Frequently asked questions
Answers to some frequently asked question are below. If you cannot find the answer you are looking for then please visit our contact page and either phone, email or fill in the form and we will reply as soon as possible.No. You can book an appointment directly with us and no referral is necessary.
Yes, everything you tell your therapist is treated as strictly confidential. The only exception to this is if there is a threat to someone’s safety: either your own or somebody else’s.
Sessions usually occur weekly, although sometimes more frequent or less frequent sessions are more appropriate (see answer to next question).
Individual counselling or psychotherapy sessions are usually 50 minutes long.
Couple counselling sessions are usually 60 minutes long.
Sometimes due to practicalities different durations can be negotiated in advance. For example, 60 minutes can go quite fast during couple counselling sessions and a 90 minute or 2 hour session can feel more useful.
Sometimes people travel from out of town and find a longer but less frequent session to be more practical.
Payment is usually made at the end of the session unless prior arrangements have been agreed. We accept cash or cheque.
Some people prefer to pay via online banking and we can email an invoice with payment details.
No. During the first session your therapist will ask questions in order to understand what has prompted you to seek counselling or psychotherapy at this time. You do not need to do any special preparation for this.
This is understandably a common question and the answer varies widely for each person. Whilst some people will get the clarity that they need after 1 session, most people will have ongoing sessions that continue for as long as needed. Psychotherapy tends to be longer term than counselling due to the nature of the objective (see below).
This is a rather complex question but generally speaking counselling will tend to focus on a specific situation that is causing distress and explore ways in which that situation can be managed. Psychotherapy will help you to understand how the experiences in your life have shaped you into who you are, and then look at what aspects of your character you may wish to improve.
We have a cancellation policy which requires full payment if less than 24 hours notice is given. We try to be flexible for genuine emergencies but we do need to protect our time as well.
Go to the contact us page – you can either phone, email, text or fill in the online form and we will get back to you shortly and arrange an appointment time that suits you.
When you call our main number you will get a recorded message asking you to select the extension number for who you would like to speak to. When we are in client sessions we are unable to answer the phone so you will usually get through to voicemail – please leave a message with your contact details and a preferred time to call. All messages are treated as confidential. When we phone back we will usually check that it is convenient to speak. If not we can call back later. If someone else answers the phone we will not leave a message with them, we will try again later.
In couple therapy most of the work is done with you both together. Sometimes it can be helpful to have one or two sessions separately but the majority of the work is usually done together.
WINZ may be able to contribute towards the cost of payments. Your case officer or local WINZ office will be able to give you a form which your GP and your therapist will sign and you then return it to WINZ to process.
This can work. However, there are some considerations that are useful to discuss at the beginning of therapy. The two main concerns are: how information that was discussed in the individual therapy will be treated when the couple therapy commences, and how your partner will feel about joining a therapy that is already established.
Sometimes this scenario this can work well with one therapist and sometimes it is more appropriate to do the individual therapy with one therapist and then begin the couple therapy with a new therapist that you both have an equal alliance to.
Yes. Couple therapy is not just about staying together; it can also be about separating well. When there are children involved their wellbeing is paramount and couple therapy can help you both work through the separation process whilst keeping the impact on your children at a minimum.
Our first appointment of the day is at 7.30am Monday – Friday. We no longer offer evening or weekend appointments.
We do not work with children but if you contact us we may be able to offer a referral to a therapist in your area who does.