Options on Offer

When you have read through this section contact the practice to book a counselling session. Please state clearly whether you are looking for Face-to-Face or Telephone Counselling. If you leave a message please be sure to include your contact details. Client confidentiality is maintained at all times.

Face-to face Counselling

Face-to-face counselling is by far the most productive form of talking therapy, and if you wish to make an appointment please contact the practice by telephone or email. The practice, close to the town centre, is easily accessible by rail, bus or car. Appointments are available during normal office hours, and some evenings. Counselling sessions are normally held once a week for 50 minutes.

If for any reason a session needs to be cancelled, or changed, 48 hours’ notice must be given or a charge will be incurred.

The practice telephone number is 01604 761556 from 9 am - 9 pm , daily, including weekends (answering machine service).

For corporate Counselling in the work place, please contact the practice for further details. We are happy to offer brief therapy. 

Please be assured of complete confidentiality at all times, no phone calls will be made to your home or place of work, and no literature will be sent to you without your prior authorisation.

Arranging a face-to-face appointment

The first thing to do is to telephone or email Counselling Point to check that this is the right practice for you and that Face-to-Face Counselling is the right form of counselling for you. It is generally the best for most people.

Once we have agreed an initial contract for Face-to-Face Counselling, an arrangement will be made for the first counselling session to occur, at a pre-arranged date and time. If you are not able to attend that time and have not given notice of such, a charge will still be made.

If you need to cancel or rearrange a session, 48 hours’ notice must be given to avoid charges. If your counsellor needs to cancel or rearrange the time or date, as much notice as possible will be given to you, and you will be credited if an alternative time cannot be agreed.

Payment for each session must be received one week in advance of the session; this must be paid by cheque (see Fees and Payment)

At the end of the first session you can decide whether or not you wish to continue with further sessions, and if so, arrange the next date. This is also the time to discuss how you feel about this method of counselling, and for us to assess if we feel comfortable working together.

Telephone Counselling

Telephone Counselling has some real advantages over that of face-to-face counselling:

• The communication can be stopped without any embarrassment.
• Face-to-face contact could be intimidating for you
• Travel may not be easy, due to perhaps a physical or mental disability
• You may be in an already stressed and anxious state and cannot face leaving the security of your home
• You do not wish other members of your family to know you are seeking help
• You may find the commitments of work or family leaves you with little spare time
• You may live in a rural area where there are no counsellors.

Note: As the practice does not offer crisis counselling, we cannot respond to urgent requests, but we will always try to respond to any communication within 48 hours (longer at weekends). If you are in need of instant help please try one of the organisations on our home page. 

Firstly, contact us to check that this is the right counselling practice for you and that Telephone Counselling is the right form of counselling for you.

Once we have agreed an initial contract for telephone counselling, an arrangement will be made for the first Telephone Counselling session to occur, at a pre-arranged date and time. The client will be responsible for making the contact at the pre-arranged time. Failure to make contact at the pre-arranged time without giving 48 hours' notice in advance will incur a fee.

If you need to cancel or rearrange a call time, 48 hours’ notice must be given to avoid charges. If your counsellor needs to cancel or rearrange the time or date, as much notice as possible will be given to you, and you will be credited if an alternative time cannot be agreed.

Payment for each session must be received one week in advance of the session. Please see the Fees page for payment options.

At the end of the first session you can decide whether or not you wish to continue with further sessions, and if so, arrange the next date. This is also the time to discuss how you feel about the method of counselling, and for us to assess if we feel comfortable working together.

Calls can be booked for daytime or evenings (weekdays only).

If it is felt that telephone is not the best form of therapy for you, your counsellor will try and refer you to an alternative form.