How do I get in touch?

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You can use the contact form on this website, or email me direct at vanessa@newshootscounselling.com . Alternatively, you can give me a call on 07443 433 343. If you get my voicemail, I may be in session. Please do leave a message with your name, number and a suggested time to call you back, and I will get in touch as soon as soon as I can.

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How do I find out more about your training workshops?

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Please get in touch, and feel free to ask any questions you have. We can arrange to discuss your requirements, and how I might be able to assist you and your organisation.

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How much does counselling cost?

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 I charge £55  - £65 for a counselling session, depending on personal circumstances.  Concessions are available if you are unemployed or a counselling student.

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How much does supervision cost?

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I charge £55 for qualified counsellors and £45 for trainees (up to one year post qualification). For an hour and a half  (the BACP recommended minimum) it’s £75 for qualified counsellors and £65 for trainees. I offer a free 30 minute initial consultation.

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What happens when I contact you?

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When you get in touch by email or telephone, we briefly discuss availability and suitability. If there is a match, we arrange your initial consultation.  The consultation is up to 30 minutes and there is no charge for this session. This is an opportunity for us to explore your needs in more depth and for you to find out more about the way I work. At the end of the session, we decide if we can work together. There is no obligation for you to continue.

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What happens at the initial consultation?

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This consultation is really a ‘getting to know you’ session and an opportunity to experience what it's like to work with me; you will have the opportunity to find out more about me and to ask any questions you might have in order to decide whether I am the right counsellor for you. I will also find out more about you, and what you hope to achieve through counselling. If we agree to work together, we will arrange the frequency and the next date of your session.

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How long is a session?

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A normal counselling session is 50 minutes. A supervision session is usually 1 hour, or however long we have contracted for.

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Will I have an assessment?

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I conduct an assessment during your first couple of sessions. I collect information about your lifestyle, family background and current issues, and give you the opportunity to talk through your issues as you see them. The assessment helps us to identify what you'd like to work on and how, as well as how often we will have sessions and when we'll review the therapy. 

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How often will I have counselling?

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I recommend that you start with weekly sessions. This works well as it enables us to get to know each other and gives enough time for thinking and action between sessions. However, I am open to working in other ways and happy to have a discussion about this.

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How much counselling do I need?

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Both short term and long term counselling can be very effective, depending on what you need from counselling. I do a full assessment with you at the start of therapy, and we will decide how much counselling you need, and review this at regular intervals. 

I recommend that you have at least 6 sessions of counselling to start with, which gives enough time for you to see how the work is progressing. You can terminate the therapy at any time you wish.

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Is counselling confidential?

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Yes - counselling is confidential which means that I do not share anything you tell me with anyone else; however there may be times when I need to alert other services in order to keep you or someone else safe.  Some examples of this are if there is a high probability that you will harm yourself or someone else, if someone is being abused, or if the law is being broken. These circumstances are fairly rare, and I will always try to have a discussion with you before making any disclosures.

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How do I reschedule a session?

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If you can't make it to a session and you provide at least 24 hours notice, I will do my best to rearrange the session in the time we have available before we are due to meet again. If this is not possible, we may have to cancel the session.

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How do I cancel a session?

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If you need to cancel a session, please try and give as much notice as possible. If you give less than 24 hours notice, the full fee is due. 

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Who regulates your work?

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I am a registered and accredited member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (registration number 150492), who are responsible for ensuring that my work meets professional standards, and I follow their Ethical Framework. My practice is supervised by an accredited counselling supervisor with many years counselling and supervisory experience.

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Are you insured?

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Yes - my practice is covered by professional indemnity insurance.

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What are my rights?

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You have the right to be treated with dignity as an autonomous human being regardless of race, gender, ethnicity, economic status, age, sexual orientation or religious belief. You have the right to be provided with professional and respectful care.

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If you are unhappy with any aspect of your therapy, please let me know as soon as you can. It’s my hope that we will be able to resolve any concerns you have by having open and honest discussion, however if you want to make a formal complaint you can do this by getting in touch with the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy.

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