Understanding how to approach therapy, what you should expect, and what your commitments is vital to getting the most out of your counselling experience. We aim to address this information here, but please contact us if you have further questions. You can reach us by emailing palmeirapracticepsychotherapy@gmail.com or calling us on 07436 643617.

Choosing a therapist

All of our therapists have their own specialisms, working styles, availability and pricing. Details of each therapist can be found on the counsellors page. If you aren’t sure who you’d like to work with then we’d be happy to recommend someone to suit you.

If you are in crisis

Therapy is not crisis care. It can form a very helpful part of recovery. However, due to the nature of the process it isn’t suited to emergency needs.

If you need to talk to someone immediately then please contact Samaritans on 116 123, book an emergency appointment with your GP, or call the NHS on 111. If you believe you are experiencing a mental health emergency then please visit A&E or call 999. A mental health crisis should be taken just as seriously as a medical emergency.

Sessions

Therapy is a commitment between you and your therapist that works by building up a trusting relationship over time through which you can explore your issues and test solutions. It requires a commitment to weekly sessions from as little as 12 weeks to as long as you want to continue for.

Our therapists each have their own working hours and days and so need a commitment from you to attend at the same time each week until the end of your therapeutic journey. Sessions happen weekly, at the same time each week both to help it become part of your routine, and because this is what our therapists require in order to offer you the best service.

Expectations

Therapy does not provide advice or external answers. It helps to support you in finding your own solutions, and to develop yourself. Our therapists are therefore trained in supporting clients to explore themselves. There is no greater expert of you and your experiences than yourself, and so you are also your best source of a solution to your problems.

Attending therapy is very different from a GP appointment as the therapist will guide you, but not provide a solution. It is therefore important for you to be ready to undertake the work necessary to bring about change. Whilst it can be helpful to begin therapy with an outcome in mind, the success of reaching that goal will be reliant on your commitment to the process, and openness to changes within yourself.

Confidentiality

Therapy provides a safe space in which you can talk about everything on your mind without fear of judgement or ridicule. Anything brought into therapy will be confidential and kept between you and your therapist.

Confidentiality will only ever be broken if your therapist believes you, or someone else, is in danger of harm, in which case it is their ethical duty to try to prevent that harm from occurring. There are a few legal reasons why therapists are obliged to breach confidentiality, such as if they have reason to believe that fraud or terrorism has taken place. In all cases a therapist will seek to discuss confidentiality with you before acting, except in the most extreme of cases.

If you have any concerns about confidentiality then you are welcome to discuss these with your therapist, who will explain the confidentiality code under which they work and how they work with it.

Confidentiality begins when you first contact the Practice. Your details are known only to the Referrals Manager and the Practice Owner. Where we need to check a therapist's availability or whether they'd be a good fit for you, we do this without sharing your name or any identifying details until you've chosen to go ahead with a named therapist. We will not share your details with any third party unless you provide us with permission to do so, we are legally obliged to disclose them, or a court orders us to do so.