Q&A

If you have a question please send it to john@eastendpsychotherapy.co.uk. I will respond as soon as I can. Some questions about my practice are answered below.

How much do you charge?
£50 for an individual session; £60 for a couple session. Sessions which are not planned on a regular basis may be charged differently. Reduced fees are sometimes available.

What about missed or cancelled sessions?
Once we have agreed to meet regularly, sessions missed without notice must be paid for in full. Sessions cancelled with less than two weeks notice must also usually be paid for. I will try to reschedule your session if something comes up for you at short notice, but this is not always possible.

What if I want to stop?
You are free to come to an end at any time without notice. However it usually feels more satisfactory for all concerned if the ending of therapy is negotiated and agreed in advance. I will not try to hold you to a protracted ending against your wishes.

What if I don't like it?
First of all, tell me; the feedback will be helpful. We may find that I am missing something, or that we are not working in a way that suits you. We may be able to address the difficulty and find a way through it. However if you feel consistently uncomfortable, or that the therapy is not helping you, then it may be that I am not the right therapist for you or that this is not the right time. I will give you my opinion but you will not be pressured into continuing.

What if I just don't want to?
Sometimes friends, family, colleagues or other people can offer wonderful therapeutic insight and influence. Books, and now computer-based programmes, can help too. Many aspects of caring for one's mental and emotional health are straightforward and common-sense, though routine and practice are required to develop good habits. Sometimes professional help is useful to start the ball rolling but it is not essential if the time isn't right.

What is your orientation?
I am an Integrative Psychotherapist. I believe that positive change and development comes through positive relationship in our external and internal life. We grow through accepting and connecting aspects of ourselves, so that we feel more complete and whole and more able to stand in relation to the world. We can improve our capacity to recognise our thoughts and feelings and to decide how to act more positively.
In my own development as a practitioner I have integrated and drawn influence from a number of principal theories and practices, notably Psychoanalysis and Psychodynamics, Attachment Theory, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, Solution-Focused Brief Therapy, and Person-Centred Counselling.

What does UKCP registration mean?
Registration with the United Kingdom Council for Psychotherapy means that I have completed a nationally recognised training, that I maintain professional insurance, that I am connected to an organisation with a structured complaints procedure, that I have regular professional supervision of my work, that I undertake regular professional development and training, and that I am committed to adhere to an established code of ethics.

What about supervision?
I receive regular supervision of my clinical work. This means I formally discuss my work with another experienced practitioner in such a way as to protect the confidentiality due to my clients, with a view to maintaining best practice and ensuring that my clients receive an excellent service from me.
I also provide clinical supervision to other practitioners, individually and in groups, within organisations and independently. In recent years I have successfully supervised six counsellors through the process of gaining accreditation.

How long will I need to be in therapy?
Sometimes a brief therapeutic intervention can be extremely helpful in making positive and significant change, and a few sessions focussing on a particular issue will be all that is required. If a more supportive and wider-ranging intervention is required or desired then longer-term regular psychotherapy can be a helpful and transforming experience.

The pictures on this website were all taken inside or near the two eastendpsychotherapy spaces.