Initial Telephone Consultation
Initial Telephone Consultation
Initial Telephone Consultation
Taking the first step
After you make contact (by email or telephone) I will offer you a 10-15 minute initial telephone consultation at a time of your convenience. During this consultation we will briefly discuss what your difficulties are, what you are looking for and whether an assessment appointment might be helpful. If you wish to proceed then we will agree on a mutually convenient time. I will email you a copy of my terms and conditions and ask that you read over them before your first appointment.
There is no charge for this initial telephone consultation.
First Appointment
Initial Telephone Consultation
Initial Telephone Consultation
Making sense of your experience.
Your first appointment is an assessment session which provides you with an opportunity to talk about your difficulties. We will discuss these issues in some depth to help me understand what they look and feel like to you, as well as the impact they are having on your life. We will talk about your life more broadly as this helps us understand the development and impact of your difficulties. We will discuss your individual therapy goals and how we will know when these are achieved.
At your first appointment you will be asked to provide basic contact information and to sign a copy of the terms and conditions. Depending on your area(s) of difficulty I may ask that you complete questionnaire type forms to be returned before the next session. Towards the end of the session I will summarise the information gathered in this appointment and we will start to work together to make sense of your experiences. From this we will discuss what future sessions might focus on and create an initial individual therapy plan. It is your decision whether you wish to progress with further therapy appointments.
Therapy Appointments
Initial Telephone Consultation
Therapy Appointments
Working together to achieve your goals.
If you think that engaging in psychological therapy might be helpful then we will meet regularly for an agreed number of appointments. Appointments are normally scheduled weekly or fortnightly but there is flexibility in frequency to suit you. During the assessment appointment we will have identified therapeutic goals and agreed on a number of appointments. These goals and the appointment schedule will be further reviewed as therapy progresses.
During our appointments we will always have a ‘session plan’ which we discuss at the beginning of each appointment. We will always develop this plan together ensuring that you are an active participant in your therapy journey. Typical items on the session plan include:
- Questions or reflections following previous session
- Recent issues or concerns
- Key focus for current session (this is guided by your specific difficulties and treatment goals)
- In between session practice, planning and review
The therapeutic process is goal focussed, collaborative, safe and compassionate.