My Approach

Everything you need to know about what you can expect from our sessions?

Counselling offers a space for you to talk about your problems without being judged, this means that you should expect to feel safe and supported during your sessions.

Weekly sessions can be arranged to suit your personal circumstances, we can discuss this at your first appointment.

It is usual to have a minimum of 6 - 8 counselling sessions with the opportunity to continue beyond this, or indeed end sooner. Solution focused brief therapy can be as short as four sessions, which can be an affordable form of counselling for less complex problems.

Each counselling session lasts 50 minutes and can be either:

On-line video/audio, using a safe encrypted platform such as Zoom or Teams, offering enhanced privacy and data protection for our sessions. You can look for the green shield logo in the upper left corner of the meeting screen with a padlock in the middle to indicate the meeting is using end-to-end encryption.

Via telephone - I will call you from a withheld number on a mutually agreed day and time. This protects us both, as your personal information will not be stored on my phone and our only contact will be within your agreed sessions.

There is now a possibility that I can offer face-to-face appointments in the Cardiff area, with prior notice. This can be discussed at your consultation.

Our first conversation will be a fairly informal chance for you to explain what you expect from the counselling and for us to get to know each other. This 20 minute consultation is FREE. If we are both happy to go ahead, we will then schedule your first appointment.

First appointment - this will be the time that I take a brief personal and medical history from you. This is so we can work together to identify how the therapy can benefit your needs and begin the process of working towards positive change.

We will both sign a counselling contract to ensure that we adhere to confidentiality, boundaries, data protection and GDPR. I am registered with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) as a sole trader processing personal data, so you can be assured that your personal information will be kept safe. Membership of the BACP ensures that I practice ethically to keep you safe from harm.

https://www.bacp.co.uk/events-and-resources/ethics-and-standards/ethical-framework-for-the-counselling-professions/our-commitment-to-clients/

Confidentiality and note keeping - I will make brief notes after each session to support our therapeutic work, these are anonymised so will not contain an identifying name. They will be stored electronically in a safe encrypted vault on my personal computer, no-one else will have access to these files. I do not keep paper copies of your details, our contract, or session notes.

Exceptions - confidential information would only be shared in exceptional circumstances:

When a crime has been committed, such as an act of terrorism/drug trafficking.
Imminent risk of significant harm to you, or someone around you.
A court order.
In the event of my death or other circumstance preventing my practice as a counsellor - in this instance a Therapeutic Executor would have access to your basic contact details in order to make you aware of this event.

Talking Heads Counselling - therapy room example

Online and telephone counselling require us both to have a safe, confidential space, please ensure this is somewhere you feel comfortable and able to talk openly about your problems, without fear of someone listening or overhearing.

Here are some things you could consider:

using a room at home with a locked door.
wearing headphones or ear-pods.
if home is unsafe, consider other options carefully, for example sessions could be undertaken in your car but only if:
- you are able to park in a safe place.
- you cannot be overheard.

Please understand that sessions cannot go ahead if:

you are with someone else.
you are in a public place.
you are under the influence of drugs or alcohol.