Frequently Asked Questions

Here you can find answers to questions you might have about the practicalities of therapy with me, as well as some you might have that could be harder to express (and therefore harder to find). I hope they will help you to figure out whether this might be a space where you can explore your challenges.

Starting Therapy & Process

Working Together

Therapy Format & Access

Modalities & Approach

Relationships, Identity & Safety

Starting Therapy & Process

Once you get in touch either by email, phone or through the contact form, I’ll get back to you within 24 hours (weekdays) to offer a short consultation. I offer two options for a consultation – a short 15 minute phone call, or a longer 50 minute consultation session by video call.

Both options are a chance for us to meet briefly and talk about what’s bringing you to therapy, what you might need, and whether what I offer feels like a good fit. There’s no obligation to go on to work together afterwards if it doesn’t feel right.

If you're not ready to book a consultation yet, you're very welcome to send me any questions first by email or text.

We’ll agree a format, date and time for a first session.

I’ll then send you our counselling agreement which explains how we’ll work together, including things like confidentiality, cancellation, and data protection.

If we're working online, I’ll send you a secure Zoom link for the session (you don’t need to download anything extra unless you want to). If we’re meeting in person, I’ll send you location and access details.

Payment is by bank transfer before each session (I’ll send you details in our counselling agreement).

Therapy is usually most effective when it’s regular, so I typically suggest we meet weekly. If that doesn’t work for you, we can talk about fortnightly or flexible scheduling.

Sessions are often held at the same time each week, but I also offer week-by-week bookings where needed.

Every 6 sessions or so, we’ll have a check-in to see how things are feeling and whether anything needs adjusting.

That depends entirely on you. Some people come for medium term support (12-18 session) especially if they’re working through a specific issue, but the majority of my clients stay for longer-term work. So, there’s no fixed timeline but we will review together as we go along to make sure therapy continues to feel useful and supportive for you.

I also offer the option of single-session therapy, which is a distinct therapy model – find out more about that here.

Each session is your space to bring whatever’s coming up. Sometimes we will have agreed on a particular focus, other times we work with what you’re feeling on the day. You don’t need to plan or prepare unless it feels helpful for you, and there’s no right way to “do” therapy. I’ll be there to support you in making sense of whatever shows up.

Working Together

No, you do not need a GP referral to access therapy with me.

Yes, confidentiality is a core part of therapy as it’s what allows you to speak freely and trust that what you choose to share is held with care. There are some very specific exceptions to when a therapist is able to hold confidentiality, which we would discuss together in either a consultation or our first session. Even in these situations, we’d be looking to find a way forward together. Everything else, like what we talk about, what you share, how you’re feeling, is private. If you ever feel unsure, you can ask me about confidentiality at any time (even ahead of booking a consultation).

It’s honestly one of the most significant parts of therapy, and the research backs that up. A strong, trusting relationship is often the thing that makes therapy feel safe enough to actually work. That doesn’t mean we’ll necessarily click instantly, especially if you’ve had painful or dismissive experiences before, it is very normal for it to take time to feel safe, or to trust me and the space we create together. We’ll take our time.

We can talk about this. Therapy won’t always feel easy and comfortable, but it should always feel like a space that’s yours and somewhere you feel heard and respected by me as your therapist. So if it is not feeling like that, or something else isn’t feeling right for you, you can tell me and we will discuss it together. I won’t take it personally, and I’d much rather we explore what needs to change together. Sometimes we just need to adjust something, and other times it might feel like a different kind of support would suit you better, in which case I can help you think that through or suggest other options.

I have included this question here because in my experience, it is one of the biggest fears that clients hold when thinking about starting therapy. Many of my clients have been dismissed, pathologised, or left feeling like they were “too much” or “not enough” in other spaces, including therapy.

So let me be clear: my practice is intersectional, anti-racist, neurodivergent-affirming, and LGBTQIA+ affirming. I pay close attention to how identity, power, and culture shape our lives and relationships, how trauma often stems from systems, not just individuals. That’s a lot of language, I know, but for me it’s the lens through which I see the world, and the one I bring to the work, and I believe therapy has to make room for all of who you are, including parts you’ve had to hide or protect elsewhere

Therapy format

I offer sessions in three formats, so we can find the one that works best for you.

In person: This is available for both individuals and couples, in a private and comfortable therapy room in Cheshire, UK.
Online: Also available for individuals and couples, these sessions are via Zoom, or another secure platform if needed. This can be a helpful option if you're seeking support that isn’t available locally to you, or if being in your own space helps you feel safer or more regulated.
Walk and talk: This is available to individual clients. These are outdoor sessions where we walk (or sit) as we talk. This can be particularly supportive if sitting still is difficult, or if you feel more grounded and open when connected to nature. Learn more about this format here.

Online therapy can be just as effective as in-person work, and for some clients even more so. It removes some of the barriers that might otherwise make accessing therapy feel overwhelming.

Here’s why it might suit you:

Convenience: you can attend sessions from home or any private space
Accessibility: you’re not as limited to therapists in your local area, and you can work with someone who specialises in your needs
Flexibility: online sessions can be easier to fit around complex or unpredictable schedules, like parenting or shift work
Comfort: being in your own space can make it easier to settle, stim, move around, or take a break if needed
Continuity: it can be ideal for people who travel, relocate, or split their time between places.

If you’ve never tried online therapy before and feel unsure, we can talk it through in the consultation, and perhaps try it out with no pressure to continue if it’s not the right fit.

For individuals:

You can choose between 50-minute (£70) or 70-minute (£95) sessions.

Some people (in my experience, particularly neurodivergent clients) find that longer sessions allow more time to settle in and communicate without rushing. It can also be helpful for clients choosing less frequent sessions, e.g. fortnightly 70-min sessions instead of weekly 50-min ones.

Single-session therapy

50 minutes – £80

Learn more here.

For couples:

You can choose between 60-minute (£90) or 90-minute (£120) sessions.

I don’t currently offer sliding scale places, but if affordability is a concern, I can help signpost lower-cost or specialist services.

My approach

Integrative therapy is exactly what it sounds like: a blend of different ways of working or thinking about experiences, which gives us a flexible but solid framework. Rather than following one single theory or way of working, I draw from a few core approaches which allow me to tailor my work to you and your needs, your way of thinking and your pace.

The three main approaches that shape my work are:

Person-centred therapy – This holds that you are the expert on your own life. The role of a therapist is to offer a grounded, non-judgemental space that helps you connect to your own inner knowing and wisdom. Have a look at this to find out more.
Psychodynamic therapy – This approach is about bringing curiosity to the deeper roots of things we experience, for example exploring how early relationships or unconscious patterns still show up in the present. This will tell you more.
Relational psychotherapy (attachment-based) – With relational therapy, the focus is on how we relate to ourselves and others, both inside the therapy room and in our everyday lives. I pay attention to the therapeutic relationship itself as something real and meaningful, and as a space where you can experience perhaps a different kind of relating than you’re used to. Read more here.

When I say I work in a trauma-informed way, I don’t mean I only work with “trauma cases.” I mean I hold an ongoing awareness of how all kinds of difficult or overwhelming experiences can impact your nervous system, sense of self and your relationships.

Being trauma-informed means I:

Recognise the signs and impacts of trauma, even when it isn’t named directly
Never push you to talk about something you’re not ready to share
Prioritise your sense of safety, trust, and choice at all times
Respect your boundaries, even (especially) if you're still learning how to hold them
Understand that the pace of healing is different for everyone

It's also a commitment on my part to keep learning through training and supervision, how to make therapy safer and more supportive for people whose experiences are often misunderstood or pathologised.

Relationships, Identity & Safety

No, but I totally understand why it might feel important. I work affirmatively with LGBTQIA+ and neurodivergent clients, and I stay curious and open to your cultural, spiritual, or lived experience, especially when it’s different from mine. I'm not here to bring my story into your space, but I also don’t pretend to be completely neutral and absent of my own experience which inevitably has some influence on how I am as a person and therapist. At the same time, I won’t pretend to know everything about your world just because I’ve had or worked with similar experiences. I’ll be transparent about what I bring, and what I don’t. What matters more than what I bring, is you feeling safe to show up as you are without the need to shrink or translate yourself.

On autism:

Emerging research suggests that when it comes to neurodivergent clients, particularly autistic clients, working with a neurodivergent therapist may enhance the quality of communication and therapeutic rapport. This concept is often referred to as "neurodivergent-to-neurodivergent (ND-ND) affinity". Studies have shown that autistic individuals tend to experience greater empathy, understanding, and ease in communication when interacting with other autistic people, compared to autistic–neurotypical interactions (Crompton et al., 2020). This isn’t because neurotypical people lack empathy, but because our social communication styles, cognitive processing, and unspoken rules differ. When our ways of being align more closely, connection can often feel more fluid and less effortful.

Absolutely, you don’t need any certainty to begin therapy, about anything in fact. Some people come to therapy knowing something about themselves that they’ve not yet said out loud, and many others arrive feeling confused or a mixture of feelings. Therapy should never be about pushing for labels or outcomes, and if we work together we’ll take our time and explore whatever’s coming up for you.

If you’d like to understand what it means to work in an LGBTQIA+ affirming way, I find this to be a really well described article explaining it in more detail.

Of course, you don’t need a diagnosis to bring this into the room. Many of my clients are wondering the same thing, or have already figured it out for themselves and just want space to talk about it. I’ve spent over a decade supporting neurodivergent individuals and families, and I also bring lived experience, which helps me attune to some of the subtleties and complexities that can be hard to explain.

I must be clear that I don’t offer diagnoses and I’m not qualified to assess for them, but that doesn’t mean we can’t explore your experiences and questions about the way you think and feel in depth.

Definitely not - I don’t offer blanket advice about family, or in fact anyone who might have caused you hurt. I don’t think there is a single ‘right’ way to navigate painful relationships. I see my role as creating space to help you figure out what feels possible and safest for you. This is going to be different for everyone but might include creating some distance, re-connection, setting boundaries, grieving what you didn’t get, or most likely a combination of these things.

Still have questions?

If there's something you're wondering about that hasn’t been answered here or elsewhere on the site, please feel free to get in touch. You can drop me a message using the contact form below, or text/call me on 07496 334870.

Get in touch

Reaching out can feel like a big step, especially if you’ve spent a long time managing on your own.

You’re welcome to contact me using the form here if you'd like to arrange a short consultation, or if you have any questions before deciding whether to begin.

If you’d prefer to leave a message or speak to me first, you’re also welcome to call me on:

+44 74963 34870

Take your time.

Frequently Asked Questions