Frequently Asked Questions
Your Questions Answered
What are your fees?
My sessions are 60 minutes long (50 minutes counselling and 10 minutes administration). I charge £75 for sessions. Payment for the assessment session can be made afterwards but payment is taken in advance for all following sessions.
Payment is by bank transfer (card payment is an option for in-person sessions).
What will happen when I make contact?
I am happy to offer a free pre-assessment telephone or online chat of up to 20 minutes to answer any preliminary questions.
The first step is booking an assessment session at a time that is convenient for you, before ongoing therapy can be considered This is an opportunity for me to check out that I am qualified to support you with the issues that you are experiencing and for you to decide that you feel that I am the right counsellor for you. Sometimes the assessment process may take longer than one session.
The assessment session(s) are not free and incur my usual fee.
How often will I need to see you?
In general counselling works best on a weekly basis, at least in the early stages. But I understand that in some situations people's lives just do not fit into this pattern and I will try to offer flexibility where possible to accommodate that.
How long will I need counselling for?
That varies greatly depending on your situation, I can discuss this with you. Average around 20 sessions but it varies greatly.
Does counselling work?
Many clients discover that the process of counselling can be very beneficial but it also has potential risks and there can be no guarantee of outcome. Progress is regularly reviewed throughout therapy and your honest feedback is always invited and welcomed. Sometimes I may offer a weekly monitoring tool and if you are interested in using this, please do ask me.
Will this be confidential?
I take confidentiality very seriously and will not normally share information about you. But there are exceptional circumstances in which it may be necessary and the main ones are:
When I have reason to believe that either you or someone else, especially a child, is at serious risk of harm.
When a client discloses serious crime or ethical issues.
What if I am not happy with your service?
I very much hope that you will not have cause to complain about the service that you receive. If you are in any way unhappy with the service that I am providing, I would like to know as soon as possible; please do not wait until the matter becomes serious. However, in the unlikely event that you do wish to complain (including complaints about GDPR), please send an email to: ahallcounselling@outlook.comin the first instance and I will reply within 30 days. If you are still dissatisfied, you are entitled to take your complaint to my professional bodies (or the ICO for GDPR matters).
What happens if I need to cancel?
If you need to cancel a booked session, your appointment time will be held open for you the following week. Provided you give 48 hours notice of a cancellation, there is no charge, but at less than 48 hours, the full fee may be charged.
Can I bring my children to a session?
I am not qualified in family counselling, so I am unable to counsel children. Because distressing material may be covered in counselling and emotions run high, children are not able to be present in the room and Ashcroft Therapy Centre does not have childcare facilities, so you will need to make your own provision. Some clients have managed this situation by booking online sessions at a time when their children will be in bed, or in another room dependent on their age and development.
I am worried that domestic abuse is an element of our relationship?
Domestic abuse is not only physical. Where there is possible domestic abuse in any form, a thorough assessment will be offered before couple counselling can be considered. I am unable to see you together if there are current bail conditions or legal injunctions. My priority is your safety and so I may recommend individual support, either with myself or a specialist agency, prior to any work as a couple being offered. Other helpful resources may be found at womensaid.co.uk, mankind.org.uk, galop.org.uk respectphoneline.org.uk