Arranging sessions and Rules
The following applies to both Individual and Couples Therapy)
Please contact me by phone or email to inform me of your interest in working with me. I will respond as soon as I can.
We will arrange an initial session to explore whether we can usefully work together for your benefit. Initially we agree what our work together is for and what your goals are and only proceed if we can agree that these seem realistic for us both.
If we decide to do so we will arrange a series of sessions of an hour each. We will review how it is going together from time to time. When we decide to end (whether altogether or for a period) we schedule at least one, and sometimes several, ending sessions to review and complete our work together.
Sessions are your confidential time and will never normally be changed or interrupted.
What I offer
The success of therapy and counseling has been repeatedly shown to have more to do with the quality of the relationship and rapport between therapist and client than any particular ‘method’ or theory. Successful therapy also depends on the willingness of the client to engage actively and adopt an inquiring attitude to themselves. Thus the therapeutic relationship is intended to be healing, supportive and yet sometimes challenging.
Most therapy sessions involve talking: some also involve drawing, role-play, visualization or other exercises. My work is Gestalt and humanistic. It begins with you and where exactly you are in your process of coming to terms with an issue or experience.
We need to be aware that there may be times, as in any human relationship, when things feel difficult and it seems hard to persevere. These times, if worked through together, can be very fruitful and life-enhancing. We both need to have the intention of seeing things through in such circumstances.
I sometimes offer clients ‘homework’ reading or podcasts between sessions to help integrate our work and I recommend you keep a notebook or ‘journal’ to help your own understanding and reflection as we go along.
Sometimes the ‘work’ turns out to be about something different from what you came to talk about. It is thus difficult to be exact about how long such personal work might take. People all have different wishes in terms of depth and detail.
Confidentiality
Sessions are private and confidential. Nothing you say will be passed on to anybody else, except in the following situations:
1) In discussion with my supervisor who is bound by the same codes of confidentiality as I am.
2) Where you give your consent.
3) Where I am compelled by a court of law.
4) Where there is an imminent danger of harm to self or others.
In the unlikely event that I am compelled to disclose information, I will always attempt to consult with you first if this is possible.
Psychological availability
It is very important that I know about any medications or drugs – prescribed, self prescribed, illegal or whatever – as these influence the therapeutic process. It is important, for the same reason, to know about your use of alcohol and other substances which may alter mood. I ask that all clients come to sessions ‘sober’. If you arrive in what I believe to be an altered state that makes you psychologically unavailable the session will not take place and I will charge you for the time.
Fees and cancellations:
Please ask what my current fee is. I reserve 20% of my work at ‘concessionary’ rates, so do discuss your circumstances with me if you are unable to pay my full fee.
Psychotherapy works best when there is a commitment and regularity in the appointments on the part of both client and psychotherapist. I ask that cancellations be made at least 2 days or more in advance or I will request payment. It is often possible for us to agree a change within the same week if I have a space and, if so, no cancellation fee is due.
I increase my fees every two years in February – by roughly the rate of inflation – to keep abreast of rising practice expenses.
Ethical Standards
I abide by the ethical code of practice of the SBG (Société Belge de Gestalt). These standards are available at:
https://www.cegt.org/siteprod02/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Charte-éthique-et-code-de-déontologie-votés-à-lAG-2019.pdf
Note: I am happy to discuss any of these matters with you before we start our work together, or at any time during it.
The following applies to both Individual and Couples Therapy)
Please contact me by phone or email to inform me of your interest in working with me. I will respond as soon as I can.
We will arrange an initial session to explore whether we can usefully work together for your benefit. Initially we agree what our work together is for and what your goals are and only proceed if we can agree that these seem realistic for us both.
If we decide to do so we will arrange a series of sessions of an hour each. We will review how it is going together from time to time. When we decide to end (whether altogether or for a period) we schedule at least one, and sometimes several, ending sessions to review and complete our work together.
Sessions are your confidential time and will never normally be changed or interrupted.
What I offer
The success of therapy and counseling has been repeatedly shown to have more to do with the quality of the relationship and rapport between therapist and client than any particular ‘method’ or theory. Successful therapy also depends on the willingness of the client to engage actively and adopt an inquiring attitude to themselves. Thus the therapeutic relationship is intended to be healing, supportive and yet sometimes challenging.
Most therapy sessions involve talking: some also involve drawing, role-play, visualization or other exercises. My work is Gestalt and humanistic. It begins with you and where exactly you are in your process of coming to terms with an issue or experience.
We need to be aware that there may be times, as in any human relationship, when things feel difficult and it seems hard to persevere. These times, if worked through together, can be very fruitful and life-enhancing. We both need to have the intention of seeing things through in such circumstances.
I sometimes offer clients ‘homework’ reading or podcasts between sessions to help integrate our work and I recommend you keep a notebook or ‘journal’ to help your own understanding and reflection as we go along.
Sometimes the ‘work’ turns out to be about something different from what you came to talk about. It is thus difficult to be exact about how long such personal work might take. People all have different wishes in terms of depth and detail.
Confidentiality
Sessions are private and confidential. Nothing you say will be passed on to anybody else, except in the following situations:
1) In discussion with my supervisor who is bound by the same codes of confidentiality as I am.
2) Where you give your consent.
3) Where I am compelled by a court of law.
4) Where there is an imminent danger of harm to self or others.
In the unlikely event that I am compelled to disclose information, I will always attempt to consult with you first if this is possible.
Psychological availability
It is very important that I know about any medications or drugs – prescribed, self prescribed, illegal or whatever – as these influence the therapeutic process. It is important, for the same reason, to know about your use of alcohol and other substances which may alter mood. I ask that all clients come to sessions ‘sober’. If you arrive in what I believe to be an altered state that makes you psychologically unavailable the session will not take place and I will charge you for the time.
Fees and cancellations:
Please ask what my current fee is. I reserve 20% of my work at ‘concessionary’ rates, so do discuss your circumstances with me if you are unable to pay my full fee.
Psychotherapy works best when there is a commitment and regularity in the appointments on the part of both client and psychotherapist. I ask that cancellations be made at least 2 days or more in advance or I will request payment. It is often possible for us to agree a change within the same week if I have a space and, if so, no cancellation fee is due.
I increase my fees every two years in February – by roughly the rate of inflation – to keep abreast of rising practice expenses.
Ethical Standards
I abide by the ethical code of practice of the SBG (Société Belge de Gestalt). These standards are available at:
https://www.cegt.org/siteprod02/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Charte-éthique-et-code-de-déontologie-votés-à-lAG-2019.pdf
Note: I am happy to discuss any of these matters with you before we start our work together, or at any time during it.