Q.Do I need a referral to come and see you?
A. No the most usual route to get counselling and psychotherapy is self-referral, where you contact me directly and we agree to meet and discuss what you feel you need. However, I also take referrals from G.P.s, psychiatrists, other medical consultants, private medical insurance companies and Employee Assistance Programmes. I am not accredited with an insurance provider as most will only support Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) which, in my experience, doesnt solve the underlying problems and so the issues generally recur.
Q. Who do you work with?
A. I work with men and women of all backgrounds and sexualities and I work with both individuals and couples.
Q.How long is a session?
A. Sessions last 55 minutes. However, if we decide to use EMDR in a session, I may suggest that we book extra time and I charge pro-rata for whatever time we use. For couples the first session is generally three hours long and subsequent sessions are usually 90-120 minutes.
Q. How long will I be in Counselling/Psychotherapy for?
A. There is not a typical time for someone to be in counselling/psychotherapy depending on what you bring, what you would like to work on and in what depth. Short-term Counselling tends to be anything from six weeks to a year or more. Long-term Psychotherapy, which is about real change, tends to take longer. Psychotherapy usually explores issues in greater depth and leaves a more lasting effect.
Q. How much do you charge?
A. My fees change each year and depend on where and when we arrange to meet. Fees are £10 higher in London and I charge an extra £5 for appointments after 5pm.
If you have genuine financial difficulty that may exclude you attending therapy, a form of sliding scale exists where fees are negotiated according to what you can comfortably afford. If the financial situation should change at any time during therapy, it is assumed that the fee would be re-negotiated.
Q. Why go privately?
A. NHS counselling through GP surgeries is often time-limited and you may have to wait a long time to see someone. Usually counselling is not offered on a weekly basis and you are unlikely to have much choice about who you see, when you see them, or the approach they offer. Some counsellors are not registered/accredited to UKCP or BACP.
Q. Do you contract with your clients?
A. Yes. The contract covers issues such as confidentiality, cancellation policy, etc. If we are both happy to continue after the first session I will ask you to sign the Contract. I have found that a Contract makes clients feel safe enough to do the work.
If you have any questions at all, please feel free to contact me. I am very happy to chat and help you make the decision of what is right for you.
Mic Austen