Still Have Some Questions?
No problem.
Find the FAQ’s below.
Sometimes reaching out for an initial appointment can feel scary. You may feel you need a little more information to help with any worries or doubts you have. To help ease your worries, I have answered some of our most frequently asked questions to help you feel more comfortable and informed.
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Therapy is an opportunity to express your emotions and life circumstances as they are for you right now in a non-judgmental space. Sometimes clients are searching for an objective observer of their issues. Others feel lacking in support or understanding in their relationships and benefit from a consistent therapy practice as a way of having someone who is able to listen and understand them. Therapy can also provide a regular safe space for those experiencing trauma or abuse.
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This will depend on what issues you choose to concentrate on in our sessions, and often, what difficulties or traumas you are experiencing. Part of the 30 minute consultation is to discuss the different therapy methods available to you. Some clients are seeking a sense of relief and tools to develop better mental health while others require more specific trauma-sensitive methods to support them through this exploration of a difficult experience in their lives. Sometimes a client has a desire to work with a particular method.
For example, clients who have difficulty communicating their trauma find art therapy incredibly beneficial and eye-opening. Body/Somatic Psychotherapy is a very helpful method of tracking trauma that is held in the body (for example: migraines, stomach and gut problems, muscle pain) and allowing it to be processed so that it can leave the body safely and gently.
The type of therapy used is something we decide on during our sessions together.
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We always start with a Free 30 Minute Consultation
This is an information session, not a therapy session. It is a chance for you to ask me any questions you have about my practice and the type of therapy I offer. We also decide together if this feels like the right fit. Having this information session is key to making sure you feel comfortable and that, if you do decide to start therapy with me, that an open, honest and healthy client-therapist relationship is created from the very beginning.
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Each session lasts 1 hour and costs €65. Concession rates are only available to those not in full-time employment.
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Usually six sessions are covered by health insurance companies such as VHI, Laya Healthcare, Aviva and Irish Life Health. Please check with your own healthcare insurance provider beforehand.
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This is something we discuss and decide together. I encourage all new clients to attend six sessions initially. This is generally enough time to initially discover what issues you are dealing with and how we can work together. Some of my clients want to work on something specific and short term while others have several areas of their lives they would like to address. I see some clients for weeks while others have been with me for 2-3 years as part of their mental health routine.
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Yes, I offer both. Online sessions include video-call as well as written email exchange therapy. Clients love the flexibility and accessibility of the online and phone options as it can make fitting therapy into their lives easier.
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The terms are often used interchangeably, as there is very little difference between the two and really, what is more important is the quality and duration of the training received and, if applicable, the area of specialisation, such as, for example, Trauma, Childhood sexual abuse, Eating Disorders etc.
Always ask about qualifications and accreditation to make sure you are getting a professional service.
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"Humanistic" refers to the element in this type of Psychotherapy that recognises the ability of the clients to answer questions about their lives, once they feel safe and heard. It also honours the relationship of being one of equals, as opposed to "expert and client".
"Integrative" means that we have access to a wide range models of therapy and analysis, starting with Sigmund Freud, the Father of Psychoanalysis and continuing for over a century right up to the present day, with workshops online, that we can share with our clients.
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Confidentiality is essential to building trust and a healthy relationship between us. There are three exceptions which I am professionally bound to uphold - threats to self, threats to others, and child and vulnerable adult abuse. If you have any concerns about confidentiality during our sessions, I am more than happy to answer any questions you might have.