FAQs
How Long Will I/We Need Therapy For?
It is not always possible to know at the beginning how long therapy will be helpful for. The length of therapy will depend on what has brought you, the complexity of the difficulties you are experiencing, and what you hope to gain from the work.
Some people attend for a shorter period, while others find longer-term therapy more helpful. We can review the work together as therapy progresses and think about when it feels appropriate to bring it to an end.
Will You Tell Me/Us What to Do?
I will not tell you what decisions to make. My role is to help you think more deeply about what is happening, understand patterns and dynamics, and explore the feelings and experiences that may be contributing to current difficulties.
In couples work, this may include helping you understand recurring patterns of communication or conflict and creating space for each partner's perspective to be heard.
How Often Do We Meet?
If we decide to work together, sessions usually take place weekly at the same time each week and last 50 minutes.
Regularity is an important part of the therapeutic process and provides continuity for the work.
What Is Your Cancellation Policy?
A regular weekly appointment is reserved specifically for you.
A minimum of 48 hours' notice is required if you need to cancel or reschedule a session. Sessions cancelled with less than 48 hours' notice, or missed sessions, are charged in full.
Where more than 48 hours' notice is given, I will try to offer an alternative appointment where possible, subject to availability.
How Do I/We Choose the Right Therapist?
Finding a therapist you feel comfortable speaking with is an important part of therapy. Qualifications and experience matter, but it is also important that you feel able to develop a trusting working relationship with the person you choose.
For couples, it can be particularly helpful to work with a therapist who has specific training in couple and relationship psychotherapy, as working with two people and the relationship between them requires a different set of clinical skills from individual therapy.
The initial meeting gives you the opportunity to get a sense of how I work and for us to consider whether working together feels like a good fit.
Is Everything Discussed in Therapy Confidential?
Therapy is confidential, and I work in accordance with professional and ethical guidelines to protect your privacy.
There are, however, some limits to confidentiality, for example where there are serious concerns about risk or safeguarding. These are set out clearly in the client agreement and can also be discussed during the initial consultation.
Can Couples Therapy Rescue a Relationship in Crisis?
Couples therapy can help you understand what has happened in the relationship, explore patterns of conflict or disconnection, and consider whether repair and reconnection are possible.
It cannot guarantee that a couple will stay together. Sometimes therapy helps a couple rebuild their relationship; at other times, it may help them reach a clearer and more thoughtful decision about separation.
Is Couples Therapy Only for Relationships in Crisis?
No. Couples therapy can be helpful at many different stages of a relationship, not only when things have reached crisis point.
Some couples come because they are experiencing conflict or disconnection, while others want to strengthen their relationship, understand recurring patterns, improve communication, prepare for a major life transition, or think together about the future of the relationship.
Do Both Partners Need to Attend Sessions?
For couples therapy, both partners would usually attend sessions together, as the relationship itself is the focus of the work.
There may occasionally be circumstances where an individual session is clinically useful, but this would be discussed and agreed together. If one partner wants ongoing individual therapy alongside couples work, this would usually be with a separate therapist so that the boundaries of the couples therapy remain clear.