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07396 824 534
FAQ
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What is counselling?Counselling can help you to better understand yourself, your situation and allow you to find healthy ways of coping when life is hard. It is a professional service provided by a trained individual to help you address personal, emotional, psychological, or social issues. Counselling is a collaborative process. As a counsellor I will support you in exploring your feelings, thoughts, and behaviours. I can help you to develop coping strategies and solutions, as well as exploring what the root causes of your problems might be so that you you can work through them to create lasting change.
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What type of counselling is available?As an integrative counsellor I incorporate different theories and methods of working that I feel would best suit the client and the things they are bringing. My training includes: Person-Centred Theory Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) Transactional Analysis (TA) I might also use some pyschoeducation, mindfulness & breathwork and creative tools in sessions. I regularly partake in CPD to develop my work as a counsellor give you the best service.
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Who is it for?I believe that anyone can benefit from having counselling. However, the most important thing is that the client wants to be there and is willing to put in the work to get the most out of the sessions. I will only accept self-referrals. If you think someone you know could benefit from counselling I would encourage them to take a look at my website and see if they would take the next step by contacting me for an initial consultation.
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How many appointments will I need?This is not an easy question to answer, as the amount of sessions you have will depend on multiple factors. I usually suggest a minimum of six appointments, some may find 8-12 sessions sufficient, whilst others may benefit from longer term work. I regularly check in with clients to see how they are feeling about our work so you will always have opportunities to discuss endings if you feel that you are ready to do draw things to a close. Counselling is rarely a quick fix solution; it can be a long and challenging process, but my hope is that it provides you with real support and lasting change as you move forward.
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Is counselling confidential?Yes, everything you share with me in our counselling sessions will remain confidential except in the below circumstances: - I deem it necessary due to significant concerns about your safety or that of others. - I am legally obliged to break confidentiality (this includes any information shared relating to Acts of Terrorism or Drug money laundering). - The police request to see my notes as part of an investigation
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Do you offer counselling for children?This is not something which I can offer at the moment. I work with adults aged 18+ only.
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Do you offer counselling for couples?No, I only offer 1:1 counselling. You can however talk about any relationship issues you might be facing.
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Do you have availability in the evening?No, this is not something I can currently offer for ongoing appointments. If needed, a one off initial consultation could be completed in an evening but all ongoing sessions will be conducted on Tuesdays and Thursdays 8.30-1pm.
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Do you have availability on the weekend?No, I am unavailable on the weekends. All enquiries over the weekend will be responded to on Monday.
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How much does it cost?Ongoing sessions are charged at £50 per 50 minutes. Initial consultations are free of cost.
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Do you offer discounted fees?A concessionary rate of £45 is available for students or those on benefits.
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Can I have fortnightly/monthly appointments?In the first instance clients must commit to weekly appointments. For clients who have attended a minimum of twelve sessions, fortnightly or monthly sessions may be discussed with myself. Agreement on this will be determined by the work already done and if I believe it to be in your best interests.
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Where are you located?My face to face appointments are located in Heaton Moor, Stockport. Video appointments are available to anyone living within the UK.
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Is it accessible for wheelchair users?Unfortunately, my counselling room is not wheelchair accessible due to being on the first floor. If you struggle to manage stairs a video appointment might be better suited to you.
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I don't have Microsoft Teams, how do I access video counselling?You don't need to download Microsoft Teams in order to access video counselling. Once we have agreed a regular time slot I will send you a video link via email. This link will give you access to the session each week without requiring you to set up an account. Please note: video counselling does require you to have reliable internet access. I also ask that you are in a quiet, private space where you are not going to be overheard or distracted.
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I don't speak English, can we still work together?English doesn't have to be your first language but it is important that you feel as though your therapist understands you and that your comprehension of English is at a satisfactory level so that language doesn't hinder our work together. You might prefer to find a counsellor who can speak in your own language or find a counselling service which offers interpreters so that you can focus on your inner work and speak in a language you feel most able to express yourself in. If you are unsure, we can talk about this in the initial consultation and decide together if working together will be a good fit for you.
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Is there parking?Yes, there is free parking on Shaw road - just check signs as some areas have time restrictions.
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What notes do you keep and how are they stored?All client notes are stored securely in accordance with the ICO. Session notes are brief and factual, usually stating the theme of the session and level of risk (if any). Any identifiable information that I have about you is kept separately to your counselling notes so that the two items cannot be connected. All notes are stored electronically for 7 years before being destroyed. You can request your notes at any time and also have a right to request for them to be destroyed.
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Why do you need my GP details?I will not routinely inform your GP that you are attending counselling. Contact with your GP will only occur if I feel that you are at risk. I ask for your GP details so that if I suspected you were a danger to yourself I could notify them and ask that they make contact with you. I will endeavour to speak to you about this beforehand and do this in agreement with you. Your safety is my greatest concern so there may be occasions when this has to be done without your consent.
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How do I raise an issue/complaint?I'm sorry that you're not feeling happy about the service. In the first instance, I would love for you to speak to me about this so that we can talk this through together. If you have a concern that you don't feel able to come to me about then you can find more information on the BACP's website. https://www.bacp.co.uk/about-us/protecting-the-public/professional-conduct/how-to-complain-about-a-bacp-member/
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I have been in touch but not heard back from you, why?I aim to respond to all enquiries within 48 hours. If you have been waiting longer than this, I'm really sorry, I won't have intended to ignore you. Please do get in touch again. I ask that if you leave a voicemail you provide your name and clear details of how I can get back to you.
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Why have I not been not accepted for counselling?If we have had an initial assessment and I have decided that ongoing sessions together is not possible, please know that I will have given it great consideration. My decision will have been based on what I feel is in your best interest and providing you with the level of support and experience that you need. If I cannot work with a client, I always provide them with details of other organisations or therapists which I feel will be better suited to them at this time.
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