Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

If you've been feeling more anxious, or lower in mood than you're comfortable with, therapy can help. You may also have been feeling stuck, overwhelmed, burnt out, or struggling with things that used to feel more manageable or enjoyable. Many people come to therapy because they're just not feeling like themselves. Importantly, you don't need to feel in your worst place to come to therapy. You may want to understand yourself better, and make meaningful changes in your life.

I offer evidence-based therapies which focus on understanding patterns, building skills to cope, and helping you live in line with your values. These include Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), and Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing (EMDR). Find out more here.

Many people feel anxious about the first session and need ideas on how to start, what topics are appropriate, or how much to share. Our first session is really a chance to get to know each other. I'll ask some questions about what's brought you to therapy, and what you'd like support with. There's no pressure to commit, it's really about seeing if it feels like a good fit for you. Read more about first sessions here.

The current fee for a 1-hour session is £75. I do also accept many major health insurances such as Aviva, AXA and Vitality.

This depends on lots of factors - like your goals, and whether those goals stay the same throughout therapy, whether we're working on one thing or several, and how well therapy fits into your life right now. Some people come for a short-term block which could be 10-12 sessions, whilst others stay for longer. We'll check in every 4-6 sessions and make sure we're still headed in the right direction. 

Yes! The only times I would need to break confidentiality is if I'm ethically or legally obligated to. This would include situations where there are concerns for yours or someone else's safety. I would always try and discuss this with you first, if it ever came up. 

I do. Online sessions take place via video call, which means you can be anywhere in the UK and still access therapy with me. I also offer a mix of online and in-person sessions for those who can access the venue in Carlisle. Many of my clients like this flexibility around work, caring responsibilities, or managing fluctuating physical symptoms such as fatigue or pain.

That is not uncommon. There may be many reasons why you haven't benefitted previously - timing, relational fit, mismatch of approach etc. If it feels helpful, we could try and suss out what was less helpful about previous therapy, so we're more informed going forwards. If you're open to trying again, I'd be happy to help explore what you need here and now. 

Burnout is one of my specialisms. I work with many people who feel emotionally and/or physically depleted, stuck trying to spin ever-increasing plates, or like they've lost sight of who they are outside of demanding areas of life such as work or managing a chronic illness. Together, we can look at what recovery steps are within your control, and consider what reclaiming balance looks like for you.

We talk about this regularly throughout the process. Prompts for us to consider wrapping up may be that you've met your goals for therapy, and/or have the tools to continue working toward them confidently on your own. We review progress every few sessions to make sure we're still going in the right direction for you. This is one of the reasons we talk about your goals or desired outcomes for therapy - if we know what you want from the process, it's easier to tell when we're there!

Yes and no. Yes, because most change-focussed therapies will include an emphasis on what happens outside of the session - after all, that's where you want to see the difference, right? No, because it's not like at school where 'homework' is assigned unilaterally and you get in trouble if you don't do it. Anything we come up with for you to practice or experiment with between sessions is designed together, should be realistic, and should be part of the bigger picture of getting you toward your goals and values. I think of it as a similar process to learning to play a musical instrument. You could just come for regular lessons, but your skills will embed much quicker if you practice in between. 

The first step is to reach out via the contact form below. Nothing fancy required - just a hello or a query about availability will do, I'll take it from there :)