Coaching, Counselling and Therapy, Online and in Chorley
If you have a question not covered here, then Contact Us.
I sent you a message on your contact form, and have heard nothing for 24 hours. Why? Sadly the most common reason is that we did reply to the phone number or email address you gave, but it wasn’t correct. It’s very easy to do typos when we are distressed. Do please either phone us on +44 (0)7941 989887, or send us a text message on whatsapp/viber, as at least then you will know when we have received it. You might also check your spam folder. For reasons of confidentiality we do not retain client data on our phone’s contact list or call logs, we delete the record when the conversation is finished. Please try again (link)
How do your results compare with NHS Mental Health Services through IAPT?
Very good, very much less waiting time, and the cost per session is actually under half (although NHS clients don’t pay, of course). Here (link) is a more detailed comparison.
Can I bring someone with me to the first appointment? I used to say no, but now I say yes! I used to say No, because I have found the the presence of another person, who usually turns out to be a friend or family member, inhibits what the client needs to get out. Sometimes the friend or family member would butt in and say what they thought the client would want to say, and in therapy it’s important to wait until the client is ready to say things to me themselves. Often it turned out that it was the friend or family member who had persuaded the client to attend – wonderfully intentioned, but alas rarely helpful, it’s important to wait until the client is ready to come. Now I say Yes, because coming to therapy for the first time can seem difficult, and really frightening. So I’m inclined to welcome the support that another trusted person can give the client. The key to success is that the client needs to really want to come, and to ask for that support from their friend. If the client needs to be persuaded to come, then it won’t be helpful. In fact, without any irony, I would say that the friend or family member would be much better off coming for therapy themselves in that case. They will benefit by getting their frustrations and helplessness off their chest, and they will be setting a good example.
My sister is waiting to see if she has bipolar disorder, and it is affecting our whole family. Would a few therapy sessions with you help while we wait for an NHS appointment for her? (You did not leave me an email address so I am replying to your questions here – link – , having changed some of the details).
I have limited resources, but would like to come for counselling. Can I come once every two weeks? In our opinion, and particularly for new clients for counselling, you are much better saving your money until you have enough to cover six weekly sessions. This might only take you three weeks, and we can make an appointment for then if you like. Why? – we are very much into providing value for money and as close to a guarantee of success as we can, and it turned out that in the past when we agreed to work on a two-weekly basis, the work lost focus, and there wasn’t the building-up effect that can be felt with weekly appointments. So in our opinion having appointments every two weeks is just poor value for money. (If you have had counselling before, and are coming for support and to tide you over until NHS or some other therapy becomes available, then we would be open to that. Let’s meet and talk about it)
Is Counselling/Coaching eligeable for tax relief? Maybe – check with your accountant or tax office if you want to check your own case. Counselling is usually classed as a medical expense and in the UK cannot currently be set against tax, afaik. If fully required for your work, in particular to satisfy the course requirements of some training courses in counselling and psychotherapy – in that case if you can claim tax relief for the course, then you will likely be able to claim for the cost of the counselling. However a course of counselling will hopefully benefit your whole life, and on those grounds the inland revenue in the UK will disallow it. Coaching in business skills, staff communication skills, stress-reduction techniques etc etc might be available through your employer. For the Self-Employed it would definitely be worth asking your accountant. As always the general rule with claiming tax relief is: if the relief depends on the revenue not finding out about it, don’t try!
Can you help me with my addiction (to alcohol, porn, gambling, shopping, sex etc etc)? Yes yes yes yes yes yes yes. Can I cure your addiction? – No! – but, with great effort, great honesty and great humility, you can give up the habits in favour of a healthier lifestyle and a more satisfying life. My body has a tobacco addiction. I haven’t smoked for over 30 years, and I haven’t dreamed about smoking for maybe ten years, but I am under no illusions:my body is still addicted. My way of working with addictions varies with the type of addiction. Firstly, there is the type of addiction involving substances that we can do without, such as alcohol and tobacco. Secondly, there is the type of addiction that involves behaviours and substances that are completely natural, such as food and sex. Often, they go together – we are all unique. I believe that in all cases much useful work can be done by the client outside of the sessions, which will keep costs down, by using support groups, and written resources, depending on the issue.
I have been traumatised to the extent that I cannot leave the house. Do you deliver trauma care online? Yes and no. I can deliver counselling online, and the first part of trauma work – which involves the creation of a safe space and a place of refuge, and tools for relaxation and awareness – can be delivered online. Once that work has been done adequately, it will likely be possible for you to attend in person. Also, your GP will be able to prescribe medication which will help you to attend.
An employee at my company who is off ill would benefit from counselling. How do I go about arranging this? It is very kind of you to be considering financing your employee’s counselling, and yes, such counselling can often help a client return to work much sooner than s/he would otherwise have felt able to. It is unfortunately impossible to say how long it might take to resolve an issue completely, as it depends on the psychological makeup and history of each client. Most EAPs (AXA-PPP, BUPA, Retail Trust, etc.) will ask me to work with a client for up to six or eight sessions regardless of the client’s issue, and given that number of sessions I would not expect to resolve all issues in so short a time. I would use the time to work with the client on those issues that are specifically keeping them away from work, and help the client acquire the tools and self-confidence to live a more normal life, as well as doing some foundation work should the client wish to pursue their own therapy here or elsewhere afterwards, at their own expense. It will be best for your employee to make free and willing contact with me himself, when he is ready. Apart from arranging payment, there will be no other contact between me and your company about the content of the sessions – if the client doesn’t know that it’s confidential, counselling doesn’t work well.
If you have a question not covered here, then Contact Us.
More About:
David (more about David) – Sue is not taking on clients at the moment
Counselling (more about counselling)
Psychotherapy (more about psychotherapy)
Life-skills coaching (more about coaching)
Counselling and Coaching for Men (more about working with men)
Relaxation Training (more about relaxation)
Mindfulness Training (more about mindfulness)