FAQ
Psychotherapy is a broad term used to describe talking therapies, including counselling. Both counsellors and psychotherapists provide a service for those looking for support and treatment for a wide range of mental health and emotional concerns. The possibility that there is a difference between counselling and psychotherapy is debated in the field of mental health.
Some claim that counselling tends to tackle problems at the time of the crises, whereas psychotherapy focuses on longer-term psychological problems. However, this is not universally agreed and you are advised to contact professionals personally to find out more about how they work.
Whether you choose a counsellor or psychotherapist, the most important thing is that you choose the right individual for you. How you connect with the counsellor or psychotherapist you choose can make an impact on how successful the treatment is. It is also helpful to have a little knowledge of the different therapies on offer. Many different therapies can be used by counsellors and psychotherapists, some involve looking at past relationships and experiences to make sense of them, and others involve looking at the ‘here and now’.
Only you can decide whether you wish to try counselling or psychotherapy. Just talking to someone confidentially who is not a friend or family member can make all the difference. Counselling provides a regular time for you to explore your feelings and talk about any problems you’re experiencing. A counsellor can help you develop better ways of coping, allowing you to move forward and get the most out of life.
Being registered/accredited with a professional body means an individual must have achieved a substantial level of training and experience approved by their member organisation.
I offer a free 15 minute chat to all prospective client, so you can get a feel for my style of working and I can do an informal assessment to ensure I feel able to help you with your difficulties.
My fees, for individuals, depending on the venue and the time of day are £75 to £90 per “therapeutic hour” of 50 minutes.
For company purchase orders or insurance claims, where the fees are to be invoiced the scale is £80 to £100 for the same therapeutic hour.
For some therapies need a session of 90 minutes duration, where this is necessary the fee is increased pro-rata to the standard .
Unless fees are covered by private health insurance [or under an agreed company purchase order], payment is due 24 hours before the time we are to meet, to secure that appointment. If payment is not received I reserve the right to offer your appointment to a different client. Fees to be settled by health insurance must be agreed and arranged in advance of our first appointment.
Further Infomation
If you have been in therapy before and that experience did not resolve your issues, you should bear in mind that psychotherapy is a name for a very diverse range of theoretical models and treatment approaches, and individual psychotherapists apply the model and method in which they are trained in their own personal way.
Some people’s issues may be susceptible to almost any model or approach, whereas others need a particular method that not all therapists use.
I am trained in a number of models and approaches and try to tailor the treatment I offer to your particular needs, rather than to expecting your need to be susceptible to a single treatment approach.
If you have long-standing issues, especially if you have experienced several episodes of therapy, the issues may be susceptible to an approach such as EMDR, which research has shown to be capable of resolving problems that had previously been treatment-resistant.
Lastly, because of my experience of life and the length of my clinical practice, I can bring a wider understanding to what brings you into therapy and sometimes see it from a different perspective.