FAQs
I’ve pulled together some answers to frequently asked questions about the therapy process, starting therapy with me and more logistical queries. I’m always open to questions so if something isn’t covered or quite clear below, please feel free to contact me.
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Send me an email at will@willhardytherapy.com, with your contact details and brief reasons for wanting therapy, or you can drop me a message in the contact form on the ‘Contact’ page.
We’ll then arrange an initial 20 minute free telephone or video call to discuss things further and get to know each other a bit more. Should you wish to progress with a session, we’ll then arrange to either meet in-person or online and take it from there. If you decide to continue, I will send over a client agreement and some forms for you to complete.
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I am trained and qualified to offer in-person and online (video) therapy. I offer online sessions to those based in the UK. However, if you’re located outside of the UK, please contact me to discuss further as I am able to practice online in some territories. At this present time, I do not offer sessions via telephone, email, IM or outside walking together.
I practice with an integrative approach to counselling and psychotherapy. This means I work within different modalities of therapeutic thinking. My theoretical and practical approaches include GSRD, humanistic, psychodynamic, relational, phenomenological, existential and pluralistic approaches. This is all fostered within a queer and sex positive, kink affirming and non-judgemental and open mindset. If you want a more jargon free description of this (I don’t blame you!) - please see the ‘About Therapy’ page.
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I offer short-term (6-20), long-term (20+) and open ended (no set amount) therapy. Sessions last 50 minutes. Typical counselling sessions take place at the same time and date on a weekly basis. Initially, I propose to collaboratively work together for 6 weekly sessions. This should give us enough time to get to know each other and start exploring why you have come to therapy. After this, we can then review our work and decide how we want to move forward.
Our session arrangement can look like working together on a weekly basis within an open-ended agreement or on a weekly basis within a specific agreed amount of sessions.
A fortnightly frequency is something that can be discussed and worked towards after significant work i.e., after at least 12-24 months of weekly therapy. This is to allow us a sufficient period of time where we have been able to establish our relationship and both have an understanding of your therapeutic needs.
A monthly frequency is also possible. This can be discussed after working fortnightly together for a number of months.
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The first session can sometimes be daunting and feel a bit odd to express how you’re feeling to a complete stranger. With that said, our first session will be a mix of establishing and agreeing our therapeutic framework, understanding your reasons for therapy and an opportunity for you to see if I may be a right therapeutic fit.
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In our sessions, you can talk about anything you’re comfortable with disclosing and potentially exploring. A standard foundation of all therapy is that our sessions are strictly confidential. I am bound to the BACP Ethical Framework, where I uphold confidentiality and safety with incredible priority within my practice.
However, as a duty of care and support, there are some limitations to our agreed confidentiality. This involves if I have any concerns around your safety or others, if a serious crime is disclosed, in the event of an emergency or as part of the regular supervision I undertake (a professional opportunity that all counsellors in practice engage within). I have provided further clarity on these points within my client and privacy agreements.
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Yes - we will have a client agreement. This document outlines my policies, fees, logistics, processes and finer details that provide us with boundaries in a contractual relationship. It is an agreement designed to honour the commitment and respect we will have towards each other, within the therapeutic process. Additionally, it is helpful to refer back to if any questions arise.
I will also supply you with my privacy policy and an assessment form to capture some of your personal data for emergency and therapeutic processing reasons.
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My availability is open and flexible, however, this depends on which method of therapy you’re interested in.
Mondays and Thursdays, I work online between 10am and 6pm. Tuesdays, I work in Peckham throughout the afternoon. Wednesdays, I work online in the morning and then in Liverpool Street in the afternoon.
I currently do not see clients on Fridays, the weekends or evenings (6pm onwards).
If my proposed availability doesn’t quite work with your schedule, please still reach out to me as we may be able to find a solution or alternative time. Please note, the above hours may differ and I run a session waiting list.
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I hire private, safe and confidential therapy rooms in Peckham and East London. I also offer online sessions, meaning we can work together wherever you’re based in the UK. For more details, please see the ‘Locations’ page.
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Fees are £70 per 50 minute session. One of my key motivators and values in training as a counsellor is to make therapy more accessible. Therefore, I operate a sliding scale within my fee structure to offer part of my practice at lower rates. However, running a solo private practice is expensive - so I have limited availability for low cost sessions. Please see more on the ‘Pricing’ page.
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The truth is - there’s a possibility that I won’t be, and that’s OK. That’s part of therapy. As with any relationship, sometimes it might not be what you need and are looking for, or it may not quite be the connection that feels right for you.
My commitment to you is to offer a safe, non-judgemental, confidential, respectful, consistent and holding space. If at any point I feel I may not be the right therapist for you due to my competency or any personal conflicts, I will endeavour to inform you and collaboratively work out how we move forward. Additionally, if for any reason something isn’t quite working for you - I hope you’re able to share this with me in our space to explore and discuss together.
Therapy is an ongoing process.