FAQs about Counselling and Psychotherapy: There's no such thing as a silly question!

Please don't be put off if your questions aren't included on this page! We regularly receive a wide variety of enquiries. If you call or email we will be very happy to deal with your particular concerns.

FAQs answered on this page:

• Am I eligible to see a WTL counsellor, and do I need to be refered by anyone?
• Is it confidential?
• How much will counselling and psychotherapy sessions cost?
• How soon can I make an appointment?
• What sort of premises will I come to?
• What happens in a counselling and psychotherapy session?
• Will I feel judged?
• Will counselling help me and how?
• I'm on a long waiting-list for NHS counselling but I really need to start now.
• How many counselling and psychotherapy sessions will I need?
• Do WTL counsellors work with male clients?
• Does Womens Therapy Link offer lesbian couples counselling?
• How do we maintain standards of safety and effectiveness?
• Do Womens Therapy Link counsellors receive professional supervision?

 Am  I eligible to see a WTL counsellor, and do I need to be refered by anyone?

You can simply refer yourself, or ask a friend to call or email on your behalf.

Employers can refer their workers to us through 'employee assistance' schemes.

Some GPs recommend our services, and sometimes Social-Workers, Solicitors or Advice-Centres are happy to make the first enquiries.

Is it confidential?

All enquiries are treated with the strictest confidentiality. Click on privacy policy for more information about this important aspect of counselling and psychotherapy.

How much will counselling sessions cost?

WTL therapists work independently so charges can vary.

Fees will generally be between £20.00 and £45.00 per session.

Most of our therapists use a 'sliding-scale' of charges which adjusts to each clients' financial circumstances. (We do not ask for proof of income to work this out.)

For women with very limited finances we are sometimes able to offer low-cost sessions at concessionary rates.

For more information on 'Affordable Therapy' click on fees.

How soon can I make an appointment?

We try to put enquirers in touch with their nearest WTL practitioner as quickly as possible.

Subject to availability and the clients' ability to travel, appointments can often be arranged within a day or two. We do not use waiting-lists.

What sort of premises will I come to?

Consulting-rooms are always private, quiet and appropriately furnished. We do our best to help clients feel at ease.

We never expect our clients to sit in busy waiting-areas.

Some WTL therapists practice in consulting-rooms/offices in their own homes. Others arrange sessions in private rooms in therapy centres, community centres or office-suites.

What happens in a Counselling and Psychotherapy session?

Our style is conversational and interactive. Sessions usually resemble meetings between friends and respectful equals. Clients are encouraged to take an active part in choosing which areas to focus upon. Our practitioners offer feedback, give training in self-help techniques and concepts, and make suggestions for small behaviour-changes or practical assignments between sessions. We use 'observation exercises' to help clients look into situations in depth; these can be surprisingly informative and useful.

One point...people are often agreeably surprised at how often they laugh in their sessions. Looking at serious issues doesn't have to be solemn all the time!

Will I feel judged?

We really hope not! Most of us need an un-biased supportive listener at some point in our lives! Our practitioners are all trained to offer this.

Because we aren't involved in our clients' lives we don't have an 'agenda' for them, or hold fixed opinions about what they should or should not do.

Many clients start their counselling by blaming themselves or others, and we work with them to move away from this viewpoint. (Blame may sometimes be accurate, but focussing on blame is usually unproductive.)

Will counselling help me and how?

We are often able to help clients start to help themselves soon after the first session. Each persons' process is different. Sometimes change starts 'inside' the client. Sometimes life situations need to be worked on first. Often it's a mixture of the two. Our practitioners are experienced in helping people to find their own unique 'turning-point.'

Helping clients to feel more able to deal with life challenges is central to our work.

I'm on a long waiting-list for NHS counselling, but I really need to start now, can you help?

Yes, we can help clients to start to make beneficial changes as soon as possible. Our approach is broadly compatible with sessions offered by the National Health Service. We are happy for clients to stop coming for sessions with our practitioner in order to use their allocation of sessions with the NHS when their names do eventually reach the top of the list. (The NHS usually offers about 6 sessions.) Those clients who are wanting to do long-term work can then return for further sessions with their WTL practitioner once their NHS sessions have been completed.

How many counselling and psychotherapy sessions will I need?

We tailor our approach to the needs of each individual. Some clients benefit from short-term "fixed-focus" work. Others benefit from more long-term therapy. Some clients find that the first session is very helpful, while other people benefit increasingly over time. We encourage clients to tell us what works for them, and we review progress regularly.

Do WTL counsellors work with male clients?

Most of our practitioners work with male clients, either in individual sessions or in couples counselling. We are happy to refer male clients through Womens Therapy Link when they are introduced to us by a female client. Otherwise, please ask your WTL practitioner directly.

Does Womens Therapy Link offer lesbian couples counselling?

The Integrative Technique has a long and effective history offering lesbian couples counselling. Pellin Contribution-Training in particular has been at the forefront of non-judgemental counselling approaches to sexual orientation and gay, bi and lesbian couples and individuals. All our practitioners are experienced working with the particular pressures experienced by the LGBT communities.

How do we maintain conselling standards of safety and effectiveness?

Do Womens Therapy Link counsellors receive professional supervision?

All WTL practitioners have regular professional counsellor supervision.

In addition we have an informal network of peer-supervision.

All WTL therapists are required to continue their professional development by taking-part in further training during every year of professional practice.

All our practitioners are members of the British Association of Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP)

We all work according to the BACP code of ethics and practice.

This provides guidelines on:

• confidentiality
• complaints procedures
• maintaining practitioner effectiveness
• practitioner status within the UK legal framework

If you have any other questions about anything at all, do not hesitate to ask us. There's no such thing as a stupid question!