Will you ever tell anyone what
I've said?
What do I need to bring with me to a session?
The short and honest answer is 'yes'... but let me explain.
Our sessions together are confidential but, as I'll explain in the contract that we both sign, there are some exceptions to this.
If what you tell me gives me genuine concern that you are a risk to yourself or that someone else is at risk of harm, I may morally choose to pass on that information to authorities to keep you and any third party safe. I would always try to talk to you about this first.
If you talk to me any serious criminal activity (money laundering, drug trafficking or terrorism), I have a legal duty to pass on that information to authorities. I legally cannot discuss this with you first.
As a responsible and ethical counsellor, I have a supervisor with whom I anonymously discuss my casework. I might talk with them about what you've said but I'll never tell them that it was you who said it.
For counselling to work, you need to put your trust in me. In return, I will always be open and honest with you as far as I'm able to be, and try to make you aware of exactly what is going to happen and what you can expect. If you have any hesitancy about this, get in touch and let me put your mind at rest.
There are only two things that you need to bring with you when you visit The Sanctuary: yourself and your truth.
You'll have already paid for your session when you arrive so that it's a weight off your mind.
You don't need to take notes - in fact, I discourage it unless it specific works for your neurodiversity (though I'm all for journalling when you get home).
I'll provide the tissues, the water and any paperwork you might need, as well as the pen to sign it with.
Just show up with your whole self and let me take care of the rest.
Will you tell me what to do?
If you start your counselling journey thinking that your therapist will be a font of knowledge who can tell you exactly what you should do to 'fix your problems', you'll waste your time and money.
Ethical and responsible counsellors don't give advice. They don't tell you what you should do in a certain situation or share what they'd do if they were you. Why? Because we're not you.
There is no one-size-fits-all approach to living life, and the only person who knows what's right for you in this very moment is you. I'll work with you to find the answers within yourself, even when you don't know where to start looking. But the important thing is that the answers you find were always yours to begin with.
How long will I need to see you for?
There's no fixed amount of time that any one person needs to attend counselling for, or a magic number of sessions that's always enough. That being said, it also isn't something that should go on forever with no review points.
An ethical, responsible therapist won't let your counselling carry on indefinitely. If they're happy to do that, I'd question whose interest that's serving.
At The Sanctuary, I recommend that you start by trying six sessions (usually weekly, sometimes fortnightly). After six sessions, we will work together to look at where you are on your counselling journey, and what the best route forward is for you. That may be more sessions; it may also be a resilient and empowered client who doesn't need my help any more. What's important is that it is right for you.
Would you ever refuse to work with
a client?
First and foremost, a therapeutic relationship is purely a professional one. If we have any sort of existing social or familial relationship already, it wouldn't be appropriate for me to work with you in a therapeutic environment, but I'll happily give you details of someone who'll be able to meet your needs.
Outside of those parameters, I welcome clients from all walks of life, with any issue they choose to present or content they'd like to discuss. No topic is too weird, taboo or off-limits (but you will need to understand that some disclosures might fall within my legal duty to prevent harm to others). I'll talk you through this during our initial consultation.
So, as long as the counselling relationship remains safe, healthy and productive, I'm happy to work with you for as long as it takes to help you to achieve your therapeutic goals.
Why does a counselling session cost so much?
While it may look like there are few costs associated with being a counsellor, there are many hidden expenses that we try not to pass on to our clients: professional registrations and memberships, supervision, insurance, continued professional development, premises rent, phone bills... the list goes on.
These costs also vary depending on where in the country you are, with inner-city counsellors often paying much more for their expenses than more rural colleagues. This is another reason why you may see fluctuations in pricing between different therapists.
Many counsellors offer concessions to clients on lower incomes, but this is ultimately at their own discretion as it affects their income, too.
Put simply: counselling has a cost to it because your counsellor is a highly-trained professional who deserves to earn a fair living after all of these things have been paid for.
How can I get a copy of the information that you hold about me?
Under GDPR legislation, the right of access (commonly referred to as subject access) gives individuals the right to obtain a copy of their personal data, as well as other supplementary information held about them.
To do this, please request your information verbally or in writing. You need to clearly state that you are asking for your own personal data. You may wish to do this by sending an email to hello [@] thesanctuarycounselling.com
Within one month of receiving your request, I will provide you with a physical copy of all personal data that I hold about you. Please note that I only hold clients’ personal information for 7 years after we finish working together.
I may ask you to show a form of ID before I hand this over to you so that I can make sure that the correct person is receiving this protected information.
I will not charge you any money for doing this.
Why do you use What3Words?
If we are working remotely (over the phone, online or using text-based chat), I ask all of my clients to download the free app What3Words.
What3Words is a free app that divides the whole Earth into 3mx3m squares. Every 3-metre square of the world has been given a unique combination of three words. That means that, if you give me your What3Words location, I'll be able to pinpoint where you are to within 3 metres of your actual location.
So, why do I ask my clients to do this? The short answer is safety. Keeping you safe while we work remotely is different to keeping you safe in my counselling room. If something goes wrong while we speak and you're in need of assistance, I know exactly where you are and where to instruct your next of kin or emergency services to find you. It's better to know this ahead of time than to try to get the information from you if you're already in difficulty.
Are you a qualified counsellor?
Yes. I hold a Diploma in Therapeutic Counselling, and I was specifically trained in the person-centred approach, but with complimentary knowledge of cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) and psychodynamic therapy.
I specialise in working with individuals with PTSD/cPTSD, ADHD, Autism and those who have experienced domestic abuse and sexual abuse, but I am happy to work with anything a client would like to bring to sessions.
Are you insured?
Yes. In the unlikely event that something goes wrong, I hold Malpractice and Professional Liability, Public Liability and Products Liability insurance with Holistic Insurance Services, which I’m happy for you to request proof of if you would like to.
What professional bodies are you a member of?
As a counsellor, I am a Registered Member of a professional body called the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy. You can verify this on the BACP Register.
In terms of handling your data responsibly, I am registered with the Information Commissioner’s Office. You can verify this on the ICO Public Register.
As a qualified teacher, I am also registered with the Department for Education.
I am happy to provide you with proof of my membership details for all of these professional bodies if you request it.
Who can I go to if I have any complaints?
If you are not happy with any of our sessions or the standard of my work, I truly hope that you would feel able to talk to me about this. Your safety and comfort in our sessions is my top priority, and I’d love to work with you to make sure that you’re able to get the most out of your counselling.
If you feel unable to talk to me or in the event of a serious complaint, please contact the BACP’s confidential telephone service on 01455 883300, email gethelp@bacp.co.uk, or write to the BACP at 15 St John’s Business Park, Lutterworth,
LE17 4HB.