Practical Information

Psychotherapy, Psychotherapeutic Counselling and Eco-Therapy sessions

I am currently at full capacity. I don't keep a waiting list, but you are very welcome to get back in touch in a few weeks to see if my availability has changed. Alternatively, I also have some other suggestions listed here.

If a space is listed here as being available, please be aware that in the time that you email me, there is a possibility that any space is already taken. I will only offer initial consultations if a potential space is available. However, the initial consultation is not the start of therapy, it is to decide if we are a good fit. It may be that I suggest a referral to another therapist or service following our meeting.

Yoga Therapy

I currently have some availability for adult one-off or monthly yoga therapy sessions in Staveley, in bands A and B as well as one Activist space. In these sessions we shall work together to develop a practice, often including mantra, movement, mindfulness, restorative yoga/ rest, and pranayama. We will develop practices for you to use regularly in your daily life based on your individual needs, usually over one or two initial sessions. Follow-up sessions take place as required, sometimes monthly sometimes six monthly depending on your needs, to tweak the practices. If you would like to arrange an initial consultation, please email me.

Nature Connection Sessions

I currently have some availability for adult one-off or monthly nature-connection sessions in bands A and B as well as one Activist space. These involve a variety of nature-connection and embodied activities. We shall create a practice that is individually suited to you that you can continue at your own pace on your own. Often people check in to reflect on the practice and to add to the practice moving forward if/when it feels like the right time, that might be monthly, annually or it could be a one-off session. If you would like to arrange an initial consultation, please email me.

Initial Consultations

All initial sessions are online. Further sessions can be online or in-person.

Initial online sessions are 50 minutes, but charged at a reduced price of £30, payable by Paypal before the session, I will send details of this when we arrange the meeting (refundable if you cancel within 48 hours).

Subsequent 50-minute sessions are charged £55 -£70, see the sliding scale information below. Please find a private and quiet place for the session.

I currently only offer initial sessions when I have a potential suitable space available.

You will need a private space where you feel comfortable to talk and have good reception.

The initial consultation is not the start of therapy, it is to decide if we are a good fit. It may be that I suggest a referral to another therapist or service following our meeting, or that we decide the availability or suitability doesn't match. 

Sliding Scale

How the sliding scale works

Based on principles of economic justice, the fee clients pay is proportionate to what they have available. Those with more financial capacity support those with less capacity to access therapy. The scale takes into account variations in both income and financial outgoings (for example subsidised rent, such as housing benefit, would mean you had less outgoings than average; and unsubsidised medical expenses might mean you had more outgoings than average).

My sliding scale is based on the ‘Green Bottle’ sliding scale devised by Alexis Cunningfolk and the wording used by the RTN membership sliding scale.

  • I work on a basis of trust and do not ask for proof of income. However, as this sliding scale is offered in a spirit of generosity, my request is that clients use it honestly.

  • There is an allocated number of slots available for each band. This allows me to offer accessible therapy whilst also ensuring the sustainability of my practice and appropriately valuing my time and professional abilities, as well as covering my professional overheads.

  • If your circumstances change and you need to move bands, please let me know and I will see if there is space available in that band.

  • There is routinely more demand for lower slots than higher. Whilst I encourage anyone who needs a lower price slot to take it, if you take up a slot at a lower rate that slot will not then be available to someone else who may not be able to afford therapy without it. Please also consider this if your circumstances change during your therapy journey. If you wish to change fee band to allow someone else to access it, please let me know.

  • Once you start therapy you will be committed to paying for it on a regular basis. If the therapy I offer is beyond your budget, I would be happy to talk through with you organisations and other therapists which may offer more affordable alternatives.

  • If you can ask others for financial support, such as family members or partners, please consider using those personal resources before you use the resources of the sliding scale.

  • If a third party, such as a parent, is paying for therapy, the rate is based on the third party’s financial capacity.

  • Give 48 hours notice (2 working days) if you need to cancel an appointment, otherwise, the fee will be charged for the missed session. For less than 7 days notice of cancelling a session (but more than 48h), there is a cancellation charge of £12 for in-person sessions. This is simply to cover the room hire costs.

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Sliding Scale

Please read through the ‘Sliding Scale’ section below and decide a band that best matches your circumstances. This should be the category where you have a sense you fall, however, you do not need to agree with every statement. Differences between the bands are in italics. Please note my fees are reviewed and revised annually.

*basic needs include food, housing, clothing, and transportation.

A: £70

The Band A price is the actual cost of the session. If you choose a price below this tier, you are receiving a discount.

  • I am able to meet my basic needs* all the time.

  • I am employed and/or have a regular income (such as a wage or benefits)

  • If work part-time, it is by choice (e.g. chosen to be a student or chosen to work part-time)

  • I have access to some financial savings or assets and/or I am able to ask others for financial support, such as family members or partners.

  • I have some disposable income. E.g. I could eat out at a cafe weekly, or go out for coffee, or could weekly pay for activities, such as yoga class or the cinema, or could monthly buy new clothes/ books.

  • I can afford an annual holiday or to take time off

B: £60 (concession/ reduced fee)

The middle price is a reduced fee, for those who are able to meet their basic needs but have little-to-no expendable income. Paying for the sessions may qualify as a sacrifice but it would not create hardship.

  • I may stress about meeting my basic needs but still regularly achieve them

  • I am employed and/or have a regular income (such as a wage or benefits).

  • If work part-time, it is by choice (e.g. chosen to be a student or chosen to work part-time)

  • I might have access to a little financial savings and/or I am unable to ask others for financial support, such as family members or partners in times of need.

  • I have a little expendable income. E.g. in a month, I could once or twice eat out at a cafe, or go out for coffee, or could monthly pay to go to an activity, such as yoga class or the cinema.

  • I am sometimes able to buy some new items & I thrift others

  • I could afford to take a holiday every few years

C: £55 (concession/ reduced fee)

The lower price is a reduced fee for those who struggle to meet basic needs and paying for the sessions would be a significant hardship.

  • I frequently stress about meeting basic needs & don’t always achieve them

  • I am unemployed or underemployed and have a very unstable income (I do not receive a regular wage or benefits; not by choice, e.g. not chosen to be a student or not chosen to work part-time)

  • I no access to any savings and/or I am unable to ask others for financial support, such as family members or partners.

  • I have no or very limited expendable income.
    E.g. in a month, I could rarely go out for coffee, or could rarely pay to go to events or activities, such as yoga class or the cinema.

  • I rarely buy new items because I am unable to afford them

  • I hold marginalised identities that impact upon access to money.

  • I cannot afford a holiday/ do not have the financial ability to take time off every few years

Alternatively, I list charities and organisations that receive funding and so are often able offer therapy for free or at low cost here. Whilst I endeavor to offer accessible therapy I am limited in this as a freelance therapist. The organisations in this list receive funding and the staff are usually employed, giving them the financial opportunity to offer free and low-cost support that may be additional to, or in place of work with me.

Band C slots are limited. This allows me to offer accessible therapy whilst also ensuring the sustainability of my practice and appropriately valuing my time and professional abilities, as well as covering my professional overheads. Mutual Aid funding could potentially open additional slots for this band, which at the moment is very rare. Please find more information here if you would like to contribute to that pot.

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Activist Rate for Yoga Therapy and Eco-therapy sessions

I offer yoga therapy and eco-therapy sessions for climate, animal liberation, LGBTQ+, anti-racism/anti-fascism direct action activists who are also experiencing financial hardship (see below) at £30 for an hour session. I offer this on a trust basis- you do not need ‘proof’ of activism. These can be particularly useful for activists experiencing, or at risk of, burnout.

I reserve one slot per month and currently have one slot available for this.

In the future, I hope to offer this for psychotherapy too. Other organisations do offer this, please see here for info. The Green and Black Cross also offer resources and information.

Financial Hardship (if you resonate most strongly with all of the following statements you are likely to be experiencing financial hardship):

  • I often stress about meeting my basic needs* and don't always achieve them and

  • I am unemployed or underemployed or on a low wage or I qualify for benefits (UK) and

  • I have no financial savings or expendable income

*basic needs include food, housing, clothing, and transportation.

Therapy might seem risky to an activist and I am very happy to chat about any concerns you may have about this. Some info that might be good to know:

  • Therapy is confidential. There are legal limits to confidentiality which we will go through in the consultation.

  • You do not have to use your real name if you don’t want to

  • You do not need to name others involved in your affinity group, actions etc.

  • It’s okay, in fact encouraged, to generalise about actions etc. When working with trauma it is not usually useful to go into any detail, but rather to stick to ‘titles’, until we have worked together and both decided speaking in any detail would be useful at all. So it is not at all unusual to not talk about any details of actions or events. Similarly, you don’t need to give details of future actions.