Frequently Asked Questions

• Can you make a diagnosis? - As an experienced therapist and mental health professional it is important for me to support you in understanding the range of symptoms you might experience and that these maybe indicative of a particular disorder for example Obsessional Compulsive disorder. However, I am not a Psychiatrist so am unable to formally provide a diagnosis or provide written reports to comment upon potential diagnosis.
• It’s also important to say that it is very rare that any of our difficulties can be accurately described by one diagnosis. In my experience it is far more beneficial to consider a holistic picture of someone's difficulties and offer a custom-made treatment plan to target these difficulties.

• Will my GP know I am seeing you? - This will be something I always discuss with people at their first appointment. I would not contact someone’s GP unless they particularly wanted me to do so and we felt this would be useful. However, I work within an important ethical code of conduct which means that I have a duty of care to you and to others and therefore if during our work together I were to have significant concerns about your safety or someone else's I may need to share this information with other professionals which in some circumstances would include you GP. However, I would endeavour to do this as transparently as possible to ensure you understood what information was being shared, with whom and why I felt this was necessary.
  

• When do you offer appointments? - I offer appointments four days a week Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays. In addition, I offer limited evening appointments but run a waiting list for these.
• Where do you offer appointments? From December 2022 onwards I have relocated to a new consulting room at the fantastic Neal's Yard Remedies shop on Regent St, Leamington Spa. The room is accessed either via the shop or after hours via an entrance to the left hand side of the shopfront and features a comfortable waiting area and relaxed, modern consulting room. The room is on the ground floor and has disabled access. The address is 106 Regent St, Leamington Spa, CV32 4NR. There is plenty of on-street parking available in the vicinity. I am also able to still offer appointments at my previous consulting room at The Cloisters situated close to Leamington Spa town centre on Lower Leam Street, CV31 1DJ. The building has plentiful free parking and friendly reception staff. You can read more about the premises on their website: http://www.thecloisters.co.uk 
  
• Do you offer virtual appointments? I offer appointments via Zoom to those who aren’t local to Leamington or who prefer this method of communication.
• How much do appointments cost? - Both face to face and virtual appointments are £80 and these fees are reviewed annually in April. I take payment 48 hours in advance of the appointment usually by bank transfer but can also take card payments if necessary.
  
• How long do appointments last? - Appointments will typically last between 50-60 minutes depending on the content of a session, sometimes it may be useful to agree to extend session slightly for particular parts of therapy but this would generally be planned and discussed in advance.
• How many will I need? - It’s hard to say……Therapy is never an exact science, but with my clinical experience I always try to give individuals an idea of how many sessions I feel it’s likely that they will require to achieve the change they want when we meet for the first time to allow them to make an informed choice about committing to CBT. Anxiety and depression are typically treated in between 8-16 sessions dependent on the individual’s degree of motivation, commitment, the severity of symptoms and the length of time they have struggled with the challenges they are facing. It also important to remember that life doesn’t stop for therapy and unfortunately can throw difficulties in our way having an impact on progress and the number of sessions which may be required.   
  
• What if I’m not sure if CBT is for me? - You are more than welcome to book an initial appointment and meet with me, then think about it. There is no pressure to commit to a period of therapy following the first appointment. It’s my job to help you to understand what might be maintaining your current difficulties and explain how CBT could help. An important part of this is also exploring what CBT may not be able change and for me to share information about alternative types of therapy, if I feel they could be beneficial. It’s important I feel like a good fit for you.
  
• Is there disabled access? - The consulting room at Neal's Yard Remedies is on the ground floor and has disabled access but please let me know if you have any mobility needs or have any other requirements prior to booking.
  
• Do you have a waiting list? - My waiting time is rather variable as demand fluctuates throughout the year, so it’s best to give me a call to find out if I currently have a wait and if I do how long it might be until I have some availability at a time that suits.
  
• I have had CBT in the past, will this matter? - No sometimes people want to revisit CBT for a different type of problem or simply want to refresh previous things that they have covered. Any previous treatment you may have had will always be reviewed at our initial appointment and often provides a useful platform to build upon. 
  
• Do you treat young people under the age of 18? - I have a wealth of experience of working with young people and really enjoy offering therapy to young people. However, most of my practice is with adults. If you are interested in finding a therapist for a young person or child under the age of 18 years, please make contact and we can discuss the suitability of this work on a case-by-case basis.
  
• Do you write professional reports for solicitors, insurers etc? - No, I am afraid this is not offered as a service.
  
• What do you do with my information? - Your basic demographic information will be kept securely for my reference only. Any notes taken to aid the therapy process will be stored separately with no identifiable information and again secured securely to protect its confidentiality. It is typical in therapy that you yourself will hold many of the notes we make together as they will have been created for you benefit.
  
• Is there a cancellation charge? - Yes, appointments cancelled within 48 hours will be charged at full cost.
• Ensuring your Covid Safety - I adhere to government public health guidance and take precautions as necessary.