Your Questions Answered

All sorts of people find counselling useful and our clients are of all ages and come from all walks of life. Personal life events can cause anyone problems or distress and time spent with a therapist can be invaluable in sorting these issues out. Life is not always easy. Counselling is a popular and acceptable way of getting help and support for any personal, emotional or psychological issues. There is no shame in getting counselling!

At your first appointment with us we will ask you a few questions, discuss some of the circumstances that have brought you to therapy and look at how our services might be able to help. At this first meeting we will also determine which one of our therapists is the best match for you. You will have an opportunity to ask any questions you have about counselling or psychotherapy. In many ways, your first appointment with us will be straight-forward: we collect information from you and help you determine your best options for going forward with therapy.

At the end of this initial consultation, you will be able to decide whether you would like to continue with further appointments. And, of course, all of our services are completely confidential.

You should expect confidential, professional appointments in a comfortable private setting including —

• An opportunity to make sense of your individual circumstances
• An experienced, qualified counsellor or psychotherapist who helps you identify and resolve issues
• Warm, non-judgemental support throughout your therapy
• A chance to talk about any of your life experiences without being judged
• The development of greater self-awareness
• An end result that leaves you better equipped to cope with the future.

We understand that many people in London lead busy lives. We offer appointments Mondays to Fridays from 7.30 am until 8.30 pm and on Saturdays and Sundays from 8.00 am until 6.00 pm. Depending on your availability, it’s likely that we will have an appointment time that’s convenient for you. Appointment options can be discussed in more detail at your initial consultation. 

Online counselling is also available, including combination face to face and online therapy.

We do offer telephone and online counselling for clients who live abroad or who cannot get to our central London practices easily. Many of our clients meet with their therapist online. For more information about online or telephone counselling, please continue here.

Different types of therapy have different ways of addressing issues. For instance, cognitive behavioural therapy is about how you think and behave, and attempts to address recurring thought or behaviour patterns. In bereavement therapy, there would be more emphasis on supporting you through very difficult emotions. Psychodynamic counselling looks at your past and the effect the past is having on your life today, while other therapies concentrate on the future. Everyone’s counselling needs are unique. We try to find the best approach for you.

We are trained and experienced in situations as diverse as coping with stress and anxiety, bereavement and loss, relationship problems, depression, personal problem-solving, sex and sexuality issues, addictions, eating disorders, concerns around work and career, self-esteem and self-worth issues as well as helping victims of child abuse and trauma. We employ male and female counsellors and psychotherapists, gay and straight therapists, relationship specialists, psychosexual therapists and counsellors and psychotherapists from different cultural backgrounds.

Sometimes clients ask for a therapist who specialises in a certain issue. Most or our therapists are trained and experienced enough to work with most life experiences. Generally, therapists do no specialise in one issue, like anxiety or bereavement.

You have a right to any information you might require. Ask about the location, cost and duration of appointments. Ask about professional memberships or qualifications. It’s important to be clear about what you want.

Sometimes, depending on the issues and emotions that need addressing. We support our clients through many painful emotions. Therapy can also be exciting, enlightening and life-changing.

Yes. Everything you discuss in therapy is confidential — between you and your therapist. There are certain legal exceptions to this policy and we will clarify these exceptions to you at your first appointment.

We do not judge behaviour or personal life experiences and we respect each client for their individual choices. We operate a policy of non-discrimination. We do not discriminate on grounds of age, race, gender, sexuality, religion, illness or ethnicity.

Fees for individual counselling and psychotherapy are based on each client’s personal financial circumstances. We feel the quality of our therapists, rooms and locations makes our fees reasonable and competitive.  For more information or an updated list of our services and fees, please continue here. 

Yes. You may end your sessions whenever you feel necessary and without explanation, just by letting your therapist know. Or you may wish to take a counselling break and resume therapy, when ready, at a later date.

If you proceed with therapy after your initial consultation, your therapist will reserve your room and your appointment time each week until your therapy ends. Your appointment will be reserved for you and cannot be used for anyone else. Your therapist will discuss their policy regarding any appointments that you cannot attend. It is important to understand your therapist’s cancellation policy. Appointments cancelled by your therapist will not be charged.

Please note that initial consultations (first appointments) that are cancelled with less than 48 hours’ notice will be charged.

Just tell us. During your first meeting trust your instinct because your relationship with us is at the heart of our work. If you are unsure about your counsellor please feel confident about making this known to us. A connection with your therapist is important and will enable you to get the best out of the time the two of you spend together.

Please provide any feedback regarding your experience with us to the director. All feedback will be received in confidence. We appreciate comments on our services. Email your thoughts to Dwayne Jackson at [email protected] or telephone 0333 207 9330.

You can’t. A person cannot be ‘sent’ for counselling. They must choose to use the service and make the approach themselves.

Everyone’s needs in therapy are different and it’s hard to estimate how many sessions you will need to achieve the results you are after. Some people benefit from a few sessions while other continue for longer. It’s fair to say that most personal issues are not resolved in just a few counselling sessions and you should allow yourself the time and space needed to reach your goals. Unrealistic expectations usually result in disappointment.

Regular meetings with an experienced and qualified therapist have helped many people overcome a wide range of personal, emotional and behavioural problems. Therapy provides a unique non-judgemental space where a person can be themselves and openly explore anything on their mind. Most people who come to therapy report that the experience was helpful to them.

There is no point trying to coerce another person into coming for counselling – therapy is not going to work if they really don’t want to be there. However, what’s more often the case is that people have mixed feelings – hopes as well as fears. If a partner can be encouraged to come for the initial consultation, with no obligation to continue, the therapist can help to explore their hopes and fears. Hopefully the partner will arrive at a point where their fears are lessened and couples counselling feels like a more positive choice.

You could ask yourselves if the problems you’re having arise because of how the two of you relate to each other (in which case couples counselling would be good) or would they still be problematic if you were single (in which case individual counselling would be helpful).

This is a hard question to answer and you’re unlikely to get a clear-cut answer, but you may feel it’s more one than the other. If you’re still unsure, try couples counselling – we see couples issues being blamed on one individual in the couple more than the other way round. Also, at the initial consultation, the two of you can then get the therapist’s help with your decision. It’s simpler to transfer from couples counselling to individual therapy than the other way round.

Yes. The only limitation is that it shouldn’t be with the same therapist. At One Therapy London, we have had many couples also see us for individual counselling, with one therapist for the couple and another for one or both individuals. We have strict procedures in place to ensure that nothing is passed between the therapists involved, so all sessions remain confidential.

This depends on your therapist. Some therapists think it’s preferable to only see the couple as a couple, others are willing to have individual sessions. Different couples therapists also have different policies on the confidentiality of individual sessions – some treat them as confidential to the individual while others say that anything said in individual sessions can be shared with the other partner. If you think you might want individual sessions, please ask your therapist about this at the outset.