Question 1

What are your fees? (costs; prices; payment; charges)

Accepted Answer

I charge the following fees:-

£140 for an Online Couples counselling session of 75 minutes (£115 for an Online Couples counselling session of 60 minutes - available after the assessment+ phase*)

£160 for a face-to-face Couples counselling session of 75 minutes (£135 for a face-to-face Couples counselling session of 60 minutes - available after the assessment+ phase*)

£300 for a 90 minute Coaching session - includes preparation and follow up.

*  assessment+ phase is the 3 assessment sessions mandated by the Gottman’s and the first 3 working sessions

Question 2

What Insurers do you work with ? (Health Insurance; HR programs; EAPs)

Accepted Answer

I am accredited to work with the following health care insurers:

AXA PPP Healthcare
Vitality Health
Aetna Global Benefits

I am not able to produce bespoke billing to meet the needs of other insurers.

Question 3

Do you have discounted fees?

Accepted Answer

I have a limited number of concessionary rates which are dependent on circumstances.
I hold a number of free 'drop in' sessions and free workshops throughout the year.
I do a limited amount of work on a pro bono basis.

Question 4

Counselling, Therapy or Coaching - what's best for me?

Accepted Answer

Clients normally seek counselling or therapy when something from the past is troubling them or the 'same' negative thing keeps happening. They often feel sad, angry, confused, depressed or anxious.
Counselling tends to be a brief treatment that provides relief from current unhelpful behaviour patterns.
Therapy tends to be deeper and seeks insight or relief from past experiences that have a negative influence on present behaviour.
Coaching is about something you want to achieve, it's directed towards the future and is results focused. You agree a timescale & outcomes and are held accountable.

Question 5

How do I choose a counsellor, therapist or coach?

Accepted Answer

I recommend:

Draw up a short list of 2 or 3 people you think you would like to work with.
Ask to speak to them, many will offer a short phone-based session, free of charge.
Clarify how they work, who sets the agenda, professional bodies, insurance and supervision.
Check how you feel about them? Comfortable?
Choose the best candidate and sign up for an initial session.

Question 6

How do I start?

Accepted Answer

Contact me an arrange a FREE Explore Call so that you can ask me any questions that you have and get a feel on what it might be like to work with me. My testimonials will give you a sense of the experiences of other clients.

Question 7

How does it work?

Accepted Answer

When you're ready to begin, contact me to arrange our first session. During this session we are aiming connect with each other and feel comfortable together, to understand what it is that you want to focus on and agree how we will work together to make this happen. I'll make an assessment of how long the work is likely to take and we'll agree a period of time to work together and a review point.

Question 8

What do you expect from me?

Accepted Answer

I want you to be honest with me, both about what's going on for you and how you experience working with me. Also, I expect you to be willing to turn up and do the work - whatever we agree that to be. I only work with people who want to engage. I don't work with people whose partner, mother, father, friend, etc. thinks it will help them.

Question 9

How long is a session? How often?

Accepted Answer

Normally:

75 minutes for couples counselling, also usually weekly. Sessions of 60 minutes are possible after the first 6 sessions provided there are no underlying long term mental health, betrayal or addiction issues. Less frequent sessions are available as the work progresses.

A coaching session lasts 90 minutes and are usually scheduled every 4 to 6 weeks.

Occasionally extended or double sessions might be appropriate

Question 10

How many sessions will I need?

Accepted Answer

That depends on what you want to achieve and the issues involved. In the first session we'll agree our initial period of work and a review point. This is often 6 sessions with a review at session 4. This is a verbal agreement of intention, not a binding contract.
Short-term counselling: 4-8 sessions are typical where both the issue and the desired outcome are clear.
Medium-term counselling/therapy: 8-16 sessions are typical when the issue is unclear or there are a number of issues impacting on each other.
Longer term therapy may then be agreed when we have successfully addressed the presenting issues and you want to continue to with self awareness and personal development.
Coaching can be as little as a single session but is usually 4-6 sessions.

Question 11

Where can I work with you?

Accepted Answer

You can work with me in person in Nottingham, UK. Online from anywhere (don't rule out online without trying it). Full addresses, maps and schedule here.

Question 12

When will our work together end?

Accepted Answer

Most clients know when the work is coming to a natural end.

Initially we will identify if the changes you wanted have been achieved. We normally allow for the last one or two sessions to end our work in an appropriate way. This is particularly important for adult third culture kids who typically have endured numerous 'goodbyes', many of which were unsatisfactory. We need to ensure we don't reinforce this pattern.

In some instances, especially in a coaching agreement, you will have arranged a fixed number of sessions. Towards the end of this period we will have a final review session, followed by a closing session.

Question 13

What are your qualifications? (skills, training, methods, techniques)

Accepted Answer

I have a number of psychotherapy and coaching qualifications: 
Postgraduate Diploma in Transactional Analysis - Psychotherapy application (4 year course) 
Transactional Analysis Coaching & Leadership Development Diploma (2 year course) 
Certified NLP practitioner (Ian McDermott @ ITS) 
Certified Performance Coach (Association of Coaching) 
Resilience Doughnut Accredited Trainer & Coach 
PTTLS - Level 3 Teaching & Training Accreditation 
Gottman level I, II & III couples certification 
British Psycholocical Society qualification in Supervision
Prepare & Enrich Pre-Marital Framework 
I also have a number of qualifications related to my corporate career.

Question 14

What professional bodies do you belong to?

Accepted Answer

I'm a registered member of:

British Association for Counsellors and Psychotherapists (BACP) - registration No. 118342
Association for Coaching (AC) - registration ALC0816M.

Question 15

How is your work regulated?

Accepted Answer

Both the British Association for Counsellors and Psychotherapists (BACP) and the Association for Coaching (AC) have stringent requirements for level of qualification and demonstration of proficiency before they will accept a practitioner. After acceptance, a practitioner must demonstrate that they follow the ethical and professional guidelines e.g. practice in a professional manner, undertake supervision, have sufficient insurance, keep appropriate records, invest in professional development. The practitioner's status is reviewed annually.

Question 16

Privacy Policy? (GDPR; Confidentiality and Trust)

Accepted Answer

My approach to privacy policy follows the BACP guidelines for professional counsellors and therapists, and meets the legal requirements under GDPR. Your work with me is treated confidentially. Trust is an essential part of the therapeutic relationship, it is built over time by repeatedly demonstrating honesty and openness.
Longer description and link to full policy.

Question 17

How do I make a payment to you?

Accepted Answer

I accept payment by Revolut or bank transfer either in £, € or $.

Payment for each session is required in advance, at the point of confirming a booking.

Question 18

What happens if I need to cancel a session?

Accepted Answer

If you are unable to make a session I ask that you give as much notice as possible. If you cancel up to 48 hours before a session, no charge will be made for a subsequent booking. Cancellations less than 48 hours before the session time will incur the full session fee. Under exceptional circumstances I may vary this rule.

Question 19

Not answered above?

Accepted Answer

Feel free to send any additional question through the contact form below.

It may get added to the list so thanks for asking.

Alison Collis

Nurturing Relationships

FAQ - Couples Relationship Counselling