FAQ’s

The first appointment is not free. This is a 50 minute assessment session to get to know new clients and to begin to assess goals and needs.

Yes it is. What is discussed within the counselling sessions stays in the counselling sessions. The only circumstance where confidentiality might be broken is if the client poses a serious risk either to him/herself or someone known to the client. I would always try to discuss the need for a break in confidentiality with the client first and the reasons for this.

This is not an indicator of one therapist being better than the other. It is true that less experienced therapists may charge less, but some therapists choose to keep their fees lower to make therapy more accessible.

Therapist fees are based on level of qualifications, years in practice and specialist fields. All our therapist are fully qualified practitioners and are accredited with a professional body within their field of work.

If it doesn’t work out with one therapist, then of course we encourage you to come back to us at intake so we can help you find one that feels right.  We support our clients in finding the best match.

Yes of course, let us know on your referral form and we will check their availability.

You can ask to be matched to a different therapist. NI Counselling has 30+ therapists with different qualifications and areas of expertise that are available based upon your location, preferences, and therapist availability.

You can talk with our intake co-ordinator or Project Manager Deborah, prior to your first appointment if you wish, but you cannot talk with your allocated therapist in advance. Our intake co-ordinator alongside our Project Manager makes all allocations based on your completed referral form HERE. You are allocated to the therapist who we believe will best suit your needs. If you agree to move forward with your assigned therapist for your first consultation, you can bring any questions to find out more about how you will work together and to discover if you connect. Whilst the majority of first consultations will proceed to weekly sessions, neither you nor the therapist are committed to continue beyond the counselling consultation session.

The key difference between the two courses of therapeutic communication treatment lies in the recommended time required to see benefits. Counselling usually refers to a brief treatment that centres around behaviour patterns. Psychotherapy focuses on working with clients for a longer-term and draws from insight into emotional problems and difficulties.

Counsellors and Psychotherapists cannot give a medical diagnosis, this is carried out by GP’s, Psychiatrists and Psychologists.

No. Our counsellors are not doctors, so they cannot provide medication. This should be discussed with your G.P.

People have many different motivations for coming to Counselling and Psychotherapy. Some may be going through a major life transition (unemployment, divorce, new job, etc.), or are not handling stressful circumstances well. Some people need assistance managing a range of other issues such as low self-esteem, depression, anxiety, relationship problems, spiritual conflicts and creative blocks.

In short, people seeking counselling /psychotherapy are ready to meet the challenges in their lives and ready to make changes.

Cancellations – more than 24 hours notice: If you have confirmed your assessment session by payment and then need to cancel, giving more than 24 hours’ notice (Monday-Friday); we can refund your full fee or reschedule your appointment to best suit. If an assessment fee is carried over this can only be facilitated once.

Cancellations – Less than 24 hours: If you have confirmed your assessment session by payment, and then need to cancel giving us less than 24 hours notice (Monday-Friday); no refund will be issued. You are welcome to reschedule with your therapist for another suitable time. This will require a further assessment fee to be paid directly to your therapist.

To read our full policy on “Assessment First Session Policy” please click here.

If you want to change or cancel an appointment, we require two working days, or 48 hours notice to give us a reasonable chance to fill that appointment time.

If you don’t give 48 hours notice, we will ask you to cover the full session fee, as it could have been given to another client in need.

You can contact us by filling in the online contact form on the contact page you can also telephone or send us a text message on 07548080806. We also provide a free telephone consultation if required, this is prior to the first session. On this call one of our Intake Coordinators can answer any questions you may have and support you with therapy options.