How I Work.

I am a psychodynamic psychotherapist. This means that I look for ways in which unconscious processes are affecting your life. What we find together can be helpful in understanding the present and your past, as well as helping to shape the future.

Psychotherapy is open-ended work. The focus is on developing insight into the problems and pain that are affecting you now. The work may start with what is happening to you in the present but then look to the past to help make sense of the patterns of thoughts and behaviours that often repeat themselves in our lives.

Counselling will tend to focus on behaviour, thoughts and feelings around a particular event or difficulty in someone’s life. The sessions will be quite structured and typically span 12 to 16 weeks, sometimes a little longer.

It is sometimes the case that whilst you may start thinking that you want short term counselling, it becomes apparent that longer term psychotherapy is what will ultimately be of benefit. The ending of any work, short or long term, is something that is carefully considered by us. 

Effective psychotherapy and counselling depend on many things, but especially on the client feeling safe with the therapist. Feeling safe involves knowing and trusting that your thoughts and feelings are being heard and kept in confidence.

That is why I suggest that we meet initially for us to discover whether we can work together. This can be over one or two fifty minute sessions, or one session of up to two hours. During that time, we can discuss our thoughts about working together.

I adhere to strict professional guidelines regarding confidentiality and ethics, of course, but it is important that you feel as comfortable as possible talking to me. If we begin working together, we agree a time when we will meet on a weekly basis, and that time will always be kept for you whilst we work together.  This is an important part of the work.

Fees. 

I charge £80 for all sessions between 7 and 9 am, at 12 and 2pm and from 5pm. Between 10 am and 12pm and 2pm and 5 pm, my rate is variable according to circumstance and can be discussed at our initial meeting.

I charge £65 for an assessment.

Fees are invoiced monthly and payable by bank transfer.

Please let me know about holidays already booked to take place within the first two months of therapy. Any other missed sessions will need to be paid for, unless I can offer a different time that is convenient.