Before you book.
The things people usually want to know first. If yours is not here, ask me in the discovery session.
What actually happens in a session?
We talk, but not the way you may be used to. Rather than going over the history of a problem, we work with what is happening in you as we sit with it: what you notice in your body, what comes up, what moves. I guide the process. You do not need to prepare anything or know where to start.
Sessions run for one hour and are held online.
How many sessions will I need?
It depends on what you are bringing. Some people come for a single Shift Session to take the charge out of one specific thing. Others want the room that four or six sessions gives them.
You do not have to decide before the discovery session. We will talk it through and you can choose from there.
How do I pay?
Payment is made online when you book, through a secure payment page. I do not store your card details.
The discovery session is free, and there is nothing to pay to book it.
Is this counselling or therapy?
It draws on both, but it is not traditional talk therapy. I am a Registered Social Worker with a background in specialist addictions counselling, and I work using Embodied Processing and the Mind Shifting model. The focus is on the level where patterns are held rather than on analysing them.
If what you need is longer-term therapeutic support, or crisis support, I will say so and help you find the right person.
Is what I say confidential?
Yes. What you share with me stays between us, and any information I hold about you is handled in line with the Privacy Act 2020 and the Health Information Privacy Code.
There are a small number of legal limits to this, which I will explain at the start. In short, I may need to break confidentiality if there is a serious risk of harm to you or someone else, or if I am required to by law or by my professional obligations as a Registered Social Worker. If that situation ever came up, I would talk with you about it wherever I could.
Do I have to retell my whole story?
No. You are welcome to share what feels relevant, but you do not need to walk me through everything that has happened to you. This work does not depend on me knowing the full history, and for many people that is a relief.
Do you work in person?
I work online, one to one. In practice this means you can be anywhere, and you can do the work from a place where you already feel settled, which many people find helps.
You will need a private space where you will not be interrupted, and a reasonable internet connection.
I have tried therapy before and it did not work. Why would this be different?
That is the most common thing I hear, and it is usually the reason people come to me. Most of my clients are not beginners. They have done the therapy, read the books, tried the programmes.
What tends to be different here is the level we work at. Insight is not the goal. If you already understand your pattern and it still runs you, understanding it more is unlikely to change it. That said, I cannot promise you an outcome, and I would be wary of anyone who does. The discovery session is there so you can get a feel for the work before you commit to anything.
What if I need to cancel or reschedule?
Life happens, and I would rather you told me than pushed through. If you need to move a session, please give me at least [24 / 48] hours' notice and we will find another time at no cost.
Cancellations inside [24 / 48] hours [are charged in full / are charged at 50% / can be rescheduled once]. This is not about penalising you. It is that the time was held for you and cannot be offered to anyone else at short notice.