Practical stuff

Before Covid-19, I saw most clients and supervisees in my office (which is a converted room in my home), though I also had a few online clients. Now I regularly work online over Zoom, but (subject to any Covid-19 restrictions) I also enjoy seeing people in person, which can be outdoors (for instance in a local park) if preferred.

So I’m happy to adopt a “hybrid” model, mixing online and in-person as appropriate. Of course if we’re online it’s important that you have a suitable private space, and we can talk about how to arrange this if it’s difficult for you.

I don’t ask people to commit to any fixed length of therapy or supervision, but we can discuss at the start how long you might expect therapy to continue. And if either of us decides that it’s really not working, we can end at any time.

Usually people find it most helpful to meet once a week, but it doesn’t necessarily have to be at the same time each week if your commitments are unpredictable. Sessions are normally a full hour, but can be longer or shorter if you prefer.

My fees are not fixed, and I don’t even have a sliding scale; I simply ask clients to pay as much as they can afford and feel is appropriate. In practice most clients pay between £20 and £60 a session. And I ask supervisees to pay what they would normally charge clients.

You can pay by cash at the end of an in-person session, or otherwise by bank transfer or via the Payment page on my website. And of course if your financial situation changes (for better or worse), we can agree a revised fee.

When we first meet, I’ll ask you to fill in a simple one-page Client Details form, just so that I have your contact details and other basic information. I’ll give you a copy to take away, as there’s key information about my contact details and other arrangements on the back. And you can also download the form in Microsoft Word format or as a PDF document.

If you’re coming for supervision (rather than therapy), I have a similar Supervisee Details form that you can download in Microsoft Word format.

Diversity and inclusion

There’s so much that could be said on this topic! It is a whole set of values and practices that clearly can’t be confined within a box on a website. But below are a few random thoughts that I will be happy to discuss further if appropriate.

Equality Act 2010

Although the Equality Act was a step forward, it really only scratches the surface. Equality covers so much more than the nine “protected characteristics” of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage & civil partnership, pregnancy & maternity, race, religion & belief, sex, sexual orientation. Two more that are starting to be recognised are class, and neurodiversity, as well as the over-arching issue of unconscious bias.

White Fragility

This term invented by Robin DiAngelo highlights the need for white people (like me) to undertake a personal journey to recognise the depth of systematic abuse and oppression towards people of colour that is part of our heritage. I am continuing on this journey, and as a result I have been fortunate to work with a number of people of colour, and to provide a space for them to voice their own experiences of oppression and decide how to respond.

Gender, Sexual and Relationship Diversity

The acronym GSRD originated with Dominic Davies of Pink Therapy, as a more inclusive alternative to LGBTQ+, and there is an excellent BACP guide written by Dr Meg-John Barker. The term includes kink/BDSM, polyamory, and other diversities which are often marginalised. I will be very happy to discuss any of these diversities in way that is positive, welcoming and non-judgemental.

Non-Binary Identity

So much in life is non-binary, that it seems strange we ever thought that someone could be encapsulated within a single identity label. But in our all-too-binary society, it can be very challenging to negotiate a non-binary identity, let alone the intersectionality of multiple contested identities. In this context, the role of therapy is to facilitate a conversation about the value and meaning of these many different labels.

Neurodiversity

Although the term “neurodiversity” has been around since 1998, it is still controversial with those who see autism and other conditions as a genetic / medical deficit. Personally I support the concept of neurodiversity, and have worked with a number of neurodivergent clients. Some have been keen to talk through their experience of being neurodivergent, and others have wanted to discuss unrelated personal issues. I am happy to help in either or both of these ways.

Conversion Therapies

In 2017 all the major counselling and psychotherapy organisations released the second edition of the “Memorandum of Understanding” banning the use of conversion therapy. I fully support this, and I will never attempt to persuade you to “convert” away from any aspect of your identity. But if there are aspects that you find troubling, I will be happy to provide a non-judgemental space where you can talk through your own experience and reach your own decision about the way forward.