FAQ
I have a comfortable and “homely” professional counselling space located in Mt Albert, City fringe. See the “Contact” tab above for details and a map.
However, just like the “good-old-days”, I can come to you! Many people feel more comfortable and relaxed in their own home, and for family therapy or work with teenagers or children, meeting on “their turf” can be empowering and less threatening.
Where we work together is something we will discuss when arranging our appointments.
Life happens and things come up… I understand that appointments are not always able to be kept.
Out of respect for my time and others seeking appointments, I ask that you let me know if you can’t make our appointment 24 hours before. This is best done by text or phone.
Short-notice cancellations or non-attendance may incur the full session fee.
Making the first appointment can feel like a big step. Many people are nervous or self-conscious. I understand that and want you to feel comfortable.
There are several ways you can arrange an appointment – text me, email me or phone me.
Chances are I’ll be with someone and so be prepared to leave a message with your name, a phone number
you’re happy for me to call you back on, and a time that works for you.
If texting or emailing I will reply with some options and we can narrow it down to something that works for both of us.
I can usually see you the week following this first conversation.
Most clients find they are where they want to be after 3 to 6 appointments. However, the number of counselling appointments can depend on many things including the nature of the issues you face and
the level of their effect on you.
During the first visit, we can talk about how many sessions you might be interested in, and review this
as we go along.
Individual sessions are generally 1 hour, however, they sometimes go over that by 15 – 20 minutes.
When deciding on our appointment time, if more space to explore an issue is wanted we can arrange for a 90-minute session. An additional fee will apply and will be discussed with your when setting up the appointment time.
I will take care of monitoring the time for you and will let you know when our time is drawing to an end.
If we go over the hour no additional fee is charged.
For individual counselling appointments my standard fee is negotiated between $100 and $140 per one-hour appointment, depending on your financial situation. Couples or longer sessions are negotiated above this rate, please just ask.
I do offer a limited number of “reduced rate” counselling agreements to people when needed. Please feel free to ask.
All other services are offered for a negotiated rate that reflects my costs and preparation / delivery time. Please just ask, I’m very amenable to what can work for us both.
Yes! I have had great fun working therapeutically with kids as young as 6, and find Narrative Therapy is ideally suited to conversations with children.
Through “externalising” problems (see Narrative Therapy page for details) playful ways of exploring the problem’s influence and tatics become available. Problems can be drawn, painted or acted out which clarifies the issues and enables children to find a way to express their experience more fully. Children quite quickly become empowered to conquer their problems and gain expert status.
When a young person is not asking for our help it can be a sensitive issue to raise your concern about their wellbeing. Suggestions that they see a counsellor might be rejected or rebelled against. So how this is raised can be important in cultivating an openness in the young person to “give it a go”.
What I often do is invite a young person to “check me out”, “give me a test”, or “see if I’m worth talking to”.
This kind of language offers them some power of choice, and implies that seeing me once is not a commitment to anything.
If they think I’m a jerk and decide not to return, you and I can discuss other options! However, I have usually found that once we meet that first time, there is a greater willingness to meet again.