FAQ’s

Fees

Each session is £50 for 60 minutes. I ask for payment to be made by bank transfer before you arrive.

Counselling can be prohibitively expensive for some people. I offer £40 sessions for low income, students, trainee counsellors and unemployed.

Are you a counsellor or a psychotherapist?

My qualification is in integrative counselling and psychotherapy - so both! I use the words interchangably.

I am worried about finding the venue for face to face sessions?

I work at the Sheffield Wellness Centre, on Abbeydale Road, in Sheffield S7. The building is easy to find and access by car, bike, bus or on foot. Free parking is available on nearby streets. Before we meet I will send you clear instructions, with photos, of how to find it.

There is a small reception area where you can get a drink, or you can bring one with you. I will come and meet you at your appointment time and we will walk to the room together.

What will the introductory phone call/Zoom involve?

This 20 minute session will be a chance for me to find out a bit more about what you hope to get from counselling. I might ask a few questions about what is life like for you at the moment, why do you want counselling now? You might have an instinctive response to me and what I look like, or my voice, or the dynamic between us. You might want to ask me some questions. If I feel I’m not the best person to support you I might be able to help you find the support you are looking for. If it feels right for both of us we can arrange to meet for the first session.

Do you work online or on the phone?

I don’t work onlione, but I do work on the phone, as long as we both feel it is appropriate for the issues you are bringing. Sometimes clients can disclose more on the phone than they might in person, and this can mean that they may feel a bit vulnerable after a session. If we do work remotely we will talk about how we can both approach this to ensure the work stays safe and meaningful.

How does counselling work?

One of the biggest factors that makes therapy helpful is the relationship between the counsellor and the client, so I will take great care to help you feel safe and confident working with me. How we achieve this will depend on your previous experiences and personality. Sometimes I may be able to see you very differently to how you see yourself, for example I may see your strengths and resilience, or I may hear your hope for the future and what this might look like. Other clients might want a place to be vulnerable - they may be fed up of being seen as strong. Counselling is a place where you can be all the different parts of yourself.

For some clients having a relationship in which they feel they can be fully themselves is enough to inspire positive changes, but not always. I am an integrative counsellor, which means I am trained to integrate different theories, dependent on what might be most helpful. Once I have got to know you, and how life is for you now, I may offer some ideas that I think may be beneficial. We can keep reviewing these ideas, some may be useful, others may not be. That’s all part of the process, and in being open to new ideas you may learn new things about yourself.

I’ve had negative experience of counselling in the past. I’m worried it will happen again.

When we start working together I will ask about previous experiences of counselling, and what was helpful or unhelpful. I will do all I can to avoid repeating any negative experiences, and if I do, I will be very happy to talk about it, and make changes to how I work.

I’m nervous about the first session.

It’s really common to feel anxious or scared before you come to the first session. I will take time to find out how you feel and if there is anything that can help you feel more at ease, for example you might like a lot of quiet time, or you might be uncomfortable if it is too quiet. In this session I will ask about what life is like for you at the moment. It is important I know about how safe and secure you are in your day to day life, as sometimes counselling can make you very reflective and vulnerable to new feelings. This might mean thinking about your support networks, your coping strategies, how you look after your physical and mental health. We will establish how many sessions you want to start off with, 6 is a typical starting point, but I am open to your ideas. 

How many sessions will I need?

Some people might find a few sessions (I usually suggest 6) is enough for them, or is all they can afford at this time, in which case we will work in quite a focused way. Others might not know how many sessions they will need, in which case we will regularly review whether counselling is continuing to help you feel better.

As we review the work you might want to explore extending the sessions, meeting fortnightly, or working in an open ended way (meaning there is no set end date).

What is your cancellation policy?

I ask for 3 days (72 hours) notice if you are not able to attend, otherwise the full session fee will be payable.