- What does therapy involve? What happens in a first session?
Therapy is a collaborative process where we work together to explore your thoughts, feelings and experiences in a safe, confidential environment. It’s about helping you gain insight, build coping skills, and make positive changes. The focus of our sessions will depend on your needs and goals, but the overall aim is to support your growth and healing.
In our first session, we’ll talk about what’s going on for you right now, what led you to seek therapy, and what you’re hoping to achieve. We may also touch on some important events from your past, though this might happen in later sessions. The first session is a chance for both of us to see if we’re a good fit. If I feel my approach isn’t quite what you’re looking for, I’ll let you know and suggest another therapist. You’re also welcome to decide after the first session whether you’d like to continue.
It’s completely normal to feel unsure about what to talk about at first. I’ll guide the conversation and ask questions to help you open up and explore what’s on your mind.
- What if I just want a one-off session to help me work out where I’m at with my faith / What are the one-off Finding My Way Again sessions you offer?
More information about these sessions is available here.
- How will I know if you are the right therapist for me?
Have a read about my approach to therapy here. If you think we might be a good fit but want to speak to me before booking a session, get in touch to arrange a free consultation phone call. It can take a while to build a rapport and feel comfortable with any therapist, so if you still aren’t sure, you are welcome to give a couple of sessions a try before committing to a longer course of therapy.
- Who do you work with?
I work with anyone over the age of 18 years. I am insured to work with individuals across the world, with the exception of the USA.
- Do you offer therapy to therapists/psychologists/counsellors or trainees?
Yes! Therapists tend to come to me for AEDP, either because they are familiar with the model and want to experience it as a client, or because they like the idea of a relational, reflective and somatic approach that they are not trained in themselves.
- How much do sessions cost?
Therapy sessions are £130 per 50 minute session.
Finding My Way Again sessions are £200 per 90 minute session.
- Why are your rates higher than another therapist I’ve found online?
I completely understand that starting therapy is a big decision—both emotionally and financially—and it’s natural to consider your options carefully. My rates reflect the level of training and experience I bring as a Clinical Psychologist. Becoming a Clinical Psychologist requires extensive training: I spent ten years training to be a Clinical Psychologist, completing both an undergraduate degree in Psychology and a Doctorate in Clinical Psychology.
Since qualifying, I’ve continued to invest in specialist training in a number of therapy approaches, including AEDP, CBT, Compassion Focused Therapy, EMDR, and Narrative Exposure Therapy. I’m currently in the process of gaining formal accreditation in AEDP.
In addition to my therapy work, I teach on multiple Clinical Psychology Doctorate programmes, supervise both trainee and qualified psychologists, and deliver training to other mental health professionals. Along with continued training and supervision for myself, this ongoing professional engagement helps ensure that my practice stays informed, flexible, and grounded in the most up-to-date evidence.
When you work with me, you’re accessing a high level of psychological training and clinical expertise. I draw on years of advanced education and diverse experience to tailor therapy to your individual needs, ensuring that the support you receive is thoughtful, effective, and rooted in evidence-based approaches.
- How long is a session and how many sessions will I have?
Therapy sessions are 50 minutes. The length of therapy depends on your goals – some people have a few sessions, others work with me for longer. We’ll discuss how many sessions you might need in our first appointment. I offer regular reviews throughout therapy to ensure our sessions remain useful and to allow us to work towards a planned ending.
Finding My Way Again sessions are one-off and 90 minutes long.
- How often will we meet for therapy?
I recommend weekly sessions to start, which helps build momentum and a strong working relationship. Sessions usually take place on the same day and time each week, but I can offer flexibility for clients with a less structured work schedule. Some people switch to fortnightly sessions after a while, which I am happy to accommodate.
- Where will we meet?
All sessions are online over Zoom. I will send a secure link for the appointments. I recommend finding a space where you feel certain that you cannot be overheard and will not be interrupted as this means you will be able to speak more freely.
Some people are not sure about the idea of online therapy. I started working online during the pandemic and had my own hesitations. However I was very pleasantly surprised by how easy it is to form a rapport over a video call and found there to be no difference in the effectiveness of therapy online verses in person. I now only offer sessions online as this reduces logistical difficulties for clients attending appointments, and means that I can work with clients who are not local to me. You are welcome to try out an initial session to see how you find it before making a decision about whether to stick with online therapy.
- Do you only work with people who want to speak about faith or religion?
No, I work with people who want therapy for a range of reasons. At any one time, typically about half of my clients got in touch with me for reasons related to faith or religion, but even for some of them it may not end up being a major theme of our work. Have a look at this page to read more about my approach and this page to read about the kinds of things I work with.
- Will you keep what I say confidential?
Confidentiality is extremely important to the way that therapy works. Typically I will not share anything about you with anyone else without your consent. There are a couple of exceptions to this confidentiality:
As is mandated by my regulating body, the HCPC, I have regular supervision and discuss my work with my supervisor. My supervisor is a qualified therapist and follows the same confidentiality rules. The second exception is where there is an indication that you or someone else is at risk of harm, in which case we would need to prioritise keeping you/them safe, which may mean sharing information with others. Except in cases of significant risk where it is not possible to discuss with you first, we would agree together if I am going to contact someone and what I would share with them.
- What happens if I don’t like the way that therapy is going or if I want to stop sessions?
Ideally this would be something we would discuss together, so we can make changes to the way we are working. I welcome feedback at any time and offer regular reviews to ensure our sessions remain helpful. It is best if we can agree when sessions will end and work towards that together. However if you wanted sessions to stop and did not wish to discuss anything further with me, you could always email me to let me know that you didn’t want to meet again.
- What is your cancellation policy?
If you are able to give 24 hours’ notice, there is no cancellation fee. Cancellations made with less than 24 hours’ notice are charged at the full rate.
- Do you accept insurance?
Yes, I am registered with AXA, Aviva, Cigna and others. Please get in touch if you are interested in therapy funded by your health insurance and your insurer is not listed here as I may be able to work with them too.
- Who are you regulated by?
All Clinical Psychologists in the UK are regulated by the Health and Care Professions Council, under the title of Practitioner Psychologists. HCPC registration confirms that a Clinical Psychologist is appropriately qualified and fulfils the professional requirements to maintain their registration every two years. My HCPC registration number is PYL36581.
- What do I do in a crisis?
If an emergency, contact 999 immediately. For non-emergency support, reach out to your GP or call The Samaritans on 116 123 or email jo@samaritans.org. For text support, you can contact Shout by texting SHOUT to 85258. Please note that Connection Psychology is not a crisis service and cannot offer a crisis response.