I charge £60 for a session which is a full hour, not the 50 minute therapeutic hour many therapists work to.

Unlike some therapists I do not charge for holidays, yours or mine, however I do expect a commitment to the work and attending. If someone is unable to attend and an alternative appointment can not be arranged then I reserve the right to charge for the absence depending on the reason for the absence and the amount of notification given.

Cancellation notified one week or more in advance - no charge.
Cancellation with less than one week notice - half fee.
Cancellations on the day of your appointment - full fee less £10.
Cancellations without notice - full fee.

The frequency of sessions is something we mutually agree on, depending on your circumstances and the stage of the therapy. I usually see people weekly especially in the early stages of the work. In times of crisis additional sessions can be arranged. I find working fortnightly makes the work feel thin and more of a “check in” rather than transformative… however such a frequency might suit an ending.

I do not offer concessions at the outset of the work. If someone’s financial circumstances change during the course of the therapy, I will consider a concessionary rate.

People on a concession require no less of me than those paying a full fee. This work involves a lot of me and there is a limited number of people I can work with and look after myself. In the past I have found it difficult to get past the resentment that builds in me that I receive less from one client for the same input as another. I also feel that I need to respect clients paying a full fee. For all these reasons I have found it best to avoid the whole situation and only give concessions to those I have already formed a therapeutic relationship with.

I prefer to work face to face with clients and believe the work is more effective with a body in the room. Since Covid more of my work has gone online and it does have some benefits compared to face to face. Essentially the choice is yours and depends on individual circumstances or preferences

I have done some work with couples when people who know me have referred them to me however as I have not had any formal training in couple work I do not actively seek this work and usually advise people to seek a qualified couple counsellor.

I still hold the position as I set out in my article “The Fallacy of Accreditation” published in “Ethically Challenged Professions” Edited by House and Bates, that accreditation does not deliver all it claims to and is detrimental to the psychotherapeutic process. I prefer a policy of full disclosure as you can see from this website. I do keep this position under review and am presently exploring joining The National Counselling Society whose approach is more compatible with mine.

The Fallacy of Accreditation

I do work with students although because I choose not to accredit most training organisations won’t sanction “their” students working with me. Some local trainings who know me, or have made the effort to check me out, do allow students training with them to work with me. In some ways the learning never ends and a feature of the supervision I provide is helping therapists develop their own unique style of working. This often means helping recently qualified therapists get out of the style they have been trained into in order to jump through the hoops to “pass” and qualify for working in a way the training organisation deems the work should be done. To build such a dynamic into the therapeutic relationship means the therapist has not freed themselves from the unhealthy power dynamic of their training and therefore similarly their clients will be unlikely to free themselves from the power dynamic instilled in them by family and society.