Frequently Asked Questions

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You and I will come up with aims during the initial sessions to help you to track your progress along the way. This will mean we can identify any changes that you want to achieve and to start to develop new ways of thinking about your issues. My aim will always be to make you feel heard and understood. Depending on the nature of your troubles and your goals, you may require long-term or short-term therapy - I am happy to offer either

I understand that choosing a therapist can be tricky, especially when going through a difficult phase in life, so I invite you to get in touch and we can have an informal conversation on the phone so that you can decide whether you'd like to meet with me. You are under no obligation following our conversation and I understand that it may take some time to make up your mind. 

There is a common misconception that a relationship needs to be 'failing' in order to come to couples therapy, but that isn't the case. You may just be in a rut, at loggerheads about something, or wanting to make a change, all of which may need an external perspective in order to facilitate the conversation. 

Alternatively, you may have come to the point where the relationship has come to a natural end and you may need help to have an amicable break up.

Or there may be a big life change, a difficult decision to make, lots of conflict between you, emotional distance, lack of passion, frustration, feeling lost, resentment, jealousy or insecurity - therapy can help you to understand these feelings better, and to communicated more affectively as a couple in order to live more harmoniously with one another. 

If you are finding that your relationship or your mental health is being affected by parenting, then therapy may help you. You can either come as a couple or individually, whichever feels more comfortable for you. It can feel very daunting at first to admit that you are struggling, so it is very important to know that there will be no judgement from me. I will help you to understand where your struggles are coming from, and how we can make them better for you. We will work at your pace, and can take all the time you need to understand what is going on. 

Likewise, as a couple, taking the step to ask for help can feel enormous, but becoming parents is a huge shift which can create strain on even the strongest couple, so again please know that you will not be judged.  Whether you are about to become a parent, have a new-born, or have older children, all stages bring their own challenges, so parents at any stage are welcome. 

If you have a young baby, you are welcome to bring them to the session as I wouldn't want that to stop you from being able to access therapy. Alternatively, I offer online sessions so that may help with logistics. And if you need to feed your baby, or tend to them during the session, that is absolutely fine.

Yes you are - so long as that is what they want. This is flexible and can change from week to week. Your child may want you there for some or all of the session, or not at all. What ever they want is fine, and can be discussed as we go along.

Sometimes it is impossible to know where to turn when your child is experiencing difficulties with their mental health. The CAMHS referral can be confusing, and GPs sometimes won't know where to signpost you to. It can also feel like a big commitment to sign up for private therapy, so a parent consultation is the step before all of this. 

We will talk through your child's difficulties, and I can help you to make a decision about what to do next. Whether that be a referral to a children's centre, a referral to CAMHS, or to find a tier 2 service, I can help you to decide which will be best for your family. 

Alternatively, if you don't feel that a service is needed, and feel that instead you would like to help your child, then I can share resources, websites, and apps to use together at home, which will be relevant for your child's needs. It can sometimes be very difficult to know where to look, or which resources will actually be useful, so I can point you in the right direction. 

Following on from this conversation, if you would like, we can book in a follow up conversation a month later, so that we can discuss the outcomes of the steps you have taken so far, and decide whether any further actions need to be taken. 

Generally sessions will be weekly, at the same time each week. However, if you would like more ad hoc sessions this can be discussed. 

You must give 48 hours’ notice if you are not able to attend a session otherwise you will be charged for the full session.