Question 1

What should I be looking for in a therapist?

Accepted Answer

The first thing I would suggest is that your therapist is signed up to a regulated body. It doesn't mean that they will be good, but it does mean that you have someone to complain to if they practice unethically, and that they could be removed from that regulatory body for poor practice. The main regulatory bodies in the UK are the BACP, the NCPS, and the UKCP.

Aside from that, I think you should look for someone that you feel as though you trust, that understands you, and that cares for you. Sometimes therapists will tick every possible issue on the Directories so that get the most clients. I feel a bit queasy about this - is it really possible for a therapist to specialist in everything? As a result, I wouldn't just go with someone having ticked the specialism that I want to work on.

I also would look for someone who answers your questions honestly. For me, there should be no secrecy from your therapist about how they work. They should be able to describe their way of working to you honestly and clearly, and what they believe they are doing in the therapy room for you. Different therapists will hold different views on what is important in therapy, and what their role is, and counter-intuitively, different modalities (which is what we call different approaches to therapy) all have about the same positive outcomes.

The bit about therapy that seems to make it more likely to work or not according to studies is the quality of the relationship between the client and the therapist, and that the therapist believes what they are doing will work. So when I talk about finding someone that you feel that you trust, that understands you, and that cares for you, this is really the most important thing in therapy.

Personally, I would stay away from therapists who's profiles read as AI (look out for the - in between regular words, and an unearthly feeling). If someone is going to use AI to speak with you, then you're not going anywhere near reality with the therapist.

I hope that you find the search for a therapist useful.

Question 2

What is therapy?

Accepted Answer

I understand my job as providing a space for you where you feel cared for no matter what you say or have done, to help you understand yourself better and to help you to bring change about in your life.

Question 3

How do we change?

Accepted Answer

I believed we change when we are cared for unconditionally; that whatever we reveal about ourselves, even the bits we hope no-one ever sees, we will still be cared for. I also believe that we need someone who will truly listen to us, both what we're saying and what we're not and who can see the parts of us that we cannot. We also need someone who has done the work on themselves so that they are clear what is their's and what is yours. I see my job as providing that for you, so that you can change.

Question 4

What will the first session look like?

Accepted Answer

It's a great question, and like a lot of great questions, there are no straight forward answers. My belief is that part of my role is to provide what you need to grow within therapy, and what that means depends hugely on the person that I am working with. Some people need deep visible compassion; someone to cry with them. For some people that would be deeply unhelpful, and they need someone stoic who can contain their emotion when they struggle. Some people value lots of questions and digging around; some people just need space and they will get to precisely where they need to. We can discuss this in the introductory session, and throughout our work together.

Question 5

When are sessions?

Accepted Answer

I currently see clients:
At the Site Gallery, in Sheffield Centre on

- Tuesday days and evenings
- Wednesday daytimes
- Thursday days and evenings

Please do get in touch if you are interested in those times. You can do this either by using the number or email at the bottom of the page or filling in the contact form on the Contact page.

Question 6

Where do you have your sessions?

Accepted Answer

I live in Sheffield, and work online and in person. If we are working online, I recommend finding a time you can meet that is quiet and away from other household members.
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I have my own therapy room at the Site Gallery, in Sheffield Centre on

- Tuesday days and evenings
- Wednesday daytimes
- Thursday days and evenings

I also work online only on Friday daytimes.

Please do get in touch if you are interested in those times. You can do this either by using the number or email at the bottom of the page or filling in the contact form on the Contact page.

Question 7

How much do sessions cost?

Accepted Answer

All sessions cost £60 per session for therapy, and £60 per session for supervision.

Question 8

What if you're full? Is there a waiting list?

Accepted Answer

I tend to be close to full. This doesn't mean that I have sessions every hour every day, but that I work out how many people I can see and still be fresh and utterly involved in each session. If you can be flexible with daytime sessions there will usually be an available session coming up before long. Evening sessions tend to be constantly full, so if you may need to look elsewhere if that is only when you can do.

In terms of a waiting list, my experience is that people tend to look to start therapy because they are in a crisis, or they are stuck in an important aspect of their lives. I don't want someone to be waiting for me when they are in a crisis state and there are other excellent therapists out there. I appreciate that my use of music is quite unique, and so if that is something that is important to you perhaps we could have a conversation about when would be possible for therapy for you, and if it's a time that may come up soon then I can let you know when that happens.

Question 9

I'm finding it difficult to find an available time to book online. Does that mean that you are full?

Accepted Answer

It might mean that I am full. However, there are plenty of other reasons that I don't have available times to book, such as personal events, or sessions moving around due to client's holidays. It's best to email if you're interested. I may be able to fit you in another time. I will email you available long-term sessions as well, so you can decide before we meet if there is a time that could work for you, so you don't have to waste your time.

Question 10

Can I have an taster session?

Accepted Answer

Yes, and in fact I insist on it! The first session is 30 minutes, is online and is free. This is for both of us to decide if counselling will be helpful. There is no pressure to continue after the first session.

I would also recommend you book a few of these in with different therapists. Most therapists will offer the same 30 minutes for free. I genuinely want you to have an experience of excellent therapy, and if you find that more with someone else then I will be delighted for you.

Question 11

What do we do in the free introductory session?

Accepted Answer

Part of that is up to you: There will be space for any questions that you might have and issues that you might want to check out. For my part I want to know why you are looking for therapy, and to see if the issues that you raise are issues that I feel comfortable working with. We experience different things at different points in our lives, and if I am personally going through something very similar to what you are going through, then I might feel that it is too close for work with you as well and clearly as I want to. If that's the case I will always let you know in the introductory session, and recommend other excellent therapists that I know.

Question 12

Do you use AI in Therapy?

Accepted Answer

The short answer is no. The long answer is that I understand that AI can genuinely be useful in finding some techniques, and I wouldn't want to stop anyone using it if they find it useful. Authenticity, however, for me is one of the cornerstones of therapy: There's a quote by Carl Rogers, one of the founders of modern psychotherapy which says 'the more that I am able to be myself, the more cleint can be themselves'. My belief is that if I am using AI in my website, or in my emails to clients, that I am already starting in my interactions with you with some degree of falsehood. I will be fully myself in sessions, and believe that this will enable you to do the same.

Question 13

How do you use music in therapy?

Accepted Answer

I understand a big part of my job as a therapist is to empathetically understand your experience and to communicate that understanding to you. What that means in practice is that there are often parts of ourselves that we're not aware of. I use music to play those parts of you, so that you can hear it and accept parts of yourself that are pushed down or ignored.

Question 14

What issues do you work with?

Accepted Answer

I am open to working with most issues, but most of my experience has been working with people who want support with sadness, anger, anxiety, spiritual issues, self-harm and thoughts of suicide.

Question 15

What qualifications do you have?

Accepted Answer

I have a diploma from Temenos Education, which takes four years part time to complete and involved 200 hours of counselling before qualification as well as completing a dissertation and Viva. 
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I also have an MA in Social Work.
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I am an Accredited Member of the British Association of Counsellors and Psychotherapists (BACP). This is a regulatory body for Counsellors. This means that I hold to a code of ethics and can be disciplined or ejected if I fail to live up to it.

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