FAQs
Q: Where do you work?
I have consulting rooms in Tywardreath (near St Austell).
Q: Can I contact you to arrange an initial assessment?
Yes, you are very welcome to do that. I also accept people who have been referred by their GPs, employers or via insurance companies. My contact details are found on this website, and you can email me from the ‘Contact’ page. I aim to respond promptly, within 24 hours on weekdays.
Q: I'm not sure if my problem is suitable for therapy...
I am happy to spend some time with you on the telephone for a free-of-charge mini-consultation to discuss your issue(s) and whether you would benefit from booking an initial assessment session with me.
Q: How much do you charge?
A standard therapy session (50 minutes) varies in cost, depending on whether you are paying yourself or are funded by another source, and according to the frequency of sessions and affordability. The sessions last for 50 minutes. Fees are payable monthly. Once regular ongoing psychotherapy times are agreed, missed or cancelled sessions will need to be paid for at the full fee so that this time can be protected.
Please email or ring me to find out more.
Q: How do I start?
It can be confusing for many people to know what kind of help would best meet their needs. I am more than happy to have a telephone discussion about your needs before you decide whether to book a first session. An introductory assessment helps you to see if you are comfortable with me, share what troubles you, ask questions, clarify confidentiality, and assess if psychotherapy, and what type, could help you best. Looking for a therapist or counsellor can be an anxious time while you are trying to find a safe and qualified professional, someone you feel you can build a trusting relationship with in order to help you. This initial meeting can last between fifty minutes. We then look at whether we might work together or if a referral to another therapist would be better for you.
Q: What about holidays?
I give good notice of the dates when I am not available for sessions. I do not work on Bank Holidays. I charge for all sessions that you don’t attend, including absence caused by holidays. I do not, of course, charge for any scheduled breaks or unscheduled cancellations imposed by me. I present my invoices at the beginning of the month for our sessions in the previous month. I review my fee annually, early in the year, and will give good notice of what any change will be. What is said in psychotherapy is private and confidential. This will form part of our discussion in the initial consultations. Psychotherapy preferably ends in a mutually agreed and considered manner. In any event, it is desirable if a period of notice to terminate sessions is given.
Q: What is a clinical psychologist?
Clinical psychologists undergo a training which lasts for a minimum of six years, and are often longer including time of being an assistant psychologist.They are highly skilled in carrying out psychological assessments, delivering psychological therapy and also providing training, consultancy and supervision to others. Their rigorous and intensive training equips them to draw on established psychological theory, models and research in their work. They offer psychological therapy which has a research evidence base (such as cognitive behavioural therapy or CBT as it’s often referred to). To find out more about what a clinical psychologist does and how they compare to counsellors and psychologists, read The British Psychological Society’s guide: What is a Clinical Psychologist?
Q: How long will it take? How often will I need to come?
Psychotherapy can be brief with a specific focus, or over a lengthy period of time on a weekly or more frequent basis, or it maybe that you just want an informed opinion.
Q: What is psychotherapy?
Psychotherapy offers a consistent and confidential setting in which difficulties can be explored. Psychotherapy aims to help you understand what your past relationships and life experiences mean to you, and the ways in which they may be affecting your life now. It offers a reliable setting, with regular sessions in which you can bring whatever is on your mind- feelings, thoughts, dreams and memories. The therapist will help you to gain a deeper understanding of yourself, how and your past may be influencing you in relationships now, opening the way to change
Q: Does it Work?
There are now a significant number of well designed studies which demonstrate the efficacy of psychoanalytic psychotherapy. Psychoanalytic psychotherapy yields impressive effect sizes. The research is objectively strong. Of particular note is the consistent finding from this research of significantly increased long-term follow up effect sizes: patients continue to make considerable gains long after treatment has ended. There is also evidence that non- psychoanalytic forms of therapy may be effective because of the inclusion of psychoanalytic techniques and process. (Please see https://www.apa.org/pubs/journals/releases/amp-65-2-98.pdf, if you are interested in knowing more).
Q: Who comes to psychotherapy?
People often come after they’ve tried other types of therapy that don’t work in the long term. Others want to understand themselves better, perhaps feeling there is something missing in their lives, but they don’t know what it is. Many feel that their friends and families aren’t helpful, or they don’t want to burden them, or feel ashamed of their problems. Sometimes in life, people may feel stuck, overhwhelmed or unsure of what to do next. At these times, we may turn to others to help us manage complicated feelings, problems, conflicts and distress. The people I meet with seek out professional support when their experience, skills and solutions are no longer working for them. Often people come to therapy without any overt signs of stress. Many aspects of their lives may be satisfying and successful – people may, nevertheless, feel unfulfilled. Various transitions in life, such as marriage, divorce, having a child, mid-life, retirement are often unsettling. Children leaving home and retirement are times when a new orientation and outlook on life are required. Some may be experiencing career-related problems, or redundancy, or, in the case of artists, creative block.
