Frequently Asked Questions

You can refer by using the contact form on the website or call/text 07488 312 784 or e-mail julie@wishawcounsellingservice.co.uk

I aim to reply to emails, messages and texts as soon as possible throughout Monday to Friday.

Yes. I have various appointments throughout the week but they do need to be scheduled as I cannot offer walk in appointments.
I can usually offer appointments within 24-72 hours.

This is up to yourself. It is recommended at the start you attend weekly. As therapy progresses and you start to feel better you may wish to reduce the frequency to fortnightly or monthly before ending.

I understand though that you may not have the space in your diary to attend weekly so I leave this choice up to you.

No. You attend for as long as you feel you want to.

No. We book in at the end of each session. If you need a specific time slot due to shifts we can reserve these a few weeks in advance if you wish but I usually have a wide range of appointments.

Sometimes you are OK which means sometimes you are not. You don't need to be in an awful place to start counselling. Being at this stage may help you to work on your issues before they become too overwhelming.

There may be but during your session you are my focus. The other people are welcome to begin therapy when they feel ready to. You don't need to be in the worst place to begin therapy. Being in a "not too bad" place could even help you to tackle your issues before they become too big or too painful.

Once the session begins it is amazing what topics have a way of bubbling up to the surface, things you may not have planned to talk about. If you need help getting started let me know and we can work through this together.

Yes, I ask that payment is made 24 hours prior to your appointment by bank transfer.

If the sessions are just for you, no.

I understand you may think that it would be additional support for you but others in the room may unwittingly bring up issues you are not ready to talk about and therefore cause you anxiety.

You may also feel censored and not able to open up fully to myself if someone else is there.

They may bring issues into the room that you do not want to talk about and influence what you discuss. I want to understand what is going on for you from your point of view, not someone else’s.

Having someone else in the session can hinder how your progress.

Also, I do not have a waiting area so they would not be able to wait outside the room.

No. If you know you can't attend in advance please let me know as soon as possible, we can then book you in for your next appointment. The cancellation policy is a minimum of 24 hours notice or the full fee is chargeable. This will not affect future sessions going forward.

This is not an issue as this time slot is booked for you but please let me know asap. If you are late due to extenuating circumstances I will try to give you your full 50 minute appointment but this may not always be possible as someone could be booked into the next slot.

If I have not heard from you 30 minutes after the scheduled start time, I will assume you are not attending and end the session at my end. This will still be chargeable in line with my cancellation policy.

I will not approach you first or start a conversation but you can approach me if you wish.

I won't approach you first as you may be with someone else and not want to explain how you know me (we've all got those nosey friends/relatives), or you may just not want to talk to me due to the nature of what we work on.

I fully understand this and will not be offended.

No. I am self-employed and work alone. I do not pass files onto the NHS.