Frequently Asked Questions - Counselling & Psychotherapy
"Can you cure me?" Often clients are expecting me to cure them. This is an unrealistic expection and the curing is not down to the therapist but more about you discovering your own resources that may lie hidden within. Sometimes it is about revisiting past hurts, understanding and accepting and then finding positive ways to manage these feelings or behaviours.
"How long will it take?" A counselling session lasts for 50 minutes and the amount of sessions will then depend on your expectations and your individual response to therapy. Many people come with an issue at a particularly bad time in their life when they cannot cope. It is recommended as good practice to attend a minimum of 6 sessions initially and for some people this will be enough. A committment of 6 sessions is usually agreed in a signed contract by us both after the initial assessment. If you do not attend a session during these six weeks then it will be usual for you to still pay for the session even if you do not attend. Exceptions can be made with at least one weeks notice. This is because the rental of the room will be paid for one week in advance. If you have holiday planned during this time then informing me at the beginning of our contract will be sufficient, although it will be of greatest benefit to you to attend all 6 sessions weekly.
"Are you the right person to help me?" You will only know this by speaking to me initially and then coming for an initial consultation. Sometimes if the therapist reminds you of someone you had issues with, it can feel uncomfortable, so it is important that you feel comfortable with your therapist so that it does not get in the way of what you hope to achieve since much of what you will discuss may be very personal.
"Will you tell anyone else what we have talked about?"No. What we discuss is confidential. However there are exceptions to this rule which includes if there is an element of human risk. So if you tell me you are planning to take your life or to take someone else's life or if a child's well-being is in danger from what you have disclosed I am obliged by statutory law and under the BACP ethical framework to pass this information on to another person. Also I can (if you wish me to and give your consent) speak to another person (e.g. your GP) if this would be considered helpful to your situation since sometimes clients are taking or considering taking anti-depressants and they want their GP to be aware that they are getting some counselling support in addition to this.
In order to ensure that I am working ethically and taking best care of my clients I need to pay for and attend professional supervision where client issues are discussed but identities disguised to maintain confidentiality. My Supervisor also adheres to the BACP ethical framework and will not disclose information regarding my clients outside of the supervisory session. A counsellor who does not attend supervision is not working professionally.
"How much will it cost?"Per session the cost is £40 I can agree lower costs for those who are in extremely difficult financial situations and to those who are currently studying to become a counsellor and on a recognised counselling course. The lower cost would be £35 per session this is because I have to pay for the rental of the room and for professional supervision to ensure good practice.
