Frequently asked questions

  • Therapy is the process of exploring difficult feelings and experiences with a view to greater self-understanding and awareness, so that you can change, grow and heal. Rather than offering advice, therapists guide this process by listening to your story, with empathy, honesty and a lack of judgement, creating a safe and supportive environment for this process of exploration.

  • Humanistic therapists hold the hopeful belief that inside themselves, everyone has the resources, desire and ability to grow and heal, but sometimes, this ability has been blocked or buried.

    Other humanistic beliefs are that:

    • Choice, autonomy and personal agency are important

    • People experience difficulty because of what has happened to them, not because there is something wrong with them

    • Each client and their therapy journey is unique

    • The client and the therapist are equal and deserving of respect and the client is the expert on their own experience.

    • Inclusiveness, tolerance and a lack of judgement matters deeply.

    Humanistic therapists generally don’t offer advice or tell you what to do. Instead, they help you to explore your difficult feelings and experiences so that you can make sense of them, developing your own sense of agency.

  • No. Psychotherapists don’t make diagnoses or prescribe any medication. This can be done either by your GP or by a psychiatrist. Psychotherapists can help you to explore what your choices are regarding your mental health.

  • It can feel really overwhelming when you are looking for a therapist to decide who might be right for you, when you’re faced with lots of different profiles to choose from. Although there are practical things to consider, such as a convenient location and checking that someone is properly qualified (professional bodies such as UKCP and BACP can help you with this), the most important aspect will be a good fit.

    Often, therapists like me offer an initial, introductory call so that you can start to get a sense of who they are, and what it might be like to talk to them. This can really help with deciding between two or three options. Sometimes, you can’t really know whether it’s a good fit until you’re sitting together. Over the first few sessions, try to listen to your gut feelings – does it feel right?  If you start seeing a therapist, you are not obliged to continue with them and can end your sessions at any time if it doesn’t feel like a good fit.

  • Therapy is a process which can feel different from time to time. Sometimes it can feel good, for example it can feel wonderful to have a moment of insight, to discover something about yourself that helps you to understand and grow. It can feel affirming to have someone really listen, hear and see you and validate your feelings; many clients haven’t experienced that often before. It can feel very positive when you can see a change in your day-to-day life as a result of something that you’ve explored in therapy. 

    But sometimes, it can feel very difficult. It can be hard and destabilising to revisit painful life experiences, which can stir up feelings of fear, sadness and anger. Clients can feel vulnerable when they share private feelings with a new therapist who they might be unsure about, bringing up feelings of fear and shame. I understand what this feels like; I’ve experienced it myself in my own therapy sessions. As a psychotherapist, my role is to be with you when it feels hard and painful, and offer compassion, honesty and reliability to help you manage and process these feelings in a trustworthy setting.

  • Confidentiality is a key part of what makes the therapy relationship safe and trustworthy, and is a very important part of the relationship between us. You might talk about some very sensitive experiences and feelings and it’s really important that you can trust that this stays between us in our therapy sessions.

    There are some exceptions to this however, when I must tell someone else what we have spoken about. This is either because I believe that you might hurt yourself or others, or if I’m compelled to by law. I can discuss these exceptions with you in our first session together.

  • There’s no hard and fast rule for how long therapy lasts for. I generally suggest booking in six sessions initially after which we can review how it’s going and talk about what’s next. Some clients feel that this is enough, and many continue with therapy for several months and sometimes years.

    Therapy isn’t easy; there’s no magic wand to wave to make everything feel better, and sometimes you can feel worse before you feel better, as painful experiences and feelings can get stirred up and brought to the surface. However, after a while, you might start to feel calmer and more able to regulate your emotions. You might feel more empowered, with a stronger sense of your autonomy. You might notice an improvement in your relationships with other people, and more able to manage difficult situations. You might feel more at ease with yourself; better able to be your authentic self.

  • If we work together in-person, we would meet at the Green House Therapy Rooms near Turnham Green tube in Chiswick. You can have a look at the rooms on their website here. If we work online, you will need a private space where you feel comfortable to talk without fear of interruption or being overheard.

    I see clients during the working week, and on some evenings. I don’t see clients at the weekend.

  • I see about half my clients online and half in-person in my therapy room. My experience is that there is no right or wrong format. Some people find it convenient to cut out travel time, and like the comfort of having therapy in their own home, whereas others like the feeling of a neutral space, where they can ‘leave’ the therapy behind at the end. Some people feel more comfortable relating to someone who is physically sharing the same space, whereas others feel better online.

    Some practical things to consider when you’re choosing are:

    • Do I have a quiet, confidential space to meet online, where I won’t feel like I’m going to be overheard or disturbed?

    • How will I take care of myself at the end of the session? Sometimes, clicking the Zoom ‘End’ button can feel a bit abrupt.

    • Would I value the travel to and from an in-person session as a way of transitioning from normal daily life to the therapy space?

  • I charge between £85 and £100 for a 50 minute therapy session. Please contact me to discuss