I offer a range of ways to make initial contact. You can email me on claire@freetobecounselling.org or submit a query via my contact page. I also have an online booking system on my website that allows you to book a call without needing to write or disclose anything about what has prompted you to make the enquiry. 

Once you make contact with me to enquire about counselling, we can arrange a time for an initial free 20-minute phone or video call consultation. I can often accomodate a free initial 20-mins meet in person at my therapy room in PR4. In this initial call, you will get chance to hear my voice and chat through any questions you may have. I’ll explain some of the details of how I work, and you may choose to share some basic details about what challenge(s) your facing that’s meant you have reached out to ask about counselling. There’ll be no pressure for you to do so, however.

You’re then free to choose whether you’d like to book a first counselling session, either via online therapy or via face-to-face therapy in Preston.

Counselling sessions take place at a dedicated, comfortable counselling centre situated close to the Guild Wheel in Ashton, Preston, PR4. Please get in touch to discuss any questions you may have around location.

I also offer counselling online to over-18s geographically located in the UK.

Once you have a first counselling session booked, I’ll send you some information you can look over prior to our first meeting. This information will explain how confidentiality works, and some of the practicalities of how we can work together. We’ll talk about this information in our first session, as well as exploring more about what you hope to get from counselling. In our first session, we’ll also talk through the different aspects of your life that are impacting you.

Sessions are usually for up to 60-minutes. There’s no agenda or topics you will be required to talk about. We’ll find a way to work together by speaking about how you want to use your time in counselling.

Towards the end of each session, you can decide if you’d like to book another session. There are no set limits on how many counselling sessions you access.

Some people find it helpful to have plenty of detail about what a first counselling session involves. For this reason, I’ve written a blog explaining what happens in a first face-to-face counselling session with myself. 

Yes, whilst I work with people for single session (one-off) therapy appointments, and short-term brief therapy session (of around 6 sessions), most of the clients I see online and face-to-face in Preston are accessing longer term-therapy.

I’m very happy to work collaboratively with you to establish the number of sessions that seem a good fit for you and your therapeutic goals. Regular reviews will be part of our work for longer-term therapy in Preston or online.

Working with a therapist can feel daunting, and it’s natural to have questions about whether the counsellor can offer an ethical service where you feel safe to be able to open up and speak about places of hurt and pain.

I take my ethical responsibility to you very seriously. In our first session, we’ll speak about the level of confidentiality I will offer you, as well as the steps I take to ensure safe and ethical practice.

As a Senior Accredited member of the BACP, I follow guidelines and frameworks relating to trustworthy practice, including “Our Commitment to Clients“. I abide by the Free to Be Privacy Policy to protect your Personal Data in line with GDPR regulations and am registered with the Information Commissioners Office.

I’m fully insured and hold a current and up-to-date enhanced DBS certificate. I am Level 3 Safeguarding trained.

Counselling & Psychotherapy sessions are upto an hour in length. This is the same for both face-to-face Preston-based counselling and online therapy. Sessions usually take place weekly or fortnightly.

Whilst I offer single session therapy and short-term therapy, most of the clients I work with engage with longer term therapy over several months or years. There is no pressure to continue therapy, and you are free to leave therapy at anytime. In longer-term therapy it will be essential that we keep reviewing our work to check you are getting what you need from the long term-work we are engaged in. I’ll be keen to offer you a chance to experience a good ending to our therapeutic work.

I offer both daytime and early evening appointments through the week. Currently, I have availability for Wednesday and Friday appointments. Please get in touch for more details.

My therapy room has free parking, including free disabled parking, directly outside the property. There are three steps with a handrail up to the entrance. There is an alternative entrance which does not involve steps. I use a ground floor room for my sessions. There is a toilet for your use in the building - this is accessed via a flight of stairs. An alternative ground floor toilet is available.

My therapy room has various items that you can touch, or look at - this can be helpful for client’s who benefit from having something to distract anxious hands, or to support with not feeling the pressure to give eye contact.

If you do have any accessibility requirements, I’d welcome having a chat through what support I can put in place to best meet your needs. For example, one option is for us to make use of an alternative wheelchair accessible venue which has an accessible toilet, accessible parking and automated door openings.

In terms of transport links to my therapy room - the room is close to the Preston Guild Wheel in Ashton (PR4), and cycle storage facilities are available. Preston Bus routes 19A, 31 and 48 stop close to my therapy room.

Please do get in touch to discuss any accessibility needs.

There is no legal distinction in the UK between these two terms. Generally speaking, couselling is often used to describe short-term work, with psychotherapy used to describe more in depth work. I offer both shorter-term goal focussed work, as well as longer term exploratory therapy, working at depth.