Frequently asked questions

I offer in person sessions primarily at my home in Cottingham, East Yorkshire. I am available at a premises in Hull, although my availability here is much more limited. I also specialise in online sessions and I prefer to use Zoom. I am happy to use other platforms such as WhatsApp, Facetime if necessary. Telephone therapy is possible if you are averse to technology, although I do think it is better to maintain a visual relationship wherever possible.

Anything! My service is confidential, so you can share with me any problems. We will work together to get past them and find new paths, and new ways of thinking. I am happy to discuss relationships, friendships, anxiety, addictions, career issues, finding yourself feeling stuck, sexuality, ambitions, success, happiness, problem solving, life change, childhood, retirement, grief, trauma - or anything else!

I use the term 'talking' very broadly to describe a range of services including counselling, psychotherapy, and coaching. If you would like to find out more about the differences, there is an article in my blog entitled "Do I need Counselling, Psychotherapy or Coaching?"(https://www.talkingworks.uk/post/talking-works-but-what-is-the-difference-between-counselling-psychotherapy-and-coaching) The image gives a very brief summary. https://static.wixstatic.com/media/undefined

This is almost impossible to answer! It very much depends on your immediate and on-going needs. Some clients with a very specific problem or goal may only need 6 sessions. In my experience, most clients come with a varierty of inter-related issues that will require more sessions and, very often, continued support. This is something we can discuss when you make initial contact, and once you have started it will be constantly re-evaluated by us both.

Many counsellors are qualified at Level 4 - which is somewhere between an A Level and a foundation degree. They require around 100 hours to qualify. I am qualified at Level 7 as a Psychotherapist - this is equivalent to a Masters degree. I am also accredited by the United Kingdom Council for Psychotherapy (UKCP) and hold full clinical membership with them as a Level 7 Psychotherapist. I am also an accredited professional member of the National Counselling and Psychotherapy Society. Both of these organisations' registers have been accredited under a programme set up by the Department of Health and are administered by an independent bdy, accountable to Parliament. The Accreditation Mark is recognisable to the general public to enable them to identify a competent counsellor. Any counsellor or psychotherapist acting in an ethical manner will be supervised. All of my work is supervised by one of the most experienced psychotherapy supervisors in the local area. This helps to ensure that other perspectives are considered in the handling of your case, and that we are both kept safe in the process. https://static.wixstatic.com/media/5cd94a_4bed99b51a6e428799aa535bcd74ba43~mv2.png https://static.wixstatic.com/media/5cd94a_46eecfb6fa8d49d7908c2d04026cc46a~mv2.png

I am a full clinical member of United Kingdom Council of Psychotherapy (UKCP) - and I'm registered with them as a Psychotherapist. I am also a accredited professional member with the National Counselling and Psychotherapy Society (NCPS). This register is accredited with the Professional Standards Authority which assures you my work is to a high standard. I am also a member of the United Kingdom Association for Transactional Analysis (UKATA). I am also a Trainer and Coach member of the Association for NLP (ANLP). I follow all of these organisations' ethical codes. I am a licensed practitioner for the delivery of the Myers Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI). I am registered with the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) to ensure the safety of your data.

Whist I do work with teenagers in schools, my experience is mostly around working with adults. For that reason, in my private practice, I choose not to work in the with persons under the age of 16.

Yes, all of my work is fully insured for coaching, psychotherapy and counselling and I can provide proof upon request. My insurer is Holistic Insurance Services.

I am checked annuallly by the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS). This is an enhanced criminal record check, and I have no convictions.

Current regulations allow face to face sessions to take place. We do not wear masks in sessions together, unless you would prefer, and there are no screens between us. However, if either of us are aware that we have Coronavirus, I would suggest we switch sessions to an online platform. I find that Zoom works well. I am fully vaccinated and boosted. If you are not, I am still happy to see you in person. If I have any of the symptoms, I would take a lateral flow test for your safety.

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