Prior to your first session we will arrange a free 30-minute telephone assessment. I will ask you to give me a brief history of the problems you’re experiencing and what you are seeking therapy for. It’s important that you feel you’ve had the opportunity to tell me what’s troubling you during this assessment so I can ensure I am the right therapist for you. I will also take some basic contact details and evaluate any potential risk to ensure we can work safely together. If I feel during this process that I am not the right therapist for you I will inform you and refer you onto a more suitable therapist or service.
If at the end of the assessment we decide to work together and you are happy to proceed we will arrange your first session.
In our first session I will spend a few minutes introducing myself and explaining how I work. You can ask me about my qualifications and experience, your therapy or anything you’re not sure about. I want to make sure you feel at ease by sorting out basic things like where you would like to sit, and whether you use first names or are more formal. This first session is important for making sure that you feel comfortable with me and my way of working. There is no commitment for you to continue with me if you can’t relate or don’t feel like I am the right therapist for you.
At our first session I will ask you to agree to the terms of the counselling contract this covers confidentiality, payment, cancellation and information about how I will provide my services. This is a printed document we both need to sign.