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BESPOKE | RELATIONAL | TRAUMA INFORMED | ONLINE


PSYCHOTHERAPY

with Luke Hicken MSc MBACP (Accred)

Contact Me



HI THERE, I'M LUKE

Welcome to my private practice. I'm an Integrative Psychotherapist, Supervisor
and Educator.

For better or worse, relationships shape, and can transform, our self-image and
sense of security in the world.

I offer psychotherapy to adults, clinical supervision to fellow therapists, and
training workshops to organisations.

Email me to book a free 30-minute Zoom chat. 

Qualifications

 Main Qualifications:

 * MSc in Integrative Counselling & Psychotherapy
   The University of Derby (2014-2017) Including:
   * Post Grad Diploma in Integrative Counselling & Psychotherapy (2016)
   * Post Grad Certificate in Integrative Counselling & Psychotherapy (2015)
 * Level 6 Advanced Certificate in Clinical Supervision (including Online and
   Telephone Working)
   The Counselling Tutor (2022) 
 * Accredited Membership Status
   The British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (2020)

 

Other Relevant Qualifications

 * Certificate in Online and Telephone Counselling
   The Counselling Tutor (2021) 
 * Level 3 Award in Education and Training
   SKL Training (Open College Network West Midlands) (2019)
 * Certificate of Higher Education
   Cardiff University (2012-2014) Consisting of 12 courses, including:
   * Acceptance and Commitment Therapy; Basic Counselling Skills I & II; Social
     Psychology; Developmental Psychology; Philosophy: An Introduction; Wisdom
     Without Answers: Philosophy; Social and Political Philosophy; Verb and
     Verbosity: Language; Creative Writing
 * BSc Honours Degree in Sound Technology (First Class)
   The University of Glamorgan (2010-2013)

Background
My Journey as a Therapist
 
I was a shy kid. How people interacted confused me. I was scared to enter
conversation, but was fascinated with communication, the human mind, and what
makes people the way they are.
 
Later in my teens I took up the guitar and songwriting. Performing was a kind of
personal exposure therapy; it felt good to put myself out there, and to discover
it wasn’t (always) as bad as I anticipated. My passion for music led me to study
a BSc in Sound Technology with the University of Glamorgan from 2010 to 2013.
 
While here, my soon-to-be-ex-partner suggested I “get some counselling”. Not
knowing what it was, I had a few sessions that were offered by the university.
It felt good! I felt liberated letting an impartial stranger into my inner life
— someone who listened, who didn’t pressure me or bite back, who didn’t get
uncomfortable with my discomfort. This planted a seed.
 
Now inspired to learn more about psychology, myself and the world in general, I
took up a string of evening courses with Cardiff University, including
counselling skills, developmental psychology, cognitive psychology, philosophy
and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT).
 
Post uni, I abandoned a short stint of trying to ‘make it’ as a freelance music
producer for some soul-searching in South-East Asia. On return, I picked up a
few odd jobs, including bar work, and handing out magazines at train stations.
The question What career path to follow? resurfaced. I wanted to do something
fulfilling and meaningful, to help others, to challenge myself, and to learn
more about how our minds work.
 
Counselling and psychotherapy ticked all the boxes. So I embarked on my core
training, a three-year MSc in Integrative Counselling & Psychotherapy with the
University of Derby. The course was based on an Integration of Person-Centred
Therapy, Cognitive-Behavioural Therapy (CBT), and Attachment Theory. My
dissertation was on Metacommunication, a central interpersonal process in
psychotherapy. I graduated in 2017 and have been practicing since. 
 
In 2018 I volunteered in the research department of The Compassionate Mind
Foundation, founded by Paul Gilbert, pioneer of Compassion-Focused Therapy
(CFT). Experiencing the  psychotherapy research process and training in CFT both
added greater depth to my practice.
 
In 2019 I trained for a Level 3 Award in Education and Training, in order to
teach and train others. I utilised this in 2020, guest lecturing at the
University of Derby, and I have returned each year since. I now also facilitate
fortnightly therapy skills sessions to students in-placement at a local
counselling and psychotherapy agency.
 
In 2020, I attained accredited member status with the BACP (British Association
for Counselling and Psychotherapy), a membership status which recognises “…the
achievement of high standards of knowledge, experience and development in
counselling and psychotherapy” (BACP).
 
A crucial aspect of my education over the years has been exploring my own
personal issues with a number of therapists. I have had some transformational
experiences, but also some unpleasant, non-empathic and re-traumatising
experiences while in the hands of unskillful professionals, which have made a
strong impact on me, not least by informing me how I don’t want to be with my
own clients. They emphasised for me how important are the fundamental ethics of
respect, empathy, acceptance, compassion, and the medical dictate of ‘do no
harm’.
 
I still read psychotherapy textbooks for fun (seriously) and enjoy attending
workshops and conferences to continue my professional development.
 
Outside of therapy, I enjoy hiking, tennis, and proudly fit the trope of the
therapist that practices yoga and meditation as part of a lifestyle wherein I
attempt to care for my body and mind.
Continuing Professional Development (CPD)

Continuing Professional Development (CPD)

 * GDPR: What Therapists Need to Know
   The Counselling Tutor (Online: 30/04/23)
 * Embracing the Erotic
   Nick Campion (Derby: 24/04/23)
 * Introduction to Gender Diversity Workshop
   Rowan Hyde and Ellis Beardsmore (Online: 03/03/23)
 * Menstruation and Menopause (from a Psycho-Spiritual Perspective)
   Sarah Hinds (Derby: 27/02/23)
 * Nature as Therapy
   Sarah Hinds (Derby: 28/01/23)
 * Understanding and Working with Eating Disorders
   Kasmira Spence (Derby: 05/12/22)
 * Archetypal Patterns in Dreams
   Dr. Michael Conforti (Online: 03/12/22)
 * Grief and Bereavement Workshop
   Ian Hewitt (Online: 16/09/22)
 * 21st IAGP International Congress
   IAGP (Pescara, Italy: 21-24/07/22)
 * A Biopsychosocial View of Attention Deficit Disorder and other Childhood
   Developmental Disorders
   Gabor Maté (Online: 29/01/22)
 * Advanced Master Program on the Treatment of Trauma
   NICABM (Online: 06/10/21-4/11/21)
 * Workshop on Eating Disorders
   Helen Warford (Derby: 29/02/20)
 * Experiential Workshop in Family Constellations
   Reina Lister (Sheffield: 11/01/20)
 * Introduction to Psychodynamic Theory and Practice
   Green Lane C&P (Derby: 27/09/19)
 * Attachment & Compassion: Hypo-aroused States
   Graham Music (Derby: 23/09/19)
 * 2nd IAGP International Psychodrama Congress
   IAGP (Iseo, Italy: 4-8/09/19)
 * Working Creatively with Children & Young People
   Green Lane C&P (Derby: 08/06/19)
 * Working with Shame
   Carolyn Spring (Nottingham: 18/05/19)
 * Autism Workshop
   Green Lane C&P (Derby: 06/04/19)
 * Chronic Fatigue & Fibromyalgia Workshop
   Green Lane C&P (Derby: 16/03/19)
 * Working at Relational Depth
   Mick Cooper (Nottingham: 23/02/19)
 * Grieving & Loss: A Practical Workshop
   Inspire (Nottingham: 21/01/19)
 * Theory & Practice of Compassion-Focused Therapy
   Chris Irons (London: 6-8/12/18)
 * Embodied-Relational Therapy
   Stephen Tame (Devon: 17-18/11/18)
 * 20th IAGP Int. Congress: Challenge & Hope
   IAGP (Malmo, Sweden: 1-4/08/18)
 * Cultivating the Therapeutic Relationship
   The CMF (Derby: 15/06/18)
 * Mindfulness Workshop
   Green Lane C&P (Derby: 21/04/18)
 * Working with Children & Young People: BACP Basic Competencies
   Rory Cahill (Derby: 26/11/16)
 * Compassion: Saviour of the Universe & the Tragedies
   Paul Gilbert (Derby: 08/12/15)
 * CBT: Best Practices in Depression and Suicide
   Christine Padesky (Derby: 1-2/06/15)
 * 1st Int. IAGP Research Congress: Chronic Stress
   IAGP (Athens, Greece: 20-23/11/14)


MY APPROACH

My philosophy of psychotherapy is is relational and integrative. 
My approach is also bespoke, collaborative, and trauma-informed:

 * Relational
 * Integrative
 * Bespoke
 * Collaborative
 * Trauma Informed

Relational

I believe that our relationship, between you and me, is the most important
factor in you getting what you want from therapy.

From birth, and throughout life, we form beliefs and expectations from our
experiences of being in relationship with others.

In the same way that we build an internal 'model' of the house we grew up in
(such that you could close your eyes and walk around that house in your
imagination), we also build internal models of our relationships (which become
the starting blueprint for future relationships) and ourselves (because we learn
who we are through the mirror of others).

Our models contain beliefs and rules about how the world, and the people in it,
work, and include beliefs about ourselves: our competence, our social 'rank' and
our sense of worth.

Therefore, they impact all our interactions, interpretations, expectations,
wants, feelings, thoughts and reactions, and even the thoughts and feelings we
have with ourselves, when alone.

These models become the 'truth' through which we filter reality. And yet we are
so immersed in them that we may be completely unaware of them — like the
proverbial fish, who, so immersed by water, couldn't comprehend what water was.

Our relational models contain strategies for protecting ourselves from
relational pain (say, from being judged, misunderstood, neglected, bullied,
dominated, belittled, rejected, abandoned, and being in and around arguments and
conflict).

And the ongoing use and consequences of these defences usually become the
reasons that we come to therapy. They include:

 * Stress, anxiety, panic, fear, terror, vigilance, trauma (threat reactions)
 * Depression, lethargy, lack of joy, pleasure and drive (powerlessness and
   helplessness reactions)
 * Anger, rage, resentment, hate, vengeance (injustice reactions)
 * Avoidance, such as withdrawal, procrastination, perfectionism, alcoholism and
   other drug use
 * People-pleasing, such as hiding your preferences, opinions and feelings,
   lacking assertiveness and boundaries, doing things you don't want to do
 * Low self-esteem, shame, guilt, self-criticism
 * Control strategies such as eating disorders, vigilance, obsessions,
   obsessive-compulsions
 * Cognitive defences such as worrying, catastrophising, ruminating
 * Distraction, self-soothing and self-medicating leading to self-defeating
   habits and addictions

 

Our tasks in therapy, then, are to make sense of your suffering and
self-protective strategies, process the pain from which they attempt to protect
you, and to create new experiences of being in relationship (in our
relationship) in order to transform outdated internal models.

Integrative

I have gained value personally and professionally from all the major approaches
to psychotherapy — psychodynamic, humanistic and cognitive-behavioural — and
integrate aspects of each into my relational approach.

This integrative approach looks to bring the different therapies together: to
acknowledge similarities, and be curious about and differences, in order to move
towards a more unified field.

This is a movement away from the more tribal 'Us vs. Them' mentality that can be
found at the extremes of different psychotherapy schools.

I also resonate with the second meaning of 'integrative' put forward by Erskine
& Moursund (1988), who propose that an aim of therapy is to help clients
integrate their conflicted or fragmented aspects of self, to form a more
congruent, harmonious whole.

References

Erskine, R. G., & Moursund, J. P. (1988). Integrative psychotherapy in action.
Sage.

Bespoke

As opposed to offering you a 'one size fits all' system, my approach is tailored
to fit your issues, desires, needs and goals.

In this vein, I don't diagnose, like a doctor, but I work with you,
holistically, bringing together your own experience with my
professional knowledge to build a shared understanding of the ways in which you
suffer, the meaning of this suffering, the ways in which you would like things
to be different and a road-map for how to move from one to the other.

Building this formulation and treatment plan is an ongoing part of our work
together, and naturally evolves over time as you gain more insight.

Collaborative

The two biggest complaints I've heard about people's experience of therapy are:

 1. "My therapist didn't do anything, they just nodded, agreed and waited for
    me. I felt lost."
 2. "My therapist didn't really 'get' me, they didn't truly listen. They just
    carried on with their own agenda. I felt unseen and unheard."

 

These are perhaps caricatures of what are termed 'non-directive' and 'directive'
therapy, respectively.

In contrast, I offer a collaboration. I view us as equal partners in a shared
project. I aim both to understand and empathise with you, and also to be an
active partner, offering you guidance, skills and tools, where appropriate.

Trauma Informed

A trauma is an experience so extreme that it overwhelms the defences of the
nervous system, and immediately after which there is inadequate social support,
such that the experience cannot be processed.

The experience remains locked-off and isolated in the mind and body, until
various triggers cause it to leak out, resulting in post-traumatic stress
responses, such as flashbacks, panic, rage, dissociation and night terrors.

Traumas might be most commonly thought about as single events like a war or car
crash. But somewhat more insidious and complex trauma can occur through repeated
relational experiences in childhood, where one's needs went unmet through (often
subtle but chronic) neglect or abuse throughout these dependent and formative
years.

You don't necessarily know if you have unprocessed trauma. Being trauma-informed
means I'm aware of the warning signs and risks surrounding trauma, and bare this
in mind when creating a safe supportive environment, ensuring you have grounding
tools, so we can work to stay in your 'window of tolerance' (Siegel, 1999) when
challenging defences and processing old wounds.

Reference

Siegel, D. J. (1999). The developing mind: Toward a neurobiology of
interpersonal experience. Guilford Press.


SERVICES I OFFER

I offer relational psychotherapy to adults, clinical supervision to fellow
therapists, and training workshops to organisations.


PSYCHOTHERAPY

Who's Therapy For?

Psychotherapy helps with psychological and/or relational issues. These concerns
usually revolve around:

 

 * Emotions, feelings, moods (e.g. anxiety, depression)
 * Thoughts (e.g. worry, self-criticism, rumination)
 * Motivation (e.g. lethargy, compulsions)
 * Behaviour (e.g. avoidance or habits and addiction)
 * Relationships (e.g. communication, conflict, boundaries, sex/romance,
   commitment)
 * Internal conflict involving all of the above

 

In general, these issues and suffering are centred around self-preservation
strategies such as:

 

 * Stress, anxiety, panic, fear, terror, vigilance, trauma (threat reactions)
 * Depression, lethargy, lack of joy, pleasure and drive (powerlessness and
   helplessness reactions)
 * Anger, rage, resentment, hate, vengeance (injustice reactions)
 * Avoidance, such as withdrawal, procrastination, perfectionism, alcoholism and
   other drug use
 * People-pleasing, such as hiding your preferences, opinions and feelings,
   lacking assertiveness and boundaries, doing things you don’t want to do
 * Low self-esteem, shame, guilt, self-criticism
 * Control strategies such as eating disorders, vigilance, obsessions,
   obsessive-compulsions
 * Cognitive defences such as worrying, catastrophising, ruminating
 * Distraction, self-soothing and self-medicating leading to self-defeating
   habits and addictions

 

You may also just have the sense that something’s ‘not right’, but otherwise
can’t put your finger on what. This is a completely normal starting point for
therapy.

 

It’s also common to start therapy off the back of a difficult life event, such
as a loss, break-up, career or education change. These tend to be overwhelming
if they expose other long-standing chronic stressors.

 

If you’re unsure whether your concerns are appropriate for psychotherapy, feel
free to get in touch. We can book a free chat to discuss this.

Schedule

Sessions are 55-minutes long, weekly.

 

Number of sessions are not limited.

 

Office hours 9am-4pm Monday-Friday.

Fees

£45 per 55-minute session

 

(The full session fee is payable if a session is cancelled with less than
24-hours’ notice.)

Format

I’m currently working exclusively via online-video (Zoom).

Next Step

It can be hard to find the right therapist for you.

 

Email me asking to book a free 30-minute Zoom call. There, you can let me know a
bit about your situation, ask me any questions, and see if we’re the right
match. 

 

Or, if you’d like to explain things in writing first, fill out this referral
form.

 

Either way, I’ll get back in touch with you to book in a free chat.


CLINICAL SUPERVISION

My Supervision Approach

I believe that supervision shouldn’t be a passive chat, nor a shame-inducing
threat, but a safe and enjoyable challenge.

 

I offer you a space to ‘feel felt’ (Siegel, 1999), and to process your client
work. I will encourage your critical thinking. And I will hold in mind your
career path as a whole, by encouraging us to get to know your strengths and
weaknesses, and pitching-up in your ‘zone of proximal development’ (Vygotsky,
1967).

 

I see that the purposes of supervision are:

 * to provide you support regarding your clinical practice
 * to reflect on the processes of your clients, and yourself in relationship
   with your clients
 * to maintain and grow your competence, skills, knowledge and confidence
 * to foster your unique professional development
 * to monitor good, ethical practice in your clinical work (for the welfare of
   yourself, your clients, the general public, and the profession).

 

The supervision I offer is based on the Integrative Developmental Model (IDM;
Stoltenberg and McNeill, 2010), and utilises the Seven-Eyed Model (Hawkins and
Shohet, 2012).

 

References

 * Hawkins, P. and Shohet, R. (2012).Supervision In The Helping Professions. 4th
   ed. McGraw-Hill Education (UK).
 * Siegel, D. J. (1999). The developing mind: Toward a neurobiology of
   interpersonal experience. Guilford Press.
 * Stoltenberg, C. and McNeill, B. (2010). IDM supervision: An integrative
   developmental model for supervising counselors and therapists. Third edition.
   Routledge.
 * Vygotsky, L. S. (1967). Play and its role in the mental development of the
   child. Soviet psychology, 5(3), 6-18.

Schedule

Session length and frequency can be tailored to your needs.

 

But it’s common to have a monthly 1.5 hour session, as this meets the BACP
supervision requirements.

 

My office hours are 9am-4pm Monday-Friday.

Fees

£50 per hour (i.e. £75 per 1.5 hour session)

Format

I’m currently working exclusively via online-video (Zoom).

Next Step

It’s difficult to find a supervisor you click with.

 

Email me asking to book a free 30-minute Zoom call. There, we can ask each other
questions and see if we’re a good match.

 

Or fill out this referral form.

 

Either way, I’ll get back to you to book in a free chat.


QUALIFICATIONS & EXPERIENCE

 * Seven years clinical experience
 * Master of Science Degree (MSc) in Integrative Counselling & Psychotherapy
 * Core training: Person-Centred Therapy, Cognitive-Behavioural Therapy (CBT) &
   Attachment Theory
 * Accredited member of the BACP
 * Level 6 Advanced Certificate in Clinical Supervision
 * Additional training in Acceptance & Commitment Therapy (ACT)
 * Additional training in Compassion-Focused Therapy (CFT)
 * 80-hours additional training for online and telephone working
 * Level 3 Award in Education and Training
 * Two years experience running skills sessions for therapists-in-training
 * Repeat experience guest lecturing at Master's level at The University of
   Derby
 * Enhanced DBS certificate
 * Professional indemnity insurance


CONTACT ME

I aim to respond to any contact within two working days.My office hours are
9am-4pm (UK) Mon-Fri

EMAIL ME

Feel free to email me with any enquiries or to arrange a free 30-minute chat.

Email Me

PSYCHOTHERAPY?

Ready to book a session? Complete this referral form and I will get in touch.

Psychotherapy Referral

SUPERVISION?

Ready to book a session? Complete this referral form and I will get in touch.

Supervision Referral


TESTIMONIALS

"I will be forever grateful to Luke for everything he has helped me with."
Female client in her 30s
"Thank you Luke for all your help and patience over the last few months! It has
helped me become more structured when coping with uncomfortable and critical
thoughts, it has helped lay a foundation for future independent development."
Male client in his 20s
"Luke was great, really easy to talk to. Helped me a lot! Cheers"
Male client in his 20s
"I have found my counselling sessions with Luke hugely beneficial and they have
helped me to become more self aware – I’ve learnt a great deal and will continue
to use the things that I have learnt in my life – I’ve found the sessions very
valuable"
Female client in her 40s
"I had previously had a very negative experience of counselling, but the support
that I received from Luke has changed my life. I have been able to move from a
state of simply coping as best I can with past issues, to establishing tools to
actively deal with them, changing the way that I view myself and others. By
creating a safe and non-judgmental space I was able to tackle long buried issues
in safety. Thank you"
Psychotherapy client
"Luke has been a very supportive and understanding counsellor and have felt
respected and listened to. I feel he has shown me genuine compassion and a
genuine desire to help me work through my difficulties for which I will always
be grateful. Thank you."
Female client in her 40s
"Always felt able to talk and never felt judged at any point, Luke has been
amazing in helping me through a very hard time and I can’t thank him enough."
Male client in his 30s
“Luke is a wonderfully attentive consultant and has been a real boon in getting
my thoughts in order.”
Male client in his 30s
“I am so very thankful to Luke for providing me with this service. Not only has
it helped me overcome obstacles, it has also equipped me with the tools I need
to ensure a happy, healthy life.”
Male client in his 20s
“I couldn’t be anymore grateful for what Luke has done for me – my time spent
with him has got me to a place in my life that I couldn’t have imagined a few
months ago. It’s difficult to put in writing just how much of an impact the
sessions have had. Huge thank you :)”
Female client in her 20s
“Luke has been great at helping me talk through my issues and come to some
important realisations.”
Female client in her 30s
“I am a healthier and happier person for my sessions with Luke. He’s been the
calm, rational person I needed to teach me the tools of better mental health.”
Female client in her 20s
"Best decision I ever made for myself. I never thought it would help as much as
it has, and it’s transformed my life. THANK YOU LUKE!
Female client in her 30s
"Can’t thank Luke enough for helping me turn my life around!"
Male client in his 30s
"Extremely impressed with level of service. Luke has been excellent and I would
highly recommend him to others. Overall I have found my therapy to be
unbelievably helpful and am very grateful to have gone through the process."
Male client in his 30s
"Luke was an excellent counsellor for me. He made me feel like I was in a secure
place and I was comfortable talking about my issues with him. I would highly
recommend him as a counsellor / psychotherapist to anyone!"
Female client in her 20s
"Luke helped me find and challenge my core beliefs which has left me in such a
better place. I’m finishing therapy having achieved everything I set out. I
cannot recommend Luke highly enough. This experience has genuinely been life
changing."
Male client in his 20s


FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

What is Psychotherapy?
‘Psychotherapy’ is derived from Ancient Greek, meaning ‘to heal the psyche’. It
is commonly referred to as ‘talking therapy’ because, on the face of it, that’s
what we do — talk.
 
Initially we talk with a focus on the circumstances, problems or suffering for
which you are seeking help. We then talk about the ways in which you would like
things to be different. These might include both the external circumstances of
your life, but generally we focus on your internal life, that is, your
perspectives, thoughts, assumptions, fantasies, worries, moods, emotions,
sensations, urges, desires, dreams, wishes, hopes etc.
 
Through this exploration, you’re likely to get to know yourself more intimately
and discover patterns in the ways you think, feel, react and relate. We might
explore how long these patterns have affected you, and in what ways they might
have been influenced by your family, friends and society, as well as your
temperament and choices. Talking in this way requires a trustworthy partner who
can help you feel comfortable, a good listener who is open, receptive and
validating. This is my, the therapist’s, job.
 
Once this relationship is strong enough, I will help you challenge and face
various perspectives, beliefs or adaptations that are blocking your growth and
well-being. I may be open and frank about how I experience you, providing you
the kind of open feedback you’re unlikely to receive in polite society. Of
course, this would always be done tentatively, with respect and compassion.
 
These experiences we gain through talking in this unique relationship called
‘psychotherapy’ can emotionally dislodge and liberate us from the unconscious
beliefs, assumptions, rules, maps and scripts that otherwise direct and colour
much of our lives.
Is everything I tell you confidential?

An essential aspect of therapy is knowing that what you speak about won’t be
discussed with anybody else. Thus, confidentiality is integral to the therapy
relationship, and I will maintain it within the BACP Ethical Framework and legal
requirements.

 

The only exceptions to total confidentiality are:

 

 * If you give me consent to share information
 * If I have reason to believe that you are at serious risk of harm to yourself
   or another
 * If you disclosure a threat to national security such as act of terrorism
 * If you disclose knowledge of harm or potential harm to a child or vulnerable
   adult
 * If you disclose knowledge of drug trafficking
 * In the event of a court subpoena for admission of evidence
 * In my clinical supervision: It is standard ethical and professional procedure
   for therapists to discuss their work with a fellow professional, a
   supervisor. This is in order to check adherence to ethical and professional
   standards. Here, I preserve your anonymity; your surname and personal details
   will not be disclosed.

 

Wherever legally and ethically possible I will attempt to discuss with you any
considerations I have about breaching your confidentiality.

Do I have to commit to a number of sessions?

No. I do not ask you to sign up to any number of sessions.

 

If your circumstances change such that you no longer want, need or are able to
continue psychotherapy, then, of course, you may discontinue sessions whenever
you like.

 

The only commitment I ask you to contract for is that if you cancel a booked
session with less than 24-hours notice, then you agree to still pay the full
session fee. 

Is there a limit to how many sessions I can have?

No. I offer a bespoke service; how long it takes to process your experiences,
gain clarity and reach your goals will differ hugely from person to person,
circumstance to circumstance.

 

Having said that, successful therapy does, of course, end. So when, how and why
we end your therapy will be an ongoing, collaborative discussion-point in our
relationship.

 

We all have history of ending relationships in one way or another, oftentimes
without closure and with things left unsaid. So it important to me that we end
our relationship openly and clearly, so that you experience a healthy
relationship ending in a positive way, with closure and transparency, left on
good terms.

What happens if the internet or phone connection breaks down?

It’s important to me that the conditions are right so that you feel safe to
explore your thoughts and feelings — it can be very uncomfortable and
frustrating to share something difficult, only to find the connection had
dropped and you’d not been heard.

 

I will do my due diligence to ensure adequate technological conditions, such as
reliable, up-to-date hardware and software; technical knowledge of my equipment;
sufficient internet and phone signal; and sufficient battery charge. I recommend
you attempt to provide such conditions on your end, too.

 

If, despite our efforts, our internet signal cannot sustain the session, I will
call you and the duration of the session can be continued via phone.

 

In the unlikely event that a session cannot continue neither via Zoom nor phone
due to my technical faults, then I will not charge you for the session and will
make every attempt to solve the issue and offer you an alternative appointment.

 

If a session cannot continue via Zoom nor phone due to your technical faults, I
still charge for the session.

Do you offer sessions in person?

No. I offer sessions remotely, either via online-video (Zoom) or telephone.

Do you use Skype, WhatsApp or FaceTime?

No. I take data protection seriously. As such, I choose third parties carefully
and keep them to a minimum.

 

For this reason, I use only one online-video platform, Zoom.

Do you offer sessions on evenings and weekends?

No. I offer sessions 9am-4pm Monday-Friday.

 

I have found these hours best fit my energy levels and body clock. If you
require therapy outside of these hours, you may find an alternative therapist on
the BACP register.

Do you work with couples?

No. I do not have the specialised training I believe is required to work with
couples.

 

If you require couple’s or relationship therapy, you may find an alternative
therapist on the BACP register.

Do you work with children and young people (under 18)?

No, I do not have the specialised training I believe is required to work with
children and young people (under 18 years old).

 

If you are, or are looking on behalf of, a child or young person, I recommend
seeking a therapist with appropriate training on the BACP register. 



Psychotherapy & Clinical Supervision

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