A discovery call is a free, no-obligation conversation by Zoom where you can tell me a little about what's happening, ask questions and get a sense of whether working together feels right.

I can also help you think about which way of working might suit you best, and answer practical questions about fees, appointments and availability.

There's no expectation that you commit to ongoing work simply because we've had a discovery call.

Counselling and psychotherapy appointments are offered on a weekly or fortnightly basis.

I don't offer monthly or occasional/ad-hoc therapy appointments to new clients.

New therapy clients are asked to commit to an initial three sessions. You don't need to pay for all three together. Sessions can be paid for individually.

After those first sessions, we'll review how things are going and continue for as long as the work remains useful and appropriate.

Where possible, weekly and fortnightly therapy clients can have a regular appointment time pencilled into the diary.

If your work or personal commitments mean you need greater flexibility, we can discuss booking around your availability, although particular times can't be guaranteed.

Regular slots are held while you're actively attending sessions or during an explicitly agreed short pause.

Yes. Sometimes holidays, work, health or other circumstances mean you need to take a break.

A regular appointment slot can be held during an agreed pause of up to four weeks, provided we've agreed when you expect to return.

If you need an open-ended break and plan to contact me when you're ready, your regular slot will be released.

If a pause extends beyond four weeks, we'll normally bring the current period of therapy to an end. You're welcome to return in the future, subject to availability, but we'll begin again through a new intake.

If you're self-funding, payment is due at the time you book your appointment.

Payment must be received no later than 48 hours before your session.

If payment hasn't been received by that point, the appointment will be cancelled and the time released.

Different arrangements may apply when sessions are funded by an employer, Access to Work or a health insurer. In those circumstances, we'll follow the relevant authorisation, invoicing and payment arrangements.

Individual therapeutic coaching sessions are £125 per 60 minutes.

Alternatively, you can purchase a six-session block for £675, saving £75.

The block:

- Is paid in full at the time of booking

- Includes six 60-minute therapeutic coaching sessions

- Must be used within six months of purchase

- Remains subject to the usual cancellation and appointment policies

You don't have to purchase a block to access therapeutic coaching.

I operate a 48-hour cancellation policy.

If you need to cancel or rearrange your appointment, please give at least 48 hours' notice.

Where possible, I'll try to offer one alternative appointment within your usual session cycle, ideally within the same week. Alternative availability can't be guaranteed.

Appointments cancelled with less than 48 hours' notice are chargeable in accordance with the terms agreed when we start working together.

I'll wait for a maximum of 15 minutes after your scheduled appointment time.

If you arrive or join within those 15 minutes, we can continue, but your session will still finish at the original scheduled time. Lost time can't be added to the end.

If you haven't arrived or joined within 15 minutes, and I haven't heard from you, the appointment will be treated as a failure to attend.

Failure-to-attend appointments are chargeable in accordance with the cancellation terms.

Individual appointments are available:

- Online

- In person in Axminster

- In person in Exeter

- In person in Greater London

I don't routinely travel to a client's home or workplace for individual private appointments.

Organisational 1:1 support for leaders, business owners and senior professionals can be discussed separately, including on-site delivery where appropriate.

Location and delivery arrangements for Strategy Days are agreed as part of the booking process.

Online appointments need to take place in an appropriate environment for therapeutic or coaching work.

You will need to:

- Have your camera switched on throughout the session

- Be clearly visible, with sufficient lighting for me to see your face

- Be somewhere private and appropriate where you can speak freely

- Use a stable device and suitable internet connection where possible

- Not be driving

For professional and safety reasons, I won't continue an online appointment if you're driving, your camera remains switched off, I can't see you adequately because of poor lighting, or the environment makes it unsafe or inappropriate to continue.

If an issue can be resolved immediately, we'll continue. If it can't, the session will end and will be dealt with in accordance with the cancellation terms.

Genuine unexpected technical difficulties will be considered separately.

If either of us experiences an unexpected technical problem during an online session, we'll try to resolve it and continue where reasonably possible.

If the session can't continue, we'll agree the appropriate next step depending on what has happened.

This is different from attending without a camera, inadequate lighting or joining while driving, which are covered by the online-session requirements.

Sessions should not be recorded by either of us without explicit prior agreement.

This applies to online and face-to-face appointments.

Yes.

I work with:

- Family or friends paying on your behalf

- Health insurance clients, including Bupa

- Employer-funded clients

- Access to Work-funded clients

The booking, authorisation, invoicing and payment arrangements may differ depending on who is funding your sessions.

No.

Where sessions are funded through a health insurer such as Bupa, appointments are provided as counselling or psychotherapy in accordance with the insurer's authorisation and requirements.

Therapeutic coaching and other coaching services are separate and can be purchased independently where appropriate.

Yes.

Confidentiality is an important part of our work together.

There are professional, safeguarding and legal circumstances where confidentiality may need to be limited. These will be explained clearly in the information and terms you receive before we begin working together.

View Privacy & Confidentiality Information →

You can contact me between appointments about practical matters relating to your sessions, such as bookings or appointment arrangements.

Email and messaging aren't intended to provide ongoing therapeutic or coaching support between appointments.

My private practice is not an emergency or crisis service.

If you need immediate or urgent mental-health support, please use an appropriate emergency or crisis service rather than waiting for a response from me.

Link to Crisis Service

My standard private practice is for adults aged 18 and over.

You don't need to work this out by yourself.

Psychotherapy generally provides greater space to explore and process emotional or psychological difficulties, experiences and longer-standing patterns.

Therapeutic coaching uses psychological understanding with a stronger focus on the present and future, helping you understand what's happening and use that understanding to support practical change, decisions and moving forward.

If you're unsure, we can discuss what's happening during your discovery call and decide which approach is most appropriate.

No.

You don't need a mental-health or neurodevelopmental diagnosis to contact me or talk about something you're finding difficult.

We'll focus on what you're experiencing, what may be affecting you and what support you need.

That depends on what you're looking for support with and the type of work we're doing.

Some people need relatively focused support; others benefit from working together for longer.

We'll review our work as we go rather than assuming everybody needs the same amount of support.

You're free to decide that you want to finish working together.

Where possible, I'd encourage you to discuss this with me so we can review the work we've done and bring our sessions to an appropriate ending.

An open-ended break is different from an agreed short pause, and your regular appointment time can't be held indefinitely.

Session costs depend on the services as below:

- Counselling and psychotherapy: £70 per 50-minute session

- Therapeutic coaching: £125 per 60-minute session, or a six-session block for £675 (saving £75), paid in full when booked and used within six months

- 8Wise® Discovery 1:1: £1,200 for the full 12-session programme

- 8Wise® Strategy Days: £1,500

Different arrangements may apply when sessions are funded by an employer, Access to Work or a health insurer.