FAQs
What are the benefits of seeing my therapist online or via telephone?
You don’t have to travel to attend your session, saving you the time and cost of public transport or parking.
You can settle yourself somewhere comfortable at home & relax in your own environment.
Are my sessions confidential?
Yes. Your sessions are confidential and what we discuss stays between us. All responsible therapists attend monthly sessions with an experienced supervisor in our professional field. During these sessions we discuss themes emerging from our work with clients to ensure we’re providing you with safe and ethical therapy. In these sessions I will never disclose your name or any other identifiable information. I will always provide you with full details around confidentiality in our contract and at any time you ask.
How does talking to a therapist differ from talking to my friends or family?
Therapy can offer a space entirely separate from the rest of your life, where your therapist hears just your perspective and is seeking to understand how it really feels for you. Friends & family often want to give us advice, feel that they must do something practical or fix a problem for us. It might be difficult for them to be objective and it might be hard for you to share things that could be painful for them to hear - especially if you want to look at your relationships with those close to you.
How long will it be until I feel better?
Everyone is different… For some, a few sessions can make all the difference. For others, it can take longer. Therapy can be a challenging process and if you’re reflecting on old memories this can sometimes mean you feel worse before you start to feel better. If this starts to happen, it’s a good idea to bring this to our sessions so we can work through it together.
What’s your privacy policy and how do you use my personal information?
I need to collect some personal information about you for the purposes of our sessions, this will include details of your GP in the event I need to source additional support for you. This would always be discussed with you.
How do we get started?
The first session will be an opportunity for you to ask me any questions you may have and for us to get to know each other.
We’ll cover: the reasons bringing you for therapy, what I can offer you & what you want to get from your sessions. We can agree to a fixed amount of sessions or we can arrange to work in an open-ended way.
What is Skype and how do I use it?
Skype is video conferencing software that is free to download and free to use. It’s encrypted and our conversations are never stored anywhere. You can download Skype for your desktop or laptop computer, or for your phone via the App Store.
Is there anything I need to do to prepare for my session?
If your session is online or via phone, find a quiet space where you’re comfortable and where you’re not likely to be disturbed. If other members of your household are around, ask them to give you an hour of privacy for your therapy, (that said, of course sometimes interruptions are unavoidable and that’s ok!). If we’re working via Zoom, you might decide to use headphones to give you increased privacy.