What are the aims of therapy sessions?
My aim is to facilitate a non-judgemental, reflective discussion in which you have space to explore your thoughts and feelings. I may then encourage you to identify and access your strengths and resources, recognise the choices you have and, if you desire, to implement change. We are both active participants during therapy and the overall outcome also depends on your input, especially between sessions.
What is your availability?
I am available for weekday appointments, starting between 08:00 – 18:00 online.
As a private practitioner, I am unable to offer an emergency service. If you need urgent support and cannot wait to book in a session, I recommend that you call The Samaritans on 116 123; free of charge from any phone.
What are your fees?
I offer a sliding scale of fees on an individual basis that I agree with you in advance. This is with the aim of making my practice accessible, whilst remaining sustainable.
I currently have spaces available within a range between £65-75 per session for individuals, and £90-100 per session for couples.
For more information about my fees, and enquiries regarding concessions, please do contact me and I will be happy to send you more information.
Do you offer a free intro call?
I recommend all new clients book a free intro call. This is 20 minutes for individuals, and 25 minutes for couples. This is essentially a chemistry call as well as a space for any practical queries to be resolved before booking in a first session.
What happens after the intro call?
After this call, if we have decided to continue together, I will email you my ‘Therapy Agreement’ which outlines the practicalities of working together, alongside my Privacy Statement, regarding GDPR. I will also ask you for some personal details such as your DOB and GP contact details which I hold in case of emergency. This is all the administration that is required at the start, with the aim of clarifying the practical terms of the process before we begin.
What happens in the first session?
The first session is a good opportunity to go into more depth with the issues you are bringing, as well as exploring your hopes and expectations for therapy. I will invite you to tell me more about what brings you to therapy at this point in your life, and together we can begin to set some intentions for the work.
How long is a therapy session, and how many should I have?
Individual sessions are up to 50 minutes long. Couples and Relationship sessions can be up to 75 minutes long.
Most people choose to to have ‘open-ended’ sessions, where the ending is approached more organically. Alternatively, you may choose to have a limited number of sessions, for example if you are dealing with a specific issue that you feel would benefit from a ‘time-limited’ approach.
The length of the therapeutic process will vary for each person and we can review this together as we go along, making adjustments as needed. I recommend booking in 6-8 weekly sessions to begin with before having a review and deciding on next steps.
Weekly sessions are the most typical choice and generally occur at the same time each week. Non-weekly sessions are considered ad-hoc. If we have agreed upon this way of working, sessions can be booked in according to preference and availability. (Whilst ad-hoc sessions can offer flexibility, please note that in busier months this may mean having to wait longer between sessions.)
Is it confidential?
Everything you discuss with me is confidential, and that confidentiality will only be broken:
Where it is deemed that you, or connected persons, are at serious risk, in which case relevant third parties may be contacted in the interests of safety.
Where you give explicit permission for private information to be shared with third parties, for instance with your medical practitioner.
Where I am required to divulge information by a court of law.
I will always try to speak to you about this first, unless there are safeguarding issues that prevent this.
Please see my Privacy Statement for information regarding GDPR.
What if I miss a session or need to cancel?
Missed sessions or cancellations outside of 24 hours’ notice are charged at full price,
unless we can easily reschedule a session within that week.
How / when do sessions end?
Endings are inevitable, and can be just as transformative as the rest of the work. I ask that you let me know as soon as possible when you decide to end so that we can explore how best to facilitate that, making sure you have proper space to reflect on your therapeutic journey and perhaps set some intentions for your future path.
I may suggest an ending or a break in the work for various reasons; for example: where we have reached a natural limit, or where I am no longer working within my competency. As part of my ethical code, I would give you plenty of notice of this and work towards a supportive ending that may include signposting you to other practitioners and/or organisations that could be a better fit.
It is very common for many of us to have had difficult endings in the past, so it can be restorative to experience an ending that is respectful of your choices and boundaries, and allows for intentional closure.
Daša Radovanović, MA, MBACP (Accred) 