Frequently asked questions

Who is therapy for?
Therapy is helpful for anyone who is feeling in difficulty or is finding that their life is impacted by issues they cannot resolve. A trained therapist can help you to understand what is happening and to find a way forward.

What's a referral form?
It's just a list of questions about you to help us to understand what's happening for you at the moment.

What if I'm a young person in crisis and I don't feel I can wait?
Our practice is not a crisis service and if you feel worried about being safe, it's important that you speak with someone. If it's an emergency, you should go to any A&E department at any time day or night and ask. If can't get there, you should call 999. If it's not an emergency, you can call 111 at any time day or night, and use Option 2 for mental health support. If you're under 19, you can also call Childline on 08001111 or visit www.childline.org. Anyone of any age can also call the Samaritans Helpline on 116123 or visit www.samaritans.org.

How do I know if this kind of therapy is right for me?
Starting in therapy is a big thing, even if you've tried something like it before. As psychotherapists, we are experienced in thinking with lots of different people about what kind of help is right for them. Deciding this with you would be our first bit of important work together.

How much is it?
You can find our list of services here, and a description of fees here. A first conversation, to find out if this kind of help is suitable, is free. Future fees are then decided between the therapist and you or your family. There is a reality to the emotional and financial cost of entering into therapy, and we would seek to think about this with you.

How long will therapy last?
This depends on what is needed. Your therapist will help explore the nature of the difficulties and how they may be overcome. We find that people tend to come for:
A shorter time period, typically six to 12 sessions, to work on a specific issue.
Medium-term psychotherapy, from six to twelve months, for support through a critical time or event.
Longer term psychoanalytic psychotherapy, for up to two years or more, to address deeper problems which may have a longer history.

What if I start and then feel I need to stop?
Some people can feel worried about 'getting stuck' in therapy before they begin. There is something very healthy about this. After all, we don't want to stay talking about difficult stuff - we want to enjoy being well! Worrying about beginning in therapy is an important part of the process. With your best interests in mind, we would explore this together. The decision to end therapy would typically be discussed with your therapist and anticipated in advance to enable a considered ending. Experience and research suggest that this is the most helpful way to end therapy.

What happens after I write to you?
We look at every message we receive and think carefully about them. We aim to reply to messages within one working week. Sometimes it's shorter than this, and sometimes a little longer. Often, we will suggest arranging a call or a meeting to think together about best next steps. Sometimes, we might ask you to complete a referral form to help us with this plan.