature can be really powerful, as well as feeling more appealing for some clients. I am happy to explore offering outdoor therapy in Bath and Bristol, generally between March and October, and depending on the weather!

Frequently Asked Questions