How long do sessions last?
Sessions are weekly and last 50 minutes.
How much do you charge?
I am committed to ensuring therapy is available to all so my fees operate on a sliding scale and can be discussed and determined on enquiry. I do offer a limited amount of reduced fee sessions to students and those on low incomes - please feel free to ask if I have any availability at the moment.
Fees are to be paid weekly in cash or by cheque.
I am registered as a healthcare provider with Vitality Health.
How many sessions?
I offer both short and long term therapy, and the number of sessions depends on the needs of the individual. I would recommend we agree an initial number of sessions, and we can then review this overtime.
What happens at the first session?
The purpose of the initial session is to meet one another, explore your needs and discuss how we might work together. You are under no obligation to proceed if, after the first session, you decide that therapy may not be right for you.
When working with children, I like to meet with just the parents during the first session. After this, I will meet with your child on their own.
These initial assessment sessions tend to last for approx 60-75 minutes.
What happens if I need to miss a session?
Please give at least 48 hours notice of cancellation. Missed sessions without 48 hours notice will be charged the full fee.
Where will the sessions take place?
The sessions take place at my therapy room within Balham Community Centre on Bedford Hill. This is just a short walk from Balham tube and mainland station.
I am able to offer adults and adolescents sessions online via Zoom or VSee.
Will it be confidential?
The contents of our sessions will remain confidential. However, in order to work as effectively as possible with you and in keeping with my professional code of ethics, I am in regular supervision with a more experienced therapist and share anonymised clinical material with them.
If there are things going on for you that mean there is risk of harm to yourself or anyone else then it will be important for me to ensure all concerned are kept safe. In these circumstances, I may need to break confidentiality and share information with relevant authorities. If this were to become an issue in one of our sessions, wherever possible and appropriate, we would talk this through in detail and work collaboratively to establish the most appropriate path of action.
Further information regarding confidentiality in my work with children can be found on my counselling children page.
What notes do you take?
When we first meet, I will request some personal details, including contact details and your date of birth. I will also take some brief notes from this initial session, including key points from your history and other things that maybe relevant to you seeking counselling. Going forward, I will keep brief factual notes of our weekly sessions.
The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) gives people the right to privacy with their personal information (data). I work within the GDPR to ensure that personal records are kept securely and destroyed six years after our work ends. Under the GDPR, you have the right to request access to, rectification of, and erasure of these records.
Natalie Hawkins Counselling in Balham, South West London
