Contacting a counsellor can feel like a big step.  We live in a culture where there is a common misperception that we should be able to manage; we should be happy and therefore when something feels unmanageable or we are unhappy, or if we want to seek additional support, this can be so hard to acknowledge. 

There is a great deal of research evidence to suggest that talking therapy improves mental health and that the key ingredients to a good therapeutic outcome rests on an individual’s desire for change and the quality of the therapeutic relationship.

The following link might be helpful if you are considering counselling for the first time:-

https://www.bacp.co.uk/about-therapy/what-is-counselling/

Finding the right counsellor who feels right for you is an important decision.  Counsellors are trained in various models of therapy and the  British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy can advise on the different approaches available:- https://www.bacp.co.uk/  

I would encourage anyone looking for a counsellor to seek support from practitioners registered with one of the main professional bodies, such as BACP https://www.bacp.co.uk/, UKCP https://www.psychotherapy.org.uk/ or BPC https://www.bpc.org.uk/

It can be very helpful when exploring counselling to meet with more than one professional so that you can find someone who you feel you can work well with.  

Please feel free to call or email me so that we can find a mutually convenient time to speak, where you can tell me a little about what feels difficult. If you ring and I am unable to answer my phone , do leave your name, number and when is the best time for me to call you back. I will try to call you as soon as I can, or at the time you have requested if possible.

Phone: 07946 730 295

Email: [email protected]

Following the telephone conversation, if you decide you would like to meet for a no-obligation initial consultation, this is an opportunity for you to tell me about yourself, your concerns and hopes for therapy and for you to experience what it might be like to work with me. We will discuss your needs, consider if ongoing counselling could be helpful and decide if we feel we could work well together. You may also ask any questions you might have.

The charge for the initial consultation to explore working together is £50 (60 minutes).

Ongoing sessions: –

Face to face – £50 per session (50 minutes).

Online – £50 per session (50 minutes).

There is no charge for the initial telephone conversation.

We will agree a mutually convenient time for your counselling session which will be scheduled for the same day and time each week. Regularity and consistency of sessions helps to provide stability to explore deeper lying concerns.

At our first session, we will have an opportunity to discuss the therapy agreement which will form the basis of our work together.

Each counselling session is confidential. As a member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) I am bound by their Ethical Framework for the Counselling Professions (2018) which promotes safe and professional counselling practices and includes a commitment to client confidentiality. Please refer to my Privacy Notice for limited circumstances in which the assurance of confidentiality might have to be waived.

In order to protect professional standards I am also required to undertake regular supervision during which my work is discussed. Anonymity is maintained during such discussions and no identifying information is disclosed.

It is important to me that the environment in which we work is calm and private. Face to face counselling will take place in a comfortable quiet room in a private home, in Standlake, located 5 miles outside Witney. Parking is available.

I also offer online counselling.

This is difficult to answer as everyone is treated as an individual and it will depend on you. If there is a particular concern you would like to work on, we might agree to meet for a particular number of sessions. Alternatively, it is possible to begin work on an open-ended, longer term basis where we can agree an end date together when the time feels right.