Are you looking for someone to help with problems about relationships or personal difficulties that you have been unable to resolve or understand?
I am a qualified, nationally registered psychotherapist. I work in Vauxhall, South London (close by Vauxhall Station - Victoria line tube) where I rent consulting rooms. I see people of all ages, from children and teenagers, to adults, single people and those with partners. I also see people in their family groups as well as groups of people who are not related. I am a systemic practitioner so my approach is interactive. As you explain your concerns I ask questions about them rather than leaving you to speak unprompted while I remain silent. In the process of our conversation we can both make connections that help you understand what can be done. I also work with work groups at their own premises and provide training / workshops on a negotiated basis. I use a broad spectrum of expertise drawing from a variety of approaches, predominantly Milan Systemic Family Therapy.
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Subjects covered below:
The cost of a session is £60. This is for an individual. An additional £10 should be added for two people, £20 for three people and so on. I usually arrange sessions one at a time, so the first session is for us to decide whether we continue making appointments; for you to see what it's like seeing me and for me to see how I can help you.
Sessions last for an hour although sometimes people like to have one and a half hours. This can be negotiated beforehand.
These can vary. For some people it is not helpful or necessary to meet weekly, whereas others may request it or need it and so we will discuss this at the first session and review it at later stages. The intervals can therefore be a week, two weeks, three weeks or longer. Clearly, this has implications on the long-term cost of sessions.
Your commitment does not extend beyond the current session. However, I think it is useful for clients to agree an initial series of sessions so we can form a therapeutic plan.
The total number of sessions is hard to say without a preliminary discussion. My experience is that most people find about a dozen useful, but it can vary considerably according to circumstances.
Sessions can be cancelled at any time, however to avoid payment of 50% fee you need to cancel more than 24 hours before the session is due to start.
The matters we discuss are confidential and meet the UKCP ethical guidelines. I am supervised regularly, which is also a UKCP requirement. Only if children's safety or someone's life were at risk would contact be made with a third party.
Every psychotherapist or counsellor should receive regular supervision from a suitably qualified person, usually practising in the same or a similar field. UKCP requires it because it provides a double check on the ethical quality of the work being done with you. The names and identity of all the people I see are carefully protected within this group for professional purposes as required by professional and ethical guidelines.
Is there a difference between psychotherapy and counselling? I would say it is a matter of degree. One perspective is that counselling can be viewed as more towards the lighter end of the scale and psychotherapy seen as a more intense experience. Another is that counselling can deal with particular issues, related to short-term crises, while psychotherapy addresses more extensive issues and can help you change relationship patterns in the future.
I am registered with UKCP, the UK Council for Psychotherapy, which is a registration authority for psychotherapists. It means I am bound by their ethical guidelines and I meet their training requirements.
UKCP "exists to promote and maintain the profession of psychotherapy and high
standards in the practice of psychotherapy for the benefit of the public,
throughout the UK. The National Register of Psychotherapists is published
annually, and only psychotherapists who meet the training requirements of UKCP
and abide by its ethical guidelines are included."
(UKCP website: www.psychotherapy.org.uk)
I am affiliated to KCC, (Kensington Consultation Centre); now called: The KCC Foundation, address: 2 Wyvil Court, Trenchold Street, LONDON SW8 2TG; 020 7720 7301.
My national registration comes under the umbrella of KCC. On their website it
says, "KCC is a therapy, consultation, training and research centre. Our
therapists are qualified and experienced professionals employed mostly in
mental health, children and family services...."
(KCC Foundation website: www.kcc-international.com)
The UKCP, a registration authority for psychotherapy, say in their entry about systemic therapy, "Systemic psychotherapists, whilst often actively intervening in client systems, strive to maintain a non-blaming and neutral position, respecting differences of culture, race, gender, sexual orientation etc. Therapists may work in teams, using live consultation or as sole practitioners using retrospective consultation in order to draw upon other perspectives to their practice. Therapy is often relatively short-term."
For more information see http://www.psychotherapy.org.uk, the UKCP website.
If you would like to send me an email, please click here.
My practice is based in Vauxhall, London, SW8. The address is:
KCC, 2 WYVIL COURT, TRENCHOLD STREET, WYVIL ROAD, LONDON SW8 2TG
(KCC is Kensington Consultation Centre)
The map can be printed with the following directions. [Click Here]