FAQ & Practical Information

Short-term sessions are usually to learn some coping strategies (often using yoga, mindfulness, creativity, movement, etc.) Or a short piece of EMDR, usually around a single-incident trauma or stress. Short-term usually means around 10 weekly sessions.

Longer term sessions usually involve first, building the therapeutic relationship and finding practical ways to feel calm, present and grounded, before exploring ways to understand yourself and make changes. This can take a variable amount of time that is very individual.

Sessions for children aged under 14 are for 45 minutes, and 50 minutes for those aged over 14 (including adults).

This time difference does not affect the fee- the fee is the same. It is common for therapists charge more for work with younger children to allow for the increased expense for materials and for the time for clearing up after play therapy sessions etc. However, I reduce the time of sessions slightly as I find that making the sessions slightly shorter can be beneficial to the child’s capacity.

I do not offer fortnightly sessions to new clients unless we are focusing on a few sessions for resource building or yoga therapy.

For less than 48h notice (2 working days) to cancel an appointment the full usual fee will be charged for the missed session.

For less than 7 days notice of cancelling a session (but more than 48h), there is a cancellation charge of £12.

I don’t have a waiting list but list any available spaces on the website and social media.

The main reason I don’t offer a waiting list is because it can be very difficult to give a definite time that a space will be available. Sometimes clients book for 6 sessions and something changes in their life and they need to extend their sessions, or something changes in my life and the space is no longer available.

I feel that waiting can mean that you don’t find the therapy you need and it can feel frustrating and disappointing. Instead, I offer a list of organisations and other places to look for another therapist, and of course you are welcome to keep checking back if you haven’t yet found the right therapist for you.

If a space is listed here as being available, please be aware that in the time that you email me, there is a possibility that any space is already taken. I don't keep a waiting list, but you are very welcome to get back in touch in a few weeks to see if my availability has changed.

I will only offer initial consultations if a potential space is available. However, the initial consultation is not the start of therapy, it is to decide if we are a good fit. It may be that I suggest a referral to another therapist or service following our meeting.

All initial consultation sessions are online. Further sessions are in-person.

Initial consultation sessions are usually between 40 and 50 minutes long, but charged at a reduced price of £50, payable by Paypal before the session, I will send details of this when we arrange the meeting (refundable if you cancel within 48 hours).

Subsequent sessions are charged £55 -£80, see the sliding scale information below. Please find a private and quiet place for the session.

I currently only offer initial sessions when I have a potential suitable space available.

You will need a private space where you feel comfortable to talk and have good reception.

The initial consultation is not the start of therapy, it is to decide if we are a good fit. It may be that I suggest a referral to another therapist or service following our meeting, or that we decide the availability or suitability doesn't match. 

How the sliding scale works

Based on principles of economic justice, the fee clients pay is proportionate to what they have available. Those with more financial capacity support those with less capacity to access workshops. The scale takes into account variations in both income and financial outgoings (for example subsidised rent, such as housing benefit, would mean you had less outgoings than average; and unsubsidised medical expenses might mean you had more outgoings than average).

My sliding scale is based on the ‘Green Bottle’ sliding scale devised by Alexis Cunningfolk and the wording used by the RTN membership sliding scale.

• I work on a basis of trust and do not ask for proof of income. However, as this sliding scale is offered in a spirit of generosity, my request is that people use it honestly. There is an allocated number of slots available for each band. This allows me to offer accessible workshops whilst also ensuring the sustainability of my practice and appropriately valuing my time and professional abilities, as well as covering my professional overheads.

• There is routinely more demand for lower slots than higher. Whilst I encourage anyone who needs a lower price slot to take it, if you take up a slot at a lower rate that slot will not then be available to someone else who may not be able to afford to attend without it.

• If you can ask others for financial support, such as family members or partners, please consider using those personal resources before you use the resources of the sliding scale.

• If a third party, such as a parent, is paying for the workshop, the rate is based on the third party’s financial capacity.

Sliding Scale

Please read through the ‘Sliding Scale’ section below and decide a band that best matches your circumstances. This should be the category where you have a sense you fall, however, you do not need to agree with every statement. Differences between the bands are in italics.

Please be aware that I have limited concession spaces in order to make my practice sustainable.

A: £80 (Full fee)

The Band A price is the actual cost of the session. If you choose a price below this tier, you are receiving a discount.

You might choose this band if:

• I am comfortably able to meet my basic needs, including food, housing, household bills, transport and healthcare.

• I have a regular income and/or other reliable financial resources.

• I have some savings or other financial security.

• I have some disposable income after paying for my essential costs.

• I can generally afford things I want or need without having to make significant financial sacrifices.

• I could afford to buy new clothes, books or other non-essential items if I wanted or needed them.

• I could afford social activities, hobbies, eating out or similar activities without these creating financial difficulty.

• I could afford a holiday or take some time away from work without significant financial difficulty.

• I have access to financial support from a partner, family member or others if I need it, although I may not need to rely on this regularly.

B: £70 (Reduced fee)

You might choose this band if:

• I am able to meet my basic needs, such as food, housing, household bills, transport and healthcare, without significant financial difficulty.

• I have a regular income and/or other reliable financial support.

• I have some financial security, although I may have limited or no savings.

• I have some disposable income after paying for my basic needs.

• I can afford some non-essential spending, such as eating out, going for coffee, social activities, hobbies or other treats.

• I sometimes buy new clothes, books or other items, but I may also choose second-hand or lower-cost options.

• I can afford a holiday or take some time away from work, but doing so may require me to budget carefully.

• I may be able to ask a partner, family member or friend for financial support, although this may not always be available or may not be something I want or am able to rely on.

C: £60 (Reduced fee)

You might choose this band if:

• I am able to meet my basic needs, such as food, housing, household bills, transport and healthcare, although money can sometimes feel tight.

• I have a low or modest income and/or limited financial resources.

• I have no savings or financial safety net.

• I have some disposable income after paying for my basic needs, but it is limited.

• I have to budget very carefully about non-essential spending and rarely spend money on things such as eating out, coffee, social activities, hobbies or events.

• I rarely buy new clothes, books or other non-essential items, or I usually look for lower-cost or second-hand options.

• I have limited ability to spend money on leisure or take time away from work.

• I may be able to sometimes ask a partner, family member or friend for financial support, although this may not always be available or something I want or am able to rely on.

Concession spaces are limited. This allows me to offer accessible therapy whilst also ensuring the sustainability of my practice and appropriately valuing my time and professional abilities, as well as covering my professional overheads.

In an ideal world I would be able to offer unlimited concession spaces, however this work needs to provide a sustainable living wage and cover my business expenses. If my fee doesn’t fit your budget, you will find organisations who receive funding and are able to offer low-fee and free therapy here.

Not necessarily. I work with people from all walks of life with different financial experiences.

Some are working single parents who were left with huge outgoings of debt from a previous spouse and could not afford to go out for a coffee once a month; some are single people whose disability limits their ability to work but don’t qualify for benefits and they sometimes struggle to pay for food; some are working part time but inherited money that means they can go on holiday every year without much financial burden; some are students who are able to access support from parents or from a bursary and are able to go out every Saturday night without financial concern; some are on long-term benefits that cover their rent and bills with some to spare for regular day trips or yoga classes.

The sliding scale is based on financial availability and gives a variety of examples for each band. Please consider it fairly for you, for others and for me.

My hourly rate needs to provide me with a living wage and needs to cover a wide variety of overheads including:

• Training and CPD;

• Professional registrations, including membership and regulatory bodies;

• Insurance, ICO registration and DBS certificates;

• Equipment, art materials, therapeutic tools, furniture;

• Room and Zoom costs;

• Minimum of monthly clinical supervision for each modality;

• Admin and marketing

  
  On my links page, I suggest some organisations and charities who offer low-cost therapy and are able to do so because they receive funding. It is important that you find the right therapy for you.

Therapy might seem risky to an activist and I am very happy to chat about any concerns you may have about this. Some info that might be good to know:

• Therapy is confidential. There are legal limits to confidentiality which we will go through in the consultation.

• You do not have to use your real name if you don’t want to

• You do not need to name others involved in your affinity group, actions etc.

• It’s okay, in fact encouraged, to generalise about actions etc. When working with trauma it is not usually useful to go into any detail, but rather to stick to ‘titles’, until we have worked together and both decided speaking in any detail would be useful at all. So it is not at all unusual to not talk about any details of actions or events. Similarly, you don’t need to give details of future actions.