Frequently Asked Questions

Q) Is there an initial consultation to attend? What can I expect in the first session?

Q) I’ve never been to counselling before: What happens? How do I know what to talk about?

Q) How long does counselling take on average? How many sessions will I need to attend?

Q: What about confidentiality, is it true that counsellors are not allowed to tell anybody else things that might be revealed to them in a session?

Q) I would like for my child/partner to come and see you though I will be funding the counselling. Will I receive reports on how his/her sessions are progressing? Will you answer questions about things he or she might be telling you?

Q) My partner/parent does not know I’m coming for counselling. If they call and ask you a direct question will you reveal this to them?

Q: Can I bring someone along, such as a partner or friend?

Q) What are the Costs?

Q) Do you accept insurance?

Q) On what days and at what times are sessions available?

Q) My schedule changes each week, would I need to come every week at the same time?

Q) Is there disabled access available?

Q) Where are your offices located? Do you have a map?

Q) Is there free parking available?

Q) Is there an initial consultation to attend? What can I expect in the first session?

A) There is no consultation or assessment process to undergo. The purpose of the initial session is to allow you to meet me and make sure you feel comfortable with both myself and the environment. This first session also presents you with an opportunity to say a little about what is troubling you. As with the entire counselling process, you are free to go into as much or as little detail about your difficulties that you feel safe/comfortable with. Unlike a doctor’s appointment, there are no direct questions or directions from the counsellor as to what to talk about.

Because our usual experience in such settings is to have “the expert” take control and lead a meeting in a particular direction through their questions, some may find this freedom to speak about anything that comes to mind disconcerting at first. Soon however (often within the first session), most people settle in to this undirected way of speaking and find the freedom to speak about literally any topic without censor, direction or judgement very comfortable and liberating.

As with any subsequent sessions, the first session will last one full 60 minute hour. My office is located in a private and discrete setting allowing sessions to take place in a relaxed, quiet, clean, comfortable environment with gentle lighting. For many people the idea of speaking about themselves for a full hour seems a daunting task, but almost everybody finds that the reality is the hour absolutely flies by and the session seems to end almost as soon as it has started.

The final few minutes of our first session will be spent agreeing on a way forward for your counselling. In addition, we will discuss various administrative issues that might exist, such as: time and day of sessions, Cost and cancellation policies, any special needs you might have, or any other considerations that might become evident during the session.

If you have any other concerns about the first session and what counselling might entail, I would be more than happy to answer them by telephone on 01279 83 44 67 7

Q) I’ve never been to counselling before: What happens? How do I know what to talk about?

A) Unfortunately, it is really not possible here to accurately describe exactly how counselling will be for any specific individual. This is the case regardless of whether trying to describe a one off session, or a period counselling lasting several months. The reason for this is that just as no two people attending counselling are identical, neither are any two experiences of it exactly the same. In addition, as the counselling progresses and people become more comfortable both within the counselling sessions as well as in their lives, the overall feel of counselling tends to change also. There are however, some fundamentals of the experience of counselling which can help to give an overview of the process. Below, I’ll try and give an idea and a feel of what you can expect.

In most instances, at the end of the initial session, if you feel comfortable and wish to do so, a specific day and time to meet are agreed for subsequent sessions, and sessions then take place at that time on a weekly basis. In all sessions, the topic of discussion for is driven entirely by you and whatever happens to be the main topic of thought for you on any given day - as opposed to sessions being led by me through questioning and/or suggestion. From these discussions, in what often seems a surprisingly short time, a relationship develops between us that allows you to discover who you are, how and why you react to life the way you do, and to feel better prepared for life in the future.

Exactly how that feels to the individual going through it is something that is very difficult to describe. Most people find that the initial difficulty they were experiencing prior to attending the first session simply seems to change, it starts to “feel” different. What is surprising to many about this new feeling is that often, on the face of it, nothing specific or tangible about the situation has changed at all - at least nothing that you can actually put you finger on. At first, all you are aware of is just that somehow, in someway, you have a different perspective on it. For some reason, the things that were causing a great deal of discomfort and pain just a few months ago, no long seem to bother you at all and behaviours of your own that plagued you before seem to have stopped altogether.

For many, this new perspective on the world is enough. They are happy to complete counselling at that point and never look back. Others might dip in and out of counselling for one or two sessions at a time for the rest of their lives if at any time something in particular feels just that little too large to handle or they wish to have the opportunity to look upon it from a different perspective. Still others continue attending during this first therapeutic encounter (even though they are now feeling and behaving differently) because they wish to fully understand the nature of their difficulties at a greater depth. People who choose to do this will continue to attend until they’ve reached a point where they understand themselves to the degree they are happy with. For them, It is not enough to simply feel differently about life, they want to get to the bottom of why they have come to feel and/or behave in particular ways. Once again however, the most important thing about this is that you are the one in control of the degree to which we might explore and come to understand what is happening in your life. Never, will you be pressured into delving deeper into any subject than you desire to at any given time.
 

Q) How long does counselling take on average? How many sessions will I need to attend?

A) The length of time one comes to counselling is completely a matter of personal choice. There is no minimum or maximum number of sessions you must attend.

The greatest variable in estimating the number of sessions an individual or couple might need lies in the answer to the question: “What am I hoping to achieve by coming to counselling?” For couples or individuals who have a specific, readily determinable dilemma or conflict to resolve, this can often be achieved within 6 to 8 sessions. On the other hand if you are not exactly sure what it is that is troubling you, or if you would like to work on more deeply routed issues that extend far back into your childhood, then you may well find that more time will be needed.

As the response to the preceding question in this FAQ shows, in general people will begin to “feel” differently about their difficulties and situation quite some time before they understand the roots/nature of why they are having these troubles in the first place. How long you might need to come, and how many sessions you will ultimately attend will be entirely down to you and what best suits your needs. Some only need attend one or two sessions to achieve their goals, others might attend for several months. Still others dip in and out for short blocks of sessions over a period of many years as the need arises. I will be happy to discuss with you in the first session what your particular goals are for counselling, and the approximate number of sessions you might need to consider coming in order to achieve those goals based on whatever difficulties you are experiencing in your life at the moment. .

Q: What about confidentiality, is it true that counsellors are not allowed to tell anybody else things that might be revealed to them in a session?

A: The well known idea of Doctor/Patient or Attorney/Client privilege for most part exists within the Therapist/Client relationship as well. However, there are some specific exceptions to this where a therapist is required, either by law or a professional code of ethics, to reveal information disclosed to him/her by a client. Therefore, within counselling the definition of Confidentiality can be stated as:

Confidentiality - Anything said by a client in the counselling room remains private and within the counselling room but for two exceptions:

Exception 1: In accordance with the ethical framework of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy of which I am an accredited member, I have a supervisor with whom I discuss my overall client base with from time to time. These supervisory meetings are designed to ensure that my quality of practice is at the highest level possible and that I am at all times working in your best interest. They are not a platform for discussing personal client identities or details; however some basic overview information about the types client difficulties I work with might be discussed.

Exception 2: Therapist/Client privilege is negated in cases where the counsellor is made aware of activities or behaviour that is placing a third party directly at risk. For example, if a client were to reveal to me that they liked to go out at night and start small fires, I would be forced to take some action with regards to that information in order to prevent damage to life and property.

Even in the event of such a rare and extreme example, my very firm policy is to never discuss anything outside of the counselling relationship without your full knowledge and understanding. The only time a counsellor is required to disclose personal information about a client without their knowledge or consent is if a client reveals that they are involved in laundering drug money, or planning a terrorist attack.

Q) I would like for my child/partner to come and see you though I will be funding the counselling. Will I receive reports on how his/her sessions are progressing? Will you answer questions about things he or she might be telling you?

A) Without a safe, comfortable environment to speak in, the meaningful progression of counselling is likely to be substantially hindered. Therefore, each and every client - irrespective of age or gender - receives the same promise of confidentiality and sensitive treatment of their privacy. This means that regardless of who is funding the counselling - be it the client personally, a partner, a parent, or the local authority - all client information will be held with the same conditions of confidentiality. (See Confidentiality above)

Q) Do you accept insurance?

A) For individuals with private health insurance whose policy includes personal counselling, I am able to offer services that can be funded by your health insurance provider. The level of cover will vary from policy to policy and there may be some procedural differences between providers. Having said that, there are great similarities in procedure across all the different companies, and this section will address the general process that by and large pertains to all policy holders who are seeking personal counselling/psychotherapy.

The registration numbers for the health insurance providers with whom I am currently approved are: 

		600055364
		132119
		3599118
		Your individual Policy number is used as registration on a case by case basis
		Faoiseamh is an organisation which provides telephone counselling and a counselling and psychotherapy referral service for people who have been sexually, physically, or emotionally abused by priests, members of the religious community or clergy in institutional settings or elsewhere. To that end, Faoiseamh currently provide the following services: Free access to a helpline staffed by experienced Telephone Counsellors. This operates on Mondays and Wednesdays from 11.00 am - 8.00 pm, and on Fridays from 11.00 am to 4.00 pm. The number is Freephone 0800 973272 (Northern Ireland and UK). Contact with accredited psychotherapists for face to face psychotherapy, with the fees arising being paid directly to your psychotherapist by Faoiseamh. Provision of access to psychotherapists of immediate family members who may also be eligible for funding by Faoiseamh. If you feel you may qualify for such assistance, please feel free to contact me on 01279 83 44 67 or Faoiseamh directly on 0800 973272 to learn more about this service.

The process for receiving counselling funded by your health insurance provider is fairly straight forward, yet there are a few practical steps which must be taken before cover will be approved. These are as follows:

• Telephone your provider and check to ensure that your policy will cover you for personal counselling/psychotherapy. You can confirm my provider status with your health insurance provider by quoting the appropriate registration number for your company as above. At this point, ask your provider if they require a GP or Consultant referral for counselling prior to their authorizing payment. If they will accept self referral, you can skip the next step and telephone me directly.
   

• Visit your GP or consultant, and request a referral letter for counselling. This letter should include your relevant personal details – Name, date of birth, address, telephone number etc… Ideally, it should also include my registration number with your health insurance provider and be addressed to:

• Upon receipt of this referral letter, I will telephone your provider to confirm their authorization, and then telephone you to make arrangements for an appointment. 
   

• Our first meeting will be an assessment session. This assessment is something that is required by the insurance companies rather than it being a normal step in the counselling process. In this first assessment session, we will discuss what your goals for counselling are and how we might be able to achieve them. At the end of that session, I will advise you of the number of sessions we would likely need in order to achieve those goals and you will have a clear idea of how we will proceed from there.
   

• I will then once again telephone your provider on your behalf to notify them of the expected number of sessions we plan to undertake and obtain their approval to fund those sessions.
   

• Once your counselling sessions begin, you will have two options as to how to manage the funding from the healthcare provider.
  
      1. You can pay for your sessions on a weekly basis and then apply to your health insurance provider for
          reimbursement.
      2. You can attend sessions and have me invoice your health insurance provider directly on your behalf. This
          means that as you attend, there will be no immediate expense to yourself.
  
  It will make no difference to your counselling which option you choose. There is no difference in the length or quality of sessions, nor will it impact on the time or availability of sessions. The only disadvantage to those who choose option 2 is that there is the possibility of a one or two day delay for your first session. This is due to my need to receive full authorization from your provider prior to your first session and the time it takes for authorization to be given can vary from 10 minutes to 2 days depending on the provider.
  
  If you are considering using your health insurance to fund your counselling, please feel free to contact me on
  01279 8344676 and I will be happy to answer any questions you might have over the telephone with no obligation to you prior to making an appointment. 

Q) On what days and at what times are sessions available?

A) Sessions are available weekdays with start times of 9:30 until 13:30 Monday through Thursday. Evening sessions are available Monday through Thursday from 5:45 until 20:30. Occasionally other appointment times can be made available for short periods of time as the need arises. Should such a situation occur, I would wish to work to move the session to a time within my normal working schedule as soon as practicable.

In most cases, sessions are scheduled for a regular specific time each week. If an individual feels that more frequent sessions are needed, this can be discussed on a case by case basis.

Please telephone 01279 83 44 67 to check availability of a particular time to suit your schedule.

Q) My schedule changes each week, would I need to come every week at the same time?

A) For those who are unable to commit to a regular specific time each week - such as with shift workers, sessions are usually scheduled during between 9:45 and 13:30 Monday through Friday. There is no problem changing the day we meet each week to suit your schedule - as long as we are able to do that at the end of each session such that we have an agreed time for the following week. This means that you can vary the session day from week to week out on an as needed basis as long as I am able to find a time to suit your needs.

Please telephone 01279 83 44 67 to check availability of a particular time to suit your schedule.

Q) Is there disabled access available?

A) Unfortunately, there is no wheelchair access available though there are no major stairs to climb or obstacles to negotiate in order to gain access to the premises. The entrance pathway however is on a slight upward incline and there is one small doorway step of approximately 10 centimetres to negotiate between leaving your car and the entrance to the office. Those with slight disabilities or needing the assistance of such tools such as walking sticks or frames should find no major difficulties in accessing the facilities. If you are in any doubt or have any concerns, please feel free to call and discuss your needs on 01279 83 44 67 and I will be happy to work with you to ensure that your needs are met as well as I am able to meet them.

Q) Where are your offices located? Do you have a map?

A) My offices are located at:

Wentworth Drive
Bishops Stortford
Herts,
CM23 2PD

Wentworth drive is located off the Great Hadham Road in Bishops Stortford within short distance of both the town centre and Thorley. This fully confidential and privately owned venue allows for appointments to be enjoyed in a clean, comfortable and discreet environment with private, off street parking. Upon entering Wentworth Drive, follow the road around to the right, take the second available right, and number 60 is the first property on your right. If you wish to use internet maps or Satellite Navigation Systems, the post code is: CM23 2PD. 

For internet maps, if necessary, type the post code CM23 2PD into the search function of the pages presented:

www.multimap.co.uk  | www.maps.google.co.uk  | www.theaa.co.uk

Q) Is there free parking available?

A) Yes, you will find parking for one car directly in front of the building in a private driveway This parking is available for both day and evening appointments. For clients arriving in two vehicles, one would need to find parking in the road where a space appears available. There are no double yellow lines nor parking restrictions in the area, though I would ask that you are considerate of neighbours and not park in such a way that might block access to the road or nearby properties.