What to expect, how I work, and everything you need to know before you book
What sessions are like
A lot of people arrive at their first session not quite knowing what to say. That’s completely fine. There’s no script, no set of questions you need to have answered, and no expectation that you’ll arrive with everything figured out.
Most sessions start simply. We talk. I listen. I might ask questions, reflect back what I’m hearing, or notice something you’ve said that seems worth sitting with for a moment. Some sessions feel like a slow, careful unpicking of something that’s been tangled for a long time. Others go somewhere you weren’t expecting and arrive somewhere surprisingly profound.
What you will always have is time that is entirely yours, full attention, and a space where you don’t have to perform or manage how you’re coming across.
A person-centred approach
I use a person-centred approach, which means sessions are shaped around you, not a plan I’ve already mapped out. My job isn’t to tell you what to do or hand you a diagnosis and a set of techniques. It’s to help you hear yourself more clearly.
We work together on what matters most to you and what feels most alive in the room. There’s no fixed programme, no homework between sessions, and no sense that we’re working toward a destination I’ve already decided on.
Compassionate Inquiry
I’m also trained in Compassionate Inquiry, an approach developed by Dr Gabor Maté. It’s a way of getting underneath the surface of things and exploring the stories you’ve been living by for years, often without realising it.
A lot of what shapes how we feel and behave as adults are beliefs we formed a very long time ago, often in childhood. These beliefs tend to be about what we deserve, what we have to do to feel safe or loved, whether we’re really allowed to need things. They made sense once. They often cause a great deal of unnecessary suffering now.
Saying those things out loud, to someone who is really paying attention, tends to do something that thinking about them alone never quite manages. Things become visible from the outside that were completely invisible from within.
What happens over time
Therapy isn’t necessarily a quick fix, although some people I work with start to feel better after one or two sessions. Others tend to notice things shifting gradually, often in ways they didn’t anticipate.
The anxiety stops running the show. There’s a growing sense of what you want, as distinct from what you think you’re supposed to want. The exhausting effort of keeping everything together starts to ease.
How long that takes is different for everyone. Some people come for a few months, feel happier and are ready to move on. Others find the work goes deeper and choose to continue for longer. There’s no one way, and you’re never locked in.
Getting here and getting started
Location
My therapy room is in Old Amersham, Buckinghamshire. It’s a calm, private space on the ground floor with parking nearby and good transport links.
Online sessions
Online therapy takes place via Zoom. It works just as well as in-person for most people, and it means you can work with me from wherever you are in the world.
Session length
Sessions are 50 minutes.
Fee
£65 per session. Your first 15-minute consultation is always free.
Availability
Daytime and evening appointments available. Get in touch to discuss what works for you.
Commitment
There’s no minimum number of sessions. Most people come weekly to begin with, and we review how things are going as we go.
Confidentiality
Everything you share with me stays between us. The only exceptions are very rare safeguarding situations where I have a professional duty of care, and I’d always talk to you about that directly if it ever arose. I also discuss my work in general terms with my clinical supervisor, but your identity is always protected.
Ready to get started?
Your first conversation with me is always free. Book a free 15-minute consultation, ask me anything you want, and get a real feel for how I work before you decide anything at all.