Booking
Book a free introductory call, and the whole cost on one page.
You should not have to phone somebody to find out whether you can afford them.
Book online
I am not taking bookings directly just now. Email me and I will reply either way — if I am full I will say so straight away and suggest two other places to try.
What it costs
About fifteen minutes, by email, phone or booked online. You say roughly what is going on, I say how I work. No obligation on either side.
In person in Edinburgh and West Lothian, or online. Weekly or fortnightly.
Four of these at any one time, for people receiving Universal Credit, ESA, PIP or a state pension. Just ask. I will not ask to see anything.
Paying
Bank transfer on the day of the session, or cash if you would rather. I do not take card. Nothing is asked for in advance and there is no joining fee.
Fee reviews
I look at my fee once a year in April. If it changes I will tell you at least two months beforehand, and if you are partway through work with me your rate stays as it is until you finish.
If you cannot make a session
Give me 48 hours and there is no charge. Less than that and I ask for the full fee, because the hour is held for you and cannot be filled. If you are ill, tell me and we will sort it out. I am not going to charge somebody for having flu.
Your statutory right to cancel
Because you book at a distance, by email or phone, you have a legal right to cancel within 14 days of us agreeing to work together. This is separate from the notice period above.
If your first session falls inside those 14 days, I will ask you to confirm in writing that you want to start early and that you understand you will be charged for any sessions delivered before you cancel, and that the right ends once the work we agreed has been fully carried out. This is a consumer regulation, it does apply to counselling, and I would rather set it out than leave it buried.
If it is not working
Say so. It is not rude and I will not take it badly. Either we change how we are working, or I help you find someone else. Nobody is obliged to stay with a counsellor who is not right for them.
Complaints
Tell me first if you feel able to. If not, or if it does not resolve things, you can complain to my professional body, whose complaints procedure is public. Their details and my registration number are on the about page.
Your information
I keep brief session notes, held securely, and destroy them after [retention period] years. Enquiries from people who do not go on to become clients are deleted within three months. I am registered with the Information Commissioner's Office, registration number [ICO registration number]. Full details of what I collect, why, and your rights over it are on the privacy page; you can complain to the ICO if you are unhappy with how I have handled it.
What happens next
- You will hear back. If you booked a slot, the confirmation arrives straight away. If you emailed or phoned, I reply within two working days.
- Either way, we have the free fifteen minutes, by email or by phone, whichever suits you, to talk about what's going on and how I work.
- After that, either of us can say no. If it is a yes, we book a first session.
- If I am full, I will tell you straight away and suggest two other places to try.