Traditionally counselling sessions last for 50 mins and this is known as the ‘therapy hour’.  As far as I know there is no particular science guiding this approach.  I follow the custom and appreciate the flexibility of being able to run a few minutes extra where it is in the interests of my clients.  Sessions can be extended for a longer period by request and this is important where we undertake walk and talk therapy. 

Coming to counselling should be something you want to do for you.  Once again, it is customary to offer clients a minimum of 6 weekly sessions at the start.  This allows for areas to be explored and, more importantly, for a good working alliance between counsellor and client to be established.  It is worth mentioning that no counsellor will hold you to this number of sessions, we use it as a guiding principle.  I like to discuss with clients how counselling is working for them on a regular basis and at least every 2-3 sessions with reviews every 6 sessions.  It is important to recognise that we are all different and have different experiences and ways of dealing with those and therefore it often takes time to adjust to counselling and allow time for the areas of concern to be considered at your own pace.  If someone feels that 6 sessions are enough, then that is what works for them, it may not work for you.

Within counselling there is a growing interest in single session therapy (SST) where an individual, who is able to identify a key element of wellbeing that they would like to explore, attends for one session.  This can be offered at an extended session time of 90 mins and would be something agreed upon in a free online chat.

The short answer is “no”!  Counselling is about exploring areas of concern or unmet needs in a safe space away from all that may be distressing or concerning for you.  Person-centred counselling aims to tap into your own resources and respects the fact that you are the expert in your world.  The primary aspect of successful outcomes in counselling is the relationship between counsellor and client, often referred to as the ‘therapeutic relationship’ or the ‘working alliance’.  If a good rapport is co-created between client and counsellor then areas of vulnerability can be addressed and understood without feelings of rejection, hurt, shame or humiliation, leading to better self-regulation. The aim is not for me to fix you but for you to fix you.

A good working alliance is formed early on where you can be assured of confidentiality of all that you talk about in sessions in a safe space.  Confidentiality is core to counselling and there are professional conduct regulations that I adhere to as set out by the BACP (British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy) in its Ethical Framework.  There are exceptions to confidentiality in areas of safeguarding, statutory obligations and in practice.  Part of my good practice as a counsellor is to have monthly sessions of supervision of at least 1hour to discuss my work and practice with a suitably qualified professional.  In these sessions elements of our work together will be addressed and discussed.  As part of good practice, I keep brief anonymised sessional notes.  These notes can be seen by you and can be asked for in legal proceedings.  Unless it is an emergency or a statutory duty, discussions regarding breaching confidentiality will be discussed with you in advance.

As a self-employed counsellor I have a cancellation policy that reflects the loss of income at short notice and external costs that cannot be avoided, such as a charge for a counselling room.  Provided you give me a minimum of 48 hours’ notice there will be no charge.  Where notice is less than this I will expect to charge the full sessional fee unless there are extraordinary circumstances that I consider suitably unexpected that sufficient notice could not be given. Where fees are outstanding further sessions cannot continue until this is discussed and there an agreed payment schedule in place.

I charge £50 for a session, either in person or online.  If we agree to use the walk and talk option, this will be an extended session of up to 90 mins and the cost will be £75. The same amount applies to a single session meeting.

I offer a free 15-minute chat through my website and if we agree to meet after that I will ask you to pay for the first session upfront and for you to pay for the 2^nd session before we meet for the 1^st session.  This ensures that your payments are up to date and when we come to ending there will be no further payments to make.

Payments can be made by online transfer, prior to each session, to

Fiona Heard

Sort code 070246

Account 06787323

You can use the calendar on my website to book a free no obligation chat.  If we agree to meet you can contact me either by email, by phone or messaging.  Please note that my counselling phone is switched on when I am expecting clients and therefore is not on all the time.  If you need to contact me outside of sessions, please email and follow up with a message or voicemail.  I will endeavour to contact you as soon as possible.

If you find yourself in distress please seek support and guidance from your GP if this event occurs during normal surgery hours or your mental health team where you feel you are at risk either, directly or by going straight to your A&E department at your local hospital.  You can call NHS 111 and request support for a mental health crisis. Where you find you are in urgent need, please contact the Samaritans by calling 116123, either from a landline or mobile phone.  A trusted friend or family member can also help you with accessing further help.

Please remember you are not alone and there is support available from the organisations mentioned here and others than can be found online.

I have a basic DBS (Disclosure & Barring Service) that is current until July 2024 and is available to view.

I am a registered member of the BACP and my registration number is: 00957632.

I have a professional indemnity policy with Towergate Insurance.