FAQs

Are sessions confidential?

Yes! …but, there are limits to confidentiality.

You need to feel safe talking to me, otherwise you wouldn’t share the important things you need to get off your chest. I absolutely won’t speak a word of it outside sessions, but there are some exceptions.

I discuss my case load with a suitably qualified supervisor. This increases the safety of the process and gives me someone appropriate to bounce ideas off.

I am subject to UK laws. There are various laws that compel me to break a client’s confidentiality. The laws in question often boil down to instances in which you tell me about risk of harm to yourself or another person (especially if that person is a child), but some are for surprisingly specific laws such as terrorism and money laundering.

If you tell me something that compels me to break confidentiality, I will usually try to work with you to mitigate risks rather than break your confidentiality.

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What if I’m having suicidal thoughts?

Thoughts about dying, death or about ending your life are more common than you might think – but it rarely comes up in conversation, so it would be easy to assume that you’re the only one. Since men generally talk about feelings less than women, they are even greater risk of bottling it all up inside.

If you’re at immediate risk of harming yourself, then I ‘might’ have to break your confidentiality, but most of the time its ‘just’ intrusive thoughts and we can talk that through instead. We might work together to create a safety plan. You can create a safety plan yourself and there are apps to help you.

If you need urgent care please call your GP or NHS111.

The Samaritans are available on via this link or call them on 116 123.

There is a NHS crisis hotline in every area – click here to find your local one. In Dorset this is Dorset Connection. Follow this link for more information or call directly on 0800 652 0190.

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How do you protect my personal data?

Please see my privacy pages for more information.

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Do you follow NICE guidelines?

Not always, though I am familiar with what’s on offer from the NHS.

The NHS is restricted to NICE guidance as it always wants to offer evidence-based research and offer cost-effective treatments. This is understandable, but NHS wait lists can be long, the treatments can feel too short and sometimes they don’t quite hit the spot due to the one-size-fits-all nature.

For common health conditions like anxiety disorder and depressive disorder, there is usually a NHS local offer – for adults in in Dorset that is Steps 2 Wellbeing.

As a private counsellor and member of the BACP, I am not bound by NICE guidance, although I do work within an ethical framework which I apply to both my counselling and coaching work. The framework gives me flexibility to offer a number of different approaches, some more evidence-based than others, so long as I am essentially working in my client’s best interests and doing no harm. This means I have more flexibility to work with whatever approach you respond to as a unique individual. We also don’t have to restrict the therapy to a limited number of sessions, though I am happy to do so if cost is a factor for you.

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What is your professional body (BACP)?

I am a registered member of The British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy. I am additionally a member of the BACP’s coaching division. I apply its ethical framework in both my counselling and coaching work.

Note that there are other professional bodies for mental health professionals.

‘Counsellor’ is not a protected title in the UK, nor is ‘coach’, so anyone can call themselves by those titles. Registration with an appropriate professional body will show that you are dealing with a suitably qualified professional.

My registration number is on the logo below:

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How do I raise a concern or complaint?

In the fist instance, I would urge you to discuss it with me, but if you feel I have no adequately dealt with your concern, you can contact the BACP and follow their professional conduct procedures.

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