GFrequently Asked QuestionsE
y What is the booking process for sessions?
-
Submit an enquiry via the contact page - include the service you want, your availability for sessions/when the best times and days are for you, and how soon you wanted to start so that Sophie can offer you the most appropriate time slot to make arranging a session go smoother and more quickly.
-
Sophie will reply to your enquiry asap and provide you with answers to any specific question you may have asked and send you the therapeutic contract for you to read through before proceeding.
-
If you are happy and understand the contract, inform Sophie of how you would prefer to pay for the session (via PayPal or BACS) & send your filled in contract back. Sophie will not be able to proceed unless this is sent back completed. To do so, select "Annotate" on the PDF and "type text" and "sign" appropriately, Save and email back.
-
Once your investment price and appointment are agreed, pay for your session to secure your booking.
-
After your payment has been received, Sophie can send you an email receipt if requested, and she will send you the appropriate session attendance details.
-
During the first session your therapy goals or aims are set in accordance with what you disclose, and your therapy journey has begun!
​
p What is my investment for working with you? When you submit a contact form, as part of my reply I will send you the current pricing.​ I have a very fair policy to include situations so that no one should be left out from being able to acquire high-quality therapy.
​
N Why do you require payment upon booking a session? This is known as advanced payment as you pay before the session. This secures the session as an appointment in my diary and is a common practice within the USA and other countries.
I’m never upset with clients when they miss an appointment, I know that’s life. In return, my clients understand that scheduling an appointment with me is like buying tickets to an event. If you miss the event, it doesn’t matter why you missed it, or even if it was your first time, you can’t turn in your tickets for a refund. Cancellations with less than 24 hours’ notice will also incur the full fee for the session. In the event of me not being able to give you a session due to illness or emergency, I will give as much notice as possible and give an alternative time and/or date.
​
Research shows that this method helps with client attendance and management of their appointment: I have found over the years that some people will not attend a session because they did not set aside money to pay for it, which can result in them going weeks or sometimes months without a session that they need, and slows down the progress of therapy. I ask clients to do this whether they have financial problems or not by way of fair treatment. It also makes it more likely that you'll commit to yourself and your appointment since you have already purchased it, meaning that you can progress further!
If for some reason you do not attend a booked session or communicate to rearrange, it also means that I can continue to run my services at the competitive price that I do. Many therapists charge highly for sessions because they are self-employed and don't have the benefits of sick pay, holiday pay, company pension contributions, and other allowances, or payment for all the work for you they may do outside of your session (therapy notes, process notes, supervision, emails, research and so on) etc. It is also a part of running a service because there are people who need and want therapy/coaching so otherwise that slot goes to waste because someone else could have had it. Therefore, I have found that advance payment is the fairest for both clients and me.
h How do online sessions work?
​Read more on how the process works and Skype here on this blog post.
Payment when outside the UK: if you have a non-sterling bank account, then my bank does not charge me to receive, or you to send, payment in a foreign currency to my bank account. I cannot say whether your bank will charge you to send to a UK account - it is unlikely but if you are concerned please contact your bank for more information. Alternatively, you may wish to use PayPal.
​
MIs the initial session a different fee? The first session is charged at the rate of your other sessions as it lasts as long as any other full session. I have found that this works better because people tend to find themselves relaxing and want to speak more but then the time does not permit if it is a short initial session. I find this unethical because my client will have opened up and then has to leave, so I choose not to work this way. I endeavor to provide as much information as necessary before the session so that my client is comfortable and has a good enough idea of what it would be like to work with me. I have also found that people who are really adamant about a short "introductory session" are not actually ready for therapy according to Person-Centred theory. I provide a free 10-minute telephone consultation as I am always happy to answer a question over the phone or online if there is any prior query or trepidation, perhaps due to anxiety or nerves of speaking with someone new.
KDo I have to commit to weekly sessions? Not at all. I am truly person-centred and as part of taking a bespoke approach to therapy, I don't subscribe to the idea that weekly sessions are the only way to progress within therapy. Sometimes we are busy and weekly is just too much to commit to and it doesn't leave enough time to progress and implement things (strategies, techniques, goals, research etc) discussed during sessions. Fortnightly sessions work for a lot of people. Having said that, others may find that when they are not new to therapy, and they have a cyclical struggle such as PMDD, they may benefit more from having monthly sessions. It entirely depends on you and your goals for therapy. If you want to check in with me, to use our time together as a safe and confidential space to talk things through every few weeks and keep you accountable to your goals and development, then 3-weekly or monthly sessions could be what you need. If you are in a lot of distress then weekly appointments can better offer you the support you need. Your thoughts on this and individual situation can and will be discussed during your first session so that we can see what would work best for you at this time.
​
S Email Coaching/counselling: You are free to address whatever you feel you need to, I work to what you would like to cover as long as it is not legal advice or relating to a physical condition where it is best to seek out a GP or medical specialist in the field relating to the physical problem. Find out more about the policies and processes that this service is subject to here.
Once you have purchased this service, please email me your question and put "Email service" and your order number in the subject line. I do get an automated notification from this site as well. Get as specific as possible with your question. The more informed your question, the better I can formulate my reply to be as helpful as possible.
Please note that once I’ve responded to your email and if you’ve only purchased one I won’t be able to reply further unless a new email service has been purchased. If you purchase multiple’s then I will reply as part of your package. So make sure to get really specific in your email to me, so that in return I can be specific for you too. Email packages once purchased are non-refundable unless I can’t fulfill them for any reason – then a full refund will be issued. Purchase means that you agree to the following terms and conditions.
Please allow 2-4 working days for me to reply to your questions, if demand is extremely high at any point then I will email you to let you know a rough estimate of when you can expect to receive your reply. It takes me up to one hour to answer a detailed question as fully as I can.
​
M What about my confidentiality? I am able to offer confidentiality in line with current UK law. I do not discuss anything about a client with anyone who does not need to know for legal reasons. I would be duty bound to break confidentiality only under certain circumstances, such as if I became seriously concerned about your safety or that of another person, or if you disclose acts of terrorism (more information in the administrative contract). Wherever possible, I would consult with you first to obtain your consent. Please view exceptions to the duty of confidentiality here for more comprehensive information. In line with good practice, counsellors and psychotherapists need to discuss our work with another practitioner (a supervisor) for purposes of development and evaluation but I take care not to use identifying information about clients. My Supervisor is also registered with and held by the standards of the British Association for Counsellors and Psychotherapists (our professions acting governing body).
Regarding online: you may unintentionally compromise your confidentiality just through the normal risks of technology, such as, someone else having your email or phone passwords, having emails downloaded to your phone and then having auto log-ins enabled on apps and browsers. I am not responsible and will not take any responsibility for user end confidentiality, the onus there is on you to ensure your data is secure.
​
y Why do you have limited availability? If you want to see a dentist of doctor, you do not expect to be seen on the weekend or late into the evening. You make yourself available to attend these appointments, whether in your lunch break or making the time up elsewhere in the week. In rare circumstances I can sometimes make availability outside of the 9am-5pm working model, however, If I do that for every client, I would not be able to help as many people and my own wellbeing and that of those who I am responsible to, would suffer. Which would not make me the fantastic therapist that I am able to be!
J How do I find the right therapy for me? Research consistently shows that the most effective talking therapies are those where there is a good working relationship between the client and the therapist as that enables the techniques and skills used to be most effective, so finding the right therapist for you is important and if we do not fit, I can refer you if you like.
K How many sessions can I have? As many as you need. A benefit to private therapy/mentoring/coaching is there is no time limit to sessions so essentially, you can have as many as you need to and go at your own pace, until you feel you do not need them anymore. Because I value the benefits to long-term work and the professional relationship that is built over time, I offer repeat clients discounts and payment plans at their request, so that they are better able to manage their finances and not have payments for sessions as a concern, freeing them to the long-term work we can do together.
L When will it end? We are likely to feel when our work is approaching an end and we will discuss this so that the end is managed properly and all things are wrapped up for you. It could also be the case that we agree a specific goal for you to attain and reaching that may mean the sessions will come to a close.
​
G Advice for single people attracted to sis females: It is not uncommon for those desiring a relationship to misinterpret the therapeutic relationship. Whilst I do my best to realize if a client is reading into something that is not there between us and correct this, it occasionally is not clear to me as a practitioner. Feeling comfortable to express yourself and be in my company, share humor and feel understood, is part of the therapeutic process, it does not indicate romantic love or sexual interest from me towards you. The services I provide are professional and listed on this website, there is nothing additional. To put it very plainly: under no circumstances will I enter into any relations with a client. This is prohibited ethically. Any form of harassment or malicious communication will be reported immediately to the police who are aware of the nature of my business and the risks it poses. This is part of my zero tolerance to abuse policy.
What Clients Say
Sophie exceeded my expectations. This should be a longer list but I will keep it concise. The first, best thing about this particular service was that it was extremely well catered to my specific needs. Other services often feel like they have a "syllabus" they are adhering to and while it probably started on well trodden ground for Sophie, she patiently followed me on every tangent, no matter where I deviated, she helped me ask myself the right questions and get to what was important. The second thing I feel needs to be mentioned regards the atmosphere in general. I was never pushed too hard nor was I coddled. On some of my lower days I would feel somewhat hopeless in my inability to pull myself together which has, with previous therapists, led the dynamic to shift to either overt sympathy or cold professionalism. Sophie always gave me the right amount of space and respect so that I always felt like I was talking to an equal instead of an authority.
— A.C.
Please enclose required information to ensure your message is as effective as possible i.e. session type, session format, your availability etc.