Counselling

Companies| Groups| Individuals

This is a very important aspect of the counselling relationship. Everything that is discussed with your Counsellor in the counselling session is kept in the strictest confidence. Our Counsellors are required to have regular supervision and your Counsellor will need to discuss their work with their Supervisor from time to time. However, they will not disclose your name or anything that would enable you to be identified. Any information that a Supervisor receives is also treated as confidential. If you are being treated by your Doctor for emotional difficulties, it is important that you inform him or her about your Counsellor, and vice versa. Your Counsellor will not confer with your Doctor without your knowledge and permission. If there is convincing evidence that you intend to harm yourself or others, your Counsellor will need to break confidentiality by informing your Doctor, or in serious cases the Police, emergency services, or other appropriate third party. Wherever possible, and if it is considered appropriate, you will be informed of this. Your Counsellor may keep brief notes after a session, which will be securely stored. Occasionally they might want to make an audio recording of your session for the purpose of monitoring their work, but this would only occur with your prior knowledge and permission. Again these data are securely stored and destroyed after use. 

Your initial appointment will give you an opportunity to discuss your difficulties, ask any questions and for you to assess whether you feel comfortable to work with the therapist. This time will also include questionnaires and cover a range of different areas such as your personal history, relationships and styles of relating to others, thinking and problem-solving styles. Then we can decide together if counselling is going to be the most beneficial type of support.

Should it become evident your needs would be best met by alternative services this will also be openly discussed with you and options for referral will be provided.

The number of sessions will be decided upon with you following the initial assessment and reviewed at regular periods. Therapy sessions are usually on a weekly basis on the same day and time and last for 50 minutes. 

If you are unable to attend a session, provided you give your Counsellor plenty of notice (and not less than 24 hours), they will do their best to accommodate this and offer you an alternative time or date. If a pre-booked session is unattended after 20 minutes, it will be assumed the session has been cancelled, unless otherwise notified in advance. However if this is not possible, the full fee will be charged for the missed session. Cancellation of an appointment or failure to show for an appointment will also incur the full fee, if less than 24 hours notice given. 

Your Counsellor will be available for you with the exception of their holidays and occasional times when they might attend a training workshop or a conference. Your Counsellor will give you as much notice as possible if they are unable to make a session. In the

event where your Counsellor needs to miss your session because of illness, they will give you as much notice as possible, and will try to offer you an alternative time. Sessions missed due to your Counsellor’s unavailability are not charged for.