Frequently Asked Questions

The fact you've made it onto my website is a fantastic sign of prioritising yourself. Counselling works because there are no judgements or stigmas from the counsellor and you don't have to "watch what you say" like you might do around friends and family. It also helps when you don't have to explain your brain to someone else who gets it. Neurotype compatibility is so important, neurodivergent people speak the same language which can facilitate change and help self-acceptance massively. My interest is helping you with whatever needs, issues or problems you might be facing. Having a supporter with solely your interests at heart can help facilitate that change you are hoping for.

I am fully insured and compliant with GDPR regulations and the ICO data storage. Please click the button for more information.

I have limited spaces dedicated to concessionary rates for those who are unemployed, on low income, are students or counselling trainees. 

Drop me an email to check availability.

Yes! Short term work is typically 6-10 weeks to gain the most out of our time together but I am happy to have long term sessions. Open ended work gives us more freedom to delve into deeper topics. I offer a discount on booking and prepaying for blocks of 6 week sessions which might be beneficial if this is an avenue you are looking at and you can choose to end sessions whenever you feel ready.

No, not at all. CBT or Cognitive Behavioural Therapy is a form of therapy that is goal orientated and centres around "fixing" a particular problem. It is particularly effective with problems such as anxiety or some phobias. The type of therapy I offer is talking therapy where we explore not only the problem, but the origins to try and tackle it completely. Where CBT will set you tasks or homework, I will focus our sessions in the room and use our time there as effectively as possible. Neither is better than the other, it is dependant on the problem and the person. 

Counselling is a collaboration between counsellor and client. The counsellor guides and supports you along the way, but the work comes from you. I cannot give you the answers or tell you what to do, there is definitely a personal commitment element required to get the most out of sessions. Hopefully with guidance you can explore in greater depth your problems and notice patterns of behaviour. By developing healthier coping strategies and increasing self-awareness, you should have the tools to build a more resilient future. There is no guarantee it will work, but with time and being open to the process, change is possible. 

This can be a long and drawn out answer but essentially psychotherapy delves deeper into the origins of your problems and is typically a long-term therapeutic journey. Counselling is shorter term focusing on your goals and problems in the here and now.

Confidentiality is a high priority for me to ensure a safe, comfortable space and positive therapeutic rapport. However, there are limits to confidentiality that I have explained in more detail on my Terms of Service Page. Please click the button below for more detail.

I'm sorry I wasn't available at the time you contacted me, I might have been in a session with another client, supervision or another professional commitment. I will endeavour to return your email at my earliest availability. In the meantime, I would ask for 48 hours grace to respond to communications. I have strict working hours for my health and will not reply outside of those hours. Sit tight, I'll respond as soon as I am able!

Like many individuals, I am active on select social media sites and my accounts are restricted view to protect my family's privacy. I do not accept social media requests from current or former clients to uphold boundaries and the integrity of our time together. I don't check my private messages on those platforms so please contact me via email or on the contact section of this website to ensure a timely reply. I hope you understand my reasons for doing this. 

I understand that therapy can be overwhelming at times and you might need a break, identifying this is a huge achievement that you should be proud of. Prioritising your needs is imperative to achieve your goals. I would ask that you mention this to me in person at our next session so we can make a plan moving forward that will work best for you. If that's taking a break, stopping sessions completely or even moving them from weekly meetings to fortnightly or monthly. If talking is too difficult for you, please email me. I am here to support you on this journey.

Should you wish to end sessions you can do this at any time, I would just ask for a little notice to ensure that our last session is a positive end to reflect our work together. We can use this time to reflect upon your journey, your goals set initially and at any reviews and celebrate your progress.

If you wish to restart sessions in the future, just contact me in the usual way.

I am autistic with personal and professional experience with those with ADHD. I am very open about my autism and chronic illnesses, and have specialised in neurodivergence (specifically ADHD and Autism) since 2018. I have what i affectionately name the neurodivergent starter pack which includes fibromyalgia, ME, OCD, anxiety, hypermobility and other fun things.  

I welcome service animals in the therapy space as long as they're well trained in whatever support they provide to you (medical or emotional). I will never ask you to "prove" your service animal's credentials but I do ask that they are well trained to minimise distraction within the space. At the end of the day, they are there to do a job and I welcome them as fellow professionals!

Absolutely. We aren't all made to be sitting, some of us are made to move. I have an extensive box (more like bucket actually at this stage!) of fidgets for you to use, different types of chair to rock on, even beanbags. Everyone gets a sketchbook to keep you busy or use for focused sessions if appropriate. Effective therapy isn't contingent on you sitting still, allow yourself to lean into what you need. not against it and I will be doing the same! 

Every counsellor/therapist/psychotherapist has their own way of working and theory that underlines that. I am neurodivergent. so that is something I have to bring into the space to be most authentic. I have a more conversational style of therapy, I'll ask questions to check my understanding and meet you where you are to the best of my ability. I encourage you to sit however you like, use the fidgets and sketchbooks you will have in the space and meet your own needs just as I will. Therapy works best when you're comfortable, if that looks like you not wearing shoes, curled up like a cat doodling while we speak, then go for it! If you are also neurodivergent you might find it more freeing and relaxed compared to previous therapists. I work best comfortable, i encourage you to do the same.

I do provide my work number to clients in case you're running late to sessions etc but I'm autistic and have realised over many years that I suck on the phone because I need visual social cues. In the interest of being most authentic/honest I don't hide that it's an area of life I struggle with. I have clients who prefer texting to emailing and that's something I am on board with!  

Long story short, absolutely not. I am there to support you with whatever you feel you need to talk about. If we inevitably drift into a topic you don't want to talk about then tell me. I give all clients non verbal cues to communicate without words that something is too much. I use the traffic light system too. You're in control, i'm there to help you understand it and move forward. I will mention things i believe would be useful to address but you don't owe me all areas of your life or past. "Forcing" you to talk about things will get us nowhere, but get comfortable talking about 1 area of your life and you might find later on you're ready to talk about something more difficult. Maybe you'll never be ready, that's okay too. 

Yes I do frequently take referrals from other practitioners who may feel they aren't the right fit for the client and also from businesses looking to support staff members within the company. You can send me an email where we can work out the best way to move forward with this.

Yes, I offer 2 options when it comes to report writing in support of assessments. I am happy to write a simple on page document detailing briefly anything I have witnessed in session that related directly to the DSM-V criteria for autism or ADHD. Should you want a longer more in-depth document I ask for a fee for my time as they tend to be 4-5 pages depending upon the evidence and length of time we have been seeing eachother.

I've set my working hours to suit me, my family and my neurodivergence. I charge more after 6pm because it falls into "antisocial" hours and costs me time with my children, it ultimately has to be worth it for me to miss out on valuable time with them.