Services

I am a registered, person-centered counsellor providing on-to-one counselling services in the UK. I am certified for online work, as well as for in-person counselling.

Counselling sessions are usually held on a regular, weekly basis (sometimes every other week). As there is no fixed term or limit, you can have as many, or as few, sessions as you want. Some clients find that 6-12 sessions are sufficient. Some just one. Others choose longer-term therapy, or may come back from time to time, as needs arise.

I offer a range of fees, (charged weekly) with reduced costs for online sessions (which do not require room rental or travel expenses), and a sliding scale to make the service as accessible as possible.

Please see below for details of my practice, locations, fees and policies. Or just get in touch, or book a session.

MY PRACTICE

My practice is informed by my personal experience (in life and in business), as well as my professional training (as a Person Centered counsellor).

I offer a non-judgmental, empathetic and authentic counselling relationship, with a focus on adults and young people (in 6th-form and beyond).

I abide by the BACP Ethical Framework, which puts client safety and confidentiality at the fore, and work with a range of presenting issues, including:

Abuse & trauma
Anxiety & social anxiety
Depression, low mood & feeling sad
Grief, bereavement & loss
Low self-esteem and confidence
Mid-life challenges
Personal development
Relationship challenges
Stress
Substance dependency, and recovery
Work-related issues

I believe that in order to best serve my clients, I need to take care of myself, so that I can be fully present and engaged, and allow every client sufficient time, space and attention. As a result, I aim for a maximum of six sessions a day (usually less), and 20 sessions a week. I also allow time for regular breaks, avoiding multiple back-to-back sessions.

As part of my self-care (and hobby) regime, I practice regular meditation, yoga and tai chi, enjoy morning walks with my dog (often stopping to take nature pictures - see my Instagram), and run (for fun!).

I seek balance in my client work, and recognise that services are not equally accessible to all. With that in mind, I offer concessionary rates (see the fees section below). I have also worked with a low-cost counselling agency, serving the community, in south London. In addition, I work as a Personal & Professional Development (PPD) group facilitator for counsellors in training, and have worked as a tutor, delivering a counselling skills course.

I benefit from professional supervision every month (an ethical requirement), in addition to regular peer-group support from my closest counselling colleagues. And I am, of course, a big fan of counselling. I keep up to date with developments in counselling theory and practice with on-going professional development, and training, and often share things I find interesting on my Twitter feed, or on the blog.

I am passionate about counselling, mental health, and well-being generally.

Whatever it is that is causing you concern or distress, please feel free to get in touch for an initial chat,
or book a session.

LOCATIONS

Depending on your preference, I can work online
(on Zoom), or in person (in central and south London).

I currently see clients at the following locations:

Soho / West End (Until Soho / W1 / WC2)
The City (Borough House / London Bridge / SE1)
West Norwood (South London Theatre / SE27)
Brixton / Herne Hill (Effra Space SW2 / Herne Hill Space SE24)
Online, via Zoom (wherever you are in the UK)

You can book a session online here.

FEES

Fees are charged on a session-by-session basis, with each session being 50 minutes (to allow for time between sessions). Invoices are sent for payment in advance of each session. Fee levels are reviewed annually, and are currently:

Online (Zoom):
- Evening, (7pm): £100
- Standard, (8am-6pm): £79
- Concession*, (8am-6pm): £58
- Trainee Counsellor**, (10am-4pm or ad hoc): £42
In-Person (Soho / Borough / Brixton / Herne Hill / West Norwood):
- Evening, (7pm): £120 (Mondays, Borough; Thursdays, Soho)
- Standard, (8am-6pm): £100
- Concession*, (8am-6pm): £79
- Trainee Counsellor**, (10am-4pm or ad hoc): £53

*Concessionary rates are offered for anyone who might otherwise not be able to access the services. If you are in need, or unsure, please book the concessionary rate (no questions asked), or get in touch to discuss. (See the links below for more details on low / no-cost services).

** The Trainee Counsellor concession rate is available to counselling trainees requiring long-term (12 months+), weekly counselling sessions. Regular sessions outside the 10am-4pm window may be available on request, and sessions may be booked ad hoc, as available (at any time of day).

Fees will be updated annually, in January.

Bookings can be made online, using the booking page.

Counselling services can be hard to access. There may be long waiting lists for NHS services, and privately-offered services may be unaffordable. It may be possible for some to claim costs back through private medical insurance policies (I am on the Vitality insurance panel). There are also other, free and low-cost options though the voluntary and charity sectors. Nationally this include e.g. The Samarians, Mind, Childline, Cruse Bereavement Support.There are also a range of support groups such as Alcoholics Anonymous. A list of charities providing mental health support can be found on the BACP website.

A range of low-cost and no-cost options is outlined on a Happiful article that is linked to here:
I can’t afford therapy – What do I do now?

For more information about fees and costs, there is an informative
article from Counselling Directory.

POLICIES

I seek to be transparent and ethical in my practice, and to ensure client safety and confidentiality.

I provide my services through Sentia Well-being Ltd., which is a UK company that is owned and operated by me. Key policies are noted here:

Contracting: Sentia Well-Being's standard counselling contract.
Ethical Practice: Sentia Well-Being abides by the BACP Ethical Framework.
Data Protection: Sentia Well-Being's Privacy Policy
Social Media: I am on a number of public social media platforms, and welcome followers. However I do not intentionally follow, follow back, look up, or communicate with clients through social media or online networking platforms. Communication is reserved for sessions or, out of sessions, usually via agreed messaging services. This is in order to protect client confidentiality and wellbeing, and to keep the counselling relationship within the contracted framework.