Frequently Asked Questions
Is it possible to drop in?
Short answer is no. You can make an appointment either by 'phone or email, contact details are on my homepage. I believe that it's important for you to get a feel for what it might be like working with me, so I offer a free 15 minute chat over the 'phone to get a broad idea of what the issues are for you. We then agree a time and date for counselling to start. If you feel uncomfortable speaking about your issues over the 'phone, I am happy to respond to email enquiries, however I am not able to provide online counselling.
How often do the sessions happen?
Ideally the sessions will be weekly on the same day and time agreed, but if you do have problems attending sessions on such a regular basis (e.g. shift patterns not matching up with a set time) please let me know and we can work something out together. I currently have spaces Monday-Thursday evenings or Saturday mornings.
How long are the sessions?
Each session lasts for 50mins and you can have as many sessions as you feel is helpful to you. The first session is really about information gathering and what I refer to as "Safety Work", simply checking out how you currently look after yourself and what support you already have around you (e.g. close friends). We then agree what you would like to focus on for the next session. I like to review with each person I see how they feel the counselling is going after 6 weeks, whether they would like to continue or if they have already got to where they want to be. The length of counselling can vary for everyone but by reviewing at six-weekly stages we can keep a track on what is or isn't working for you.
How much does a session cost?
I charge £50.00 for each session and will ask for payment by cash before we start the session. If you prefer to pay by bank transfer I can give you my bank details during your first session. Should you not be able to make it to your appointment for whatever reason please remember to give me as much notice as you can. If you cancel within 24 hours of your appointment or you don't let me know at all, then I will still expect payment for the session. If you are a counsellor or counselling trainee looking for supervision I charge £50.00 for a 60min session or £75.00 for an hour and a half.
Where do the sessions take place?
I have a consulting room in Locksheath which is a suburb between Southampton, Fareham and Portsmouth. It is easily accessible by buses, the train station is a 40 minute walk away and there is plenty of parking on the road outside. If you are interested in counselling I will give more detailed directions prior to your first appointment.
Are the sessions confidential?
I do keep notes on all my work with clients but these are kept securely locked, and destroyed after seven years as required by BACP. I keep all my notes using an alpha-numeric code so as to give away no identifying details. I do have a private supervisor with whom I consult as is best practice, but again no identifying details will be shared. Should anything be disclosed within our sessions that may involve concerns over the welfare or safeguarding of children, I am then obliged to inform the police or social services but I will inform you of this before doing so.
Are you able to deliver training or workshops on SRE?
Absolutely. I am happy to deliver sessions to young people, youth workers or other practitoners around sex and relationship issues and believe very strongly that, particularly in the current climate within the media, education for young people around these issues that helps them to negotiate positive, healthy relationships is incredibly important. The workshops that I produce are interactive and age appropriate and am happy to discuss content etc with interested parties. I charge £70.00 for each session but if you were looking to book a block of workshops I would be open to negotiation.
If you do have any further questions that I haven't already covered then please do get in touch.