A therapeutic hour lasts 50 minutes.

Everyone is different and whilst some may need a short duration of counselling, others may prefer regular counselling over a longer period of time. At your initial consultation we will have a chat about the issues which have brought you to counselling and come up with a plan together.

Hopefully after your initial free consultation, we will have got to know each other a bit better and some of those initial nerves will have settled. During our first session together we will begin by going through our working agreement together. This agreement makes sure you are fully informed of the counselling process and what to expect. This only takes a few minutes but gives you the chance to ask any questions or clarify anything you are unsure about. The rest, as they say, is over to you. This may feel like a daunting prospect right now but please don’t worry, I will not push or probe you for anything you are not comfortable talking about, some things take a little time, and a lot more trust!

Yes! It is completely normal to feel anxious before your first session. After all, putting your thoughts out to a stranger isn't easy. Often people wonder what they will say and how they will say them, but in my experience once you have made that first step, the rest comes naturally. I will always offer you a warm welcome and will not judge you on whatever it is troubling you. I am here to help.

You are right to ask this question. At the moment anyone can call themselves a 'counsellor' and it is important the person you are working with has gained the adequate training and education required to work with a person's mental health safely and responsibly. I am a fully qualified counsellor and have gained my degree in Therapeutic Studies which enables me to work safely with your mental health. I am also a registered member of the British Association for Counsellors and Psychotherapists (BACP). Applying for BACP membership requires counsellors to demonstrate they are fully competent and have received the adequate knowledge and training to work safely and ethically. As a registered member I work to the highest professional standards and commit to continuing professional development. As for my approach, I work as an integrative counsellor. This means I am able to use a number of different approaches and techniques depending on the person I am working with. I am a great believer in there is no one size fits all approach to counselling, what works for one person may not work for you; I am able to adapt my approach to fit your needs as apposed to the other way around!

You do not need to prepare for our sessions, although many of my clients say they do think about what they want to talk about in our session before they come. Some people like to have an agenda and work through specific issues each session, however some prefer to go with the flow and see what comes up. Generally speaking, there is no homework; however there may be times I introduce something that may help manage your mental health away from our sessions or may help you understand your problems better. Please don't worry though, if this is something I feel would be helpful I will discuss this with you first and check it is something you are comfortable with and want to do - there should never be any pressure to do anything in therapy.

I appreciate many people need to fit counselling around work and other commitments so I do offer some weekend and evening appointments. These do fill up quickly so please contact me to check availability.

Working with people who have long term health conditions is a passion of mine and I try to make my services accessible for all. I always consider any adaptations in my initial consultation with a new client, where I will ask if there is anything you need from me to ensure you are able to access counselling safely and comfortably, whether that's adapting the room or factoring in regular breaks. Whatever it is, if I can help and its doable, then the answer is yes! Please feel free to contact me for a chat about your personal circumstances and how I may be able to help. If your disability prevents you from leaving your home I do offer home visits, these sessions are priced dependent on location - please contact me for more information.

I appreciate this is a worrying time for many, all the rooms I work from have policies and procedures in place to ensure they comply with COVID safety precautions, including up to date risk assesments. If you would like more informaton on how I keep you safe, please just ask!

Yes, I have full public and personal liability insurance. Certificates can be seen on request.

Please be reassured that everything we discuss in our sessions is kept in the strictest of confidence. As a member of the British Association of Counsellors and Psychotherapists, I have a legal and ethical responsibility to ensure your sensitive information is respected and protected from any unauthorised disclosure. There are some exceptional circumstances where counsellors are legally and ethically obliged to breach this confidentiality. These instances are extremely rare but it is important you are aware of them. These include Where you have given your consent for confidence to be broken Where I feel there may be a significant risk of harm to yourself or to others. Where in extreme cases I am required to do so by a court of law Where statutory law requires me to do so (such as concerns surrounding safeguarding or terrorism) In any case that confidentiality needs to be broken, I will always aim to discuss any action taken with you first.

As someone who takes client confidentiality very seriously, I purposefully store minimal personal data - usually only your name and preferred method of contact. Any notes I may take are kept brief and factual and kept under a reference number I assign to you when we begin working together. All identifiable details are removed and are simply used to help me remember important aspects of our work together. Your rights under GDPR include the following; You have a right to be informed You have a right to access to view the data at any time you want You have the right to make any rectifications You have the right to erase all data collected from you as you request You have the right to restrict any processing of your data without your consent You have the right to data portability You have the right to object to the collection of any sensitive data from you in relation to data automated decision making and profiling If you have any concerns or queries regarding this, please contact me for a chat.

Absolutely! It is important to me that counselling is available to all, regardless of medical condition or disability. In these instances, where you find it difficult to leave your home, currently hospitalised or in a place of care, I am able to bring the therapy to you. There are many advantages to home based therapy but as you can imagine, there are a number of considerations to make when opting for home / hospital based counselling and it is not suitable for everyone. The main considerations are * Confidentiality - you will need somewhere you are able to speak openly without being overheard or interrupted. If you are in a place of care this may involve speaking to staff to arrange. * Safety - to ensure your safety we will discuss how you will know I am who I say I am when we first meet, often this is the use of a password only we know. To ensure my own safety I will always let someone know I am on a home visit (usually another counsellor) and I will let them know what time I arrive and when I leave. They will know my location but your name and your other personal details remain anonymous. * Cost - visits away from my usual place of work do incur additional costs and this will affect the price of your session. I will discuss any additional costs with you before starting any therapy as charges will differ depending on your location. I do try to keep costs as low as possible. If home based/ hospital therapy is still your preferred option then please do get in touch, I am always happy to answer any questions you may have.

I am able to work with people 16 and over depending on their ability to consent. Please get in touch for more details.

Discounts are currently available for the following * NHS and Hospice staff * Emergency Service workers * Students * Anyone living with a terminal illness Unfortunately these discounts are not available for sessions in the city centre If you would like to pay for a number of sessions in advance, I am able to offer discounts depending on the number required. Please contact me for further information.

Yes! Feel free to follow me on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/jo_smith_counselling/

It is important to me you feel reassured and in control at all times and I am always happy to answer any questions or queries you may have, big or small. Please just get in touch via email, phone or the contact form on my website and I will get back to you as soon as I can.