Practicalities and Common Questions
you need to contact your GP,
the Samaritans
or call 999 (NHS 111 when it's less urgent than 999)
What is therapy like?
Getting stuck in an unhappy distant, lonely, or disappointing relationship can be really painful for both of you. Relationship therapy is a series of regular meetings, usually weekly, with a qualified and experienced therapist, where we will team up, connect and work together in a safe and confidential manner on how to change your negative pattern of relating and become trusting, supportive of each other and resourceful again. I won’t tell you what to do or how to run your relationship. Instead, we will find together your own pathway to change.
Where to start?
If you are interested in meeting with me, please get in touch by email or leave me a brief phone message, giving your name, telephone, e-mail details and when is the best time to call back. I will always try to return your call promptly and we can have a 20-30min free introductory confidential conversation about your situation. I assure complete discretion and confidentiality and will never leave a message on your answerphone unless you have requested this.
If I think that I may be able to help, we will arrange to meet for an initial assessment session which usually lasts from 60min (including note-taking) to 80min if longer sessions are wanted or needed. You may be asked to go over some questionnaires to help me understand your problem and your relationship better.
Usually the first session is about:
- Outlining and assessing the situation, and getting to know each other,
- What you would like and hope to get out of counselling,
- How we can work together towards resolving your problems,
- Any questions you might have,
- Agreeing a mutually convenient schedule if we decide to work together.
Based on the outcome of the initial meeting, we may agree to start counselling. Alternatively, we may decide that some other forms of help may be more useful for you and we will find together the best way to proceed. If for any reason you decide not to continue with me I can always refer you to another experienced and trusted colleague.
What Happens Next?
If we decide together to proceed with therapy, it will be important to build a sense of continuity and regularity in our working relationship. I will set aside a dedicated weekly time slot for you for the duration of counselling, convenient for both of us and which no one else can take – so all sessions, whether attended or not, need to be paid for.
I will try to give you as much flexibility with arranging your time slot as possible.
We can work on a time-limited basis or in an open-ended way for more exploratory or deeper work. We can review the arrangement at any time of therapy.
We will regularly reassess how therapy goes for you with the initial review after our first six sessions. I always welcome your views or any questions you may have at any point of therapy.
