FAQ's & Working together
A quick note...
I've included most things I would want to know or might think to ask in the below sections. I've tried to give plenty of details, but hopefully without being off-putting. For simplicity I use the words 'therapy' or 'personal consultancy' to mean psychotherapy, counselling and coaching. Please let me know if there is anything you would like to see that isn't covered.
QUalifications/Affiliations
What are your qualifications, professional memberships & affiliations?
I hold a Postgraduate Diploma (PGDip) in Integrative Counselling & Coaching and a Master's degree (MSc) in Psychotherapy & Counselling awarded by UEL, both achieved with distinction. I hold a BPS (British Psychological Society) approved accreditation as a clinical supervisor (CSAccred.(AAC)).
I'm a member of the BACP (British Association of Counsellors and Psychotherapists) and the AICTP (The Association of Integrated Coach Therapist Professionals). I adhere to the BACP code of ethical conduct and am an active participant within the AICTP. I undertake regular professional training in line with BACP requirements. I'm fully insured and DBS checked. I also provide my services on a charitable basis.
Whitestone services
What services does Whitestone provide?
I offer psychotherapy, coaching and counselling. These services are offered face-to-face and online, and I call the combination of these disciplines "Personal Consultancy". I also offer clinical supervision to other therapists.
Who do you work with?
Ages 16+, one-to-one sessions. I work with people from all walks of life.
Contacting me
Please note that the quickest way of contacting me is almost always email. I can respond to emails usually within a day, but requests for call backs involve me setting aside time to talk privately and need to be scheduled as with any session. Even if intended to be short, you'll understand they can take some time (understandable as important things come up). It's with regret that when working at close to full capacity I sometimes cannot make call backs - these usually lead to arranging a consultation in any case.
Where do you practice?
I have practices in two geographical locations - my main practice (as of 2023) is based in Shoreham-by-Sea (easily accessible for Brighton, Hove, Worthing, Portslade, Steyning, Mid-Sussex area), and one located in the City of London (Bank tube is two minutes away, Liverpool street three minutes). Here are links for directions: Shoreham. London.
Is access easy in Shoreham?
Yes. Satnav is BN43 5UB. There is plenty of onstreet parking directly outside which is free of charge. The street is well-lit and access to my office is just a few steps from the front door on the ground floor. My therapy room is large, comfortable and private. There is easy access to a private bathroom should this be a concern. Wheelchair access is possible. If you've any questions please email or call.
Do you carry out Corporate work?
Yes, though I tend to do this through a sister company I co-founded to work with corporate clients. I can help to arrange highly skilled practitioners who are able to work within your organisation, tailoring and delivering coaching and counselling services. If you'd like me to work with your business please get in touch and we can talk about it. We tailor our services to help teams and individuals perform at their very best.
I have contacted you but not heard anything back!
I contact everyone who makes an enquiry, and nearly always within a day. If a day has passed since your enquiry, please check your email Junk mail folder, as emails might have been routed there in error. If you provide a telephone number I may also text in addition to sending an email. Occasionally (I hope very rarely) I may miss correspondence - this, I'm afraid, is part and parcel of dealing with lots of admin where confidentiality means all aspects of WhiteStone Therapy can only be handled by me! If you haven't heard from me please do email or call again.
Questions about therapy
How do I find the right therapist?
This is key. Lots of research studies show that having a good relationship with your therapist is one of the strongest predictors of a positive outcome in therapy. You could start with an online search (google, ask, yahoo), and an excellent place to look is the counselling directory. Some others places to look: AICTP, BACP or UKCP. You may have an idea of the type of therapy you would like e.g CBT, Person-Centred etc, and it is possible to look for that. It may well be worth arranging a couple of consultation sessions and seeing which therapist you have the best feeling about working with. It's what I would do.
As well as membership of regulatory bodies such as BACP and UKCP , you might also want to consider the other life experiences each therapist has to offer. Do they have a background or experiences that you feel may be helpful in some way? My suggestion would be to take your time and go with your gut feeling.
Do I need therapy?
Some people know exactly what they would like from therapy. Others may not have a direct sense of this, and this is quite normal. Therapy will still ‘work’ and things will likely become much clearer as therapy unfolds. Therapy can be a life-affirming experience that can enhance personal insight and a sense of purpose and meaning in life. Some of the most common problems are covered in the "Issues" dropdown menu above.
What happens in Consultations?
We will talk about what brings you to see me and what you would like from therapy. It is a chance for you to see if I would be the right fit to work with you and a chance for us to discuss the process of therapy or coaching. I will try to answer any questions you have. If we decide to work together I will run through a short, written contract (containing some of the points in this FAQ). Typically consultations last 30 to 50 minutes (max).
What happens in therapy sessions?
This really is different for each person. I work in an Integrative way and am a trained Personal Consultant (see below). Your sessions are your time and you are the expert on you. I encourage you to start by thinking of this simply as your place to come and talk freely. I know it can help to have some idea of what lies ahead, so I've put together a generic overview of what is likely to happen as part of the process of seeing a therapist - you can read it here.
What is Personal Consultancy?
Personal Consultancy is a way of working that integrates psychotherapy, counselling and coaching approaches, and helps shape a therapeutic encounter. It brings together the reparative aspects of psychotherapy and counselling and joins them with the generative aspects of many types of counselling and coaching. Together this can be a very effective mix. It means we can work together in deep and transformative ways (and often a Coach can't or won't be trained to do this), but sometimes use coaching techniques to help. We can talk about this when we meet. A write-up can be found here for those interested.
Is therapy confidential?
Yes - sessions are confidential. There are some exceptions to this if there was a risk of harm to yourself or others. This is per the BACP code of ethical practice.
Duration of therapy...
The duration of therapy can differ depending on what you would like to achieve. For some issues we could agree to work to a set number of sessions, however deeper changes may require a much longer commitment. Often it is best to start in an open ended way and regularly review progress. We can discuss this and agree together what makes sense.
Fee structure - why use a sliding scale?
I want therapy to be accessible to everyone who would like to see me, and so I use a sliding scale to set fees. If I used a flat fee it would need to be set quite high to cover the large overheads involved with running several offices and covering the many hidden costs of being in private practice. This would mean many people who would like to see me simply couldn’t. WhiteStone clients are very diverse in terms of their financial means, and a sliding scale means each client pays a fee that is proportionate to their means. This is based on household income. The advantage of this is that should your circumstances change your fee changes too. In this way everyone who needs therapy has reasonable access to it. We can talk about this and reach agreement on what is right for you during our consultation session. I offer a limited number of concessions. See the Fees page for details.
WhiteStone commitment to you... ethical practice
Our work will be conducted in accordance with the BACP Ethical Framework for Good Practice. Copy available on request. In line with BACP requirements I have the support of a supervisor to discuss my clinical work. Confidentiality is maintained and your identity will not be disclosed. In addition, I will undertake regular further training to keep my clinical approach informed by the latest research and to provide additional specialism so that I may best help my clients.