Is it better to go online or meet in person?

It’s totally up to you. Some people prefer sitting down in a space dedicated to therapy and others find that online is just easier! Do whatever makes you feel most comfortable and helps you to engage in the therapy and we will go from there. There are benefits from sitting face-to-face with a therapist, but if that isn’t an option right now, that is fine.

What happens if I need to miss a session?

It feels like a big commitment, agreeing to meet once a week every week; however, there is some flexibility to this structure. It may help to think of it as paying for a slot of time. If you are away - regardless of how much notice you give - I will not fill your slot with another client as it is your slot, every week. Keeping that consistency is important.

That being said, I take two weeks over Christmas, two weeks over Easter and the whole of August off so you would not be expected to attend over holidays. I appreciate that these holidays are based on a Christian calendar, however, so if you need to take other weeks off for religious reasons then there would be flexibility.

Additionally, I understand that often people prefer to go away out of the school holidays and that is why I have a policy that you can cancel 3 sessions a year without charge as long as advance notice is given. Any other missed session would be charged at half the cost if more than a weeks’ notice is given and at full price if less than a weeks’ notice is given.

I send out all my planned holidays at the beginning of the year so we can plan together and if I cannot attend a session due unforeseen circumstances then I would inform you as promptly as possible and you would never be expected to pay for these sessions.

Will it get worse before it gets better?

It is important for you to understand the risks associated with therapy ahead of beginning it. As we will be exploring your past experiences, there may be a chance that emotionally distressing topics will come up. We will work through these in our weekly sessions, but if at any point you need more immediate support then you can find it at one of the services below:

https://www.samaritans.org/donate-mental-health

https://www.sane.org.uk/how-we-help/emotional-support/saneline-services

https://spuk.org.uk/national-suicide-prevention-helpline/

https://www.thecalmzone.net/

The process of therapy for you may be processing trauma from your past. If that is the case, it may feel hard or upsetting at times but it can also be hugely beneficial in the long run. No problem or issue it too big to bring to therapy and if I have any concerns I will always be transparent about them and let you know about any next steps we may need to take.

Is there a tangible output?

This question often gets asked, however, psychodynamic therapy is not a ‘quick fix’. It is a process of gaining understanding and reflecting on your processes in a way that will hopefully help you to better understand yourself. It is then up to you how you make use of this knowledge.

As a psychodynamic therapist, I truly believe that by gaining this understanding of yourself, you can gain agency over your behaviours which can lead you to a far more fulfilled and balanced life. Sometimes people identify their behaviours and decide to change them, stopping patterns from being re-enacted once more. Sometimes people begin to understand the function of certain behaviours and decide they are best to continue with them but with more understanding of why they feel they need to act in this way. The second outcome may not be described as a ‘tangible output’ but I am sure those who have gone through this process would say it has resulted in an important internal change. Both outcomes show that a choice is being made which is the real aim of my therapeutic work.

How often should I have therapy?

I recommend starting with one session a week, preferably at the same time and using the same medium (online or in person) although we can discuss using a hybrid-model in our work together if necessary. As we get to know each other better, there may be opportunities to change the frequency to fortnightly or biweekly, but any decision would be made in conversation between the two of us.

I’m worried I can’t afford therapy

If you are worried about the cost of therapy then get in touch for a free consultation and we can discuss a payment plan that works for you.

How do I get started?

Book a free 20-minute consultation session by getting in touch now.