Questions About Therapy & What it Costs
Most people considering seeing a Psychotherapist or Counsellor will have questions about some aspects of the process of therapy.
Below are my answers to some of the more frequently asked questions. Should you have other queries, please do contact me by phone, email or use the contact form and I will get back to you as soon as I can.
Questions about organising your sessions
Where do the psychotherapy sessions take place?
I see clients in central London – 37 Museum Street, Bloomsbury and in South London – SW16 at my home therapy room.
My quiet, calm therapy rooms are peaceful and private and are conveniently located near to public transport.
See the Private Counselling Practicein London page for full details and a map
How long is a session?
Individual sessions last 50 min, couple therapy sessions last 80min.
What time of day can I arrange to come?
I see clients from 7am till 9pm but you will have to enquire about my availability on particular days
How often will I need to come?
It is important that therapy happens regularly, and is consistent (if possible at the same time and in the same place). Typically therapy sessions are scheduled once a week, especially in the beginning of the therapy when we get to know each other, and we develop understanding and rhythm of our work. This is something we can discuss together in the beginning and throughout our work together.
Questions About Fees
How much does a session cost?
Cost of the session depends on location and time of the day.
Fees for individual sessions start from £70 (in SW16) and £75 in Bloomsbury
Fees for relationship therapy start from £140 (SW16) and £150 in Bloomsbury
I do not charge a fee for the first session (see – how do I know you are the therapist for me)
How do I pay you?
Payments can be made by cash, cheque and bank transfers
When do I pay you?
If you’re paying cash or cheque you can pay me after the session has finished. If you are paying by bank transfer I ask that the payment has been received before the next session.
Can I pay for several sessions in advance?
Yes, we can discuss the terms together if you feel that is helpful.
If this is something you would like to do, we can discuss this together.
Is there a cancellation fee?
Yes, I need 48 hours’ notice of cancellation otherwise the full amount is charged.
Questions about therapy with Anna Jezuita
Have you been in therapy yourself?
Yes, I have used therapy may times in my life for personal issues, and when I trained as a therapist. It was one of the requirements for completing the training successfully. I have maintained my use of therapy throughout my career and found It consistently useful, both personally and professionally.
What is your experience in this field?
I have been working as a counsellor since 2003. I have experience of working with addiction, complex trauma, bereavement, relationship breakdowns and with anxiety and depression. To find out more please see my ‘About Anna’ page
What are your qualifications?
I am qualified counsellor an accredited member of BACP and my professional practice undergoes annual reviews.
I subscribe to BACP code of Ethical Practice regarding client confidentiality and data protection.
I attend monthly supervision meetings with a colleague who is my equal or senior in terms of expertise and experience in order to reflect on my practice and professional development.
I am also a supervisor and hold the equivalent position in relation to my colleagues, which means that I am accountable not only for my practice but also for the quality of work and developments for the whole profession.
How do I know if you’re the right therapist for me?
This is possibly the most important question to consider, as most of the success in therapy depends in a good relationship with your therapist.
This is why I do not charge a fee for the first/initial session.
I will encourage you to come to an initial session to see if I might be the right therapist for you. Coming to an initial session is an opportunity for you to ‘try on’ a counsellor for size! You can ask any questions, see how the sessions feels for you and then decide to continue or not. There is no obligation to continue after an initial session.
You may prefer an initial chat with me over the phone which we can also arrange.
How is the counselling and psychotherapy profession regulated?
My practice is regulated by the standards of British Association for Counsellors and Psychotherapists (BACP). You can find out more about them here: https://www.bacp.co.uk/
You can also find a copy of the BACP’s code of ethics that I abide by, here (link)
Do you have a complaints procedure?
There is a complaints procedure within the code of ethics
Do I have to sign any documents?
Once we agree to work together I will ask you to familiarize yourself and sign the Working Agreement which explains terms of payment and attendance, exceptions from general confidentiality rule and asks for your personal details which are necessary for my compliance with BACP rules of ethical practice (name, surname, address and GP details).
You may request a copy of the agreement, however by publishing its content on my website I implicitly agree to its stipulations.
Questions About Therapy
What’s the difference between counselling and psychotherapy?
There is no difference from the client’s point of view. They are different words for the same process and are used interchangeably (it depends which ethical body your therapist is registered with, and there are more than one legitimate and reputable organisations that endorse therapists)
Is it confidential?
The sessions are confidential unless I feel you are at risk to yourself or to another, and in specific situations listed in the Working Agreement, in which case I am ethically bound to break confidentially to protect you or another to the best of my ability. In our second session, we will both sign a ‘client – therapist’ agreement which lays out how the confidentially works so that you are fully aware.
Is it all about the past and ‘difficult stuff’
No. The past often comes into therapy, and it is your choice what you do and do not want to talk about. What seems ‘difficult’ at first may become ‘interesting’ as we work together.
Will you give me advice?
Most probably not. The role of therapy is to enable you to explore your issues and find explanations or solutions yourself. Besides, you have probably been thinking about your problem and if there was a simple solution you would have found it by now. There is nothing more irritating than someone implying they can know better just after couple of hours of talking.
How will I know if it’s working?
Hopefully we will be checking it out regularly in our sessions. Not only if ‘it’ is working but also if ‘we’ are working, i.e. if there is anything in my approach that you find more helpful than other, what feels difficult, painful, good etc.
Do I need to prepare for sessions?
It is not necessary, and depends really of how you like to approach things in life. For some preparation feels restrictive, for others it gives a sense of commitment and being in charge of the process.
Do I have to lie on a couch?
No. There is a sofa for you to sit on but I think it is important that counselling is face to face.
How long will the therapy last for?
This depends entirely on the individual needs. Initially we will contract to six sessions. At the end of those six sessions we will have a review session to gauge how you are finding the therapy, and its impact on your life and wellbeing. Whether we contract another number of sessions or leave the contract open-ended, there is no obligation to continue therapy just because the number was agreed, because in my experience the client has a sense of the process coming to an end. We will discuss it when it happens.
How does therapy end?
Unless something unpredictable happens, ending will be discussed and planned.
It is very important to end relationships well, however life doesn’t always offer this opportunity. This is one of those relationships when it is within our ability to make sure the well contained ending is the case.
What issues or problems can I bring?
There is no list, either prescriptive or prohibitive about issues explored in therapy. Whilst choosing a therapist you may consider whether the problem you are struggling with is within the range of their competence – sometimes it is worth asking, as lists of what we work with are never exhaustive.
Do you use CBT (Cognitive-Behavioural Therapy)?
I am an integrative therapist which means I can use and adapt a range of approaches to suit you. If CBT appears to be a relevant tool for the issues and problems that we are discussing, then I can suggest using some CBT techniques with you.
In the section About me you can find an explanation of which approaches I use and why I chose them. I have a wide range of tools and ways of approaching the problems, as in my view no one modality works for every individual. I explain briefly what they entail if you would like to know more, but do not feel that it is an imperative or emergency to dive into those. You may agree that once at the dentist you are not so much preoccupied with the selection of drills your doctor applies as with whether they are effective in dealing with the pain and its cause.
