Q. What is trauma?

A. We used to think trauma had to come from the battlefield, but the definition of trauma has changed a lot since then. Trauma can be a single event, a series of events, or a set of enduring conditions which overwhelm our capacity to cope, and cause us to feel a sense of threat to our life. A single event could be a physical or sexual assault, or a road traffic collision, a series of events could be a mixture of these, and a set of enduring conditions could be an abusive relationship, growing up in an abusive home, or even bullying. We can also experience secondary trauma, by witnessing someone else experience trauma. As Gabor Maté says, “Trauma is not what happens to you, it’s what happens inside you as a result of what happened to you. Trauma is that scarring that makes you less flexible, more rigid, less feeling and more defended.”

Q.  What will my first session be like?

A. Your first session will be an opportunity to see if we “click”; the most important aspect of therapy is the relationship, and it’s important that this is right for you.  I take no offence at all if it isn’t; we don’t “click” with everyone we ever meet, and therapists are human too (well, we should be!).   You can give me a brief outline of what brought you to therapy and what you feel you need, and if you want to, you can come back again.

Q. Will I have to talk about what I went through?

A. No.  There is never an expectation from me that you will talk about anything you don’t want to talk about. What you may have experienced is personal, and private and I never expect my clients to tell me anything they’re not comfortable telling me.   If you want to talk about a painful experience, I’m here to listen, empathise and help you to process and understand what you went through, but it’s often not necessary.  If you’d like to know more, you can read my blogs.

Q.  How long does a session last and how often can I come?

A.  Each session is an hour, and we can meet weekly fortnightly, or monthly.  Usually, I meet with people on a weekly basis as this allows us to build a solid relationship.

Q. How much are sessions and how do I pay?

A.  Each session is £50 per hour, and you can pay by Bacs transfer or cash at the end of a face to face session, or Bacs transfer at the end of an online/phone session. I will send you payment details in an email before our first session.

Q. Will everything I say be confidential?

A.   Your trust is very important to me, and therefore so is confidentiality.  I would only have to breach confidentiality if you disclosed something which makes me feel you or another person is at risk of harm, a disclosure is made regarding organised crime or terrorism, or if my notes are subpoenaed as part of a criminal investigation.   Even in these cases, only that which is necessary and relevant would be shared. In a nutshell, I keep confidentiality, but I can’t keep secrets, where those secrets put others in danger.

Q. Do you offer online, telephone or in person sessions?

A. I offer in person, zoom or telephone sessions. You are welcome to have a mixture of these if it is more convenient for you. I will work with anyone worldwide except for North America and Canada.

Q. I’m a Therapy student, so am constantly skint, could you offer a reduced rate?

A.  Yes, we can work something out, but I would need to see proof of you being a student.