Therapy Questions
FAQs
I work with people from all walks of life aged 17 years and older who would like to use an integrative approach to CBT and EMDR (using different therapeutic models, theories and if applicable yoga) to address their difficulties.
CBT and EMDR are evidenced based therapies for many mental health difficulties. I have had the appropriate training to work with the following difficulties: low mood, depression, generalised anxiety disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, social anxiety, panic attacks and panic disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder, health anxiety, specific phobias, emetophobia (vomit phobia), body dysmorphic disorder, agoraphobia, low self-esteem, stress.
Therapy is adapted to meet each individual’s needs which may include difficulties that have been affected by long term health conditions, persistent physical symptoms, neurodivergence.
For clients under the age of 18, parental or legal guardian involvement may be required as part of the consent and safeguarding process. Any involvement is discussed sensitively and in line with professional and ethical guidelines.
I do not provide emergency, crisis or out-of-hours mental health support, or ongoing support between therapy sessions during periods of significant deterioration in mental health. If you require urgent support, please visit the Crisis Support & Emergency Mental Health Resources page for services to contact.
Face to face appointments in London Bridge are available on Tuesdays.
Face to face appointments in Guildford are available on Monday and Wednesday between 3pm to 8pm.
Video appointments are available Monday to Friday.
Appointments are not available during UK public holidays.
For new enquiries you can click on any of the links on my website that invite you to book a call. This will take you to the client portal where you can select ‘book appointment’ and register for an account by providing your first and last name, email, phone number and create a password for your account.
Once you have your account set up and you log in, you will be able to book an initial free 20 minute telephone or video call and see all the available appointments.
You can also get in touch by phone, email or the contact form on my website.
For all appointments following the initial free call, we will agree on an appointment date and time and I will create a booking for you. You will be able to view all your appointment bookings in your client portal.
Fees must be paid at least 48 hours before the start time of the appointment for bookings to be confirmed. Appointments will be released if payments have not been made before this timeframe.
All enquiries and bookings will need to be made by the individual accessing therapy to confirm their consent and to protect their confidentiality.
I offer a free, no obligation 20 minutes telephone or video call if you are considering cognitive behavioural therapy or supervision. This will enable brief introductions so that you can ensure that I’m the right therapist/supervisor for you. This is not an assessment, treatment or supervision appointment. It is an opportunity to discuss some of your key questions and concerns about the process of therapy or supervision before you make an appointment.
Your first appointment will be an assessment of your difficulties where we will discuss the approximate number of sessions in line with your needs and aims for therapy.
The number of sessions can vary depending on the nature, severity and duration of your difficulties as well as your aims for therapy and the number of areas that you would like to work on. Generally, the number of sessions recommended by NICE (National Institute for Health and Care Excellence) guidelines for the difficulties I work with are between 6 to 20 sessions.
Generally each appointment duration is 50 minutes from your appointment start time.
Some sessions can take up to 90 minutes where the focus would benefit from this extended time (e.g. for some PTSD sessions or anxiety disorders where exposure work has been agreed) or where you would prefer to have an appointment for this duration. The fees will be reflective of the duration of the appointment.
If you are running late for your appointment please get in contact with me by telephone, text message or email to let me know that you are on your way. You would have the remaining time until the original finish time for your appointment.
This can depend on the nature and severity of your difficulties which will be discussed during your assessment appointment. It can also be guided by what you feel would be a manageable pace without losing momentum in making changes between appointments.
After completion of therapy, top-up sessions or review appointments can be made as and when you feel these are needed.
If you would like to attend appointments on a regular day and time this can be agreed by prior arrangement.
If you would prefer to book appointments based on your varying availability then this can be arranged subject to availability. There would be more flexibility with video appointments.
If you are able to attend appointments at the locations I offer therapy and would prefer some sessions as video appointments this can be arranged.
The type of appointment (face to face or video) would be confirmed at time of booking. A change from a face to face appointment to video appointment would need to be confirmed with more than 48 hours notice from the appointment start time.
A change from a video appointment to face to face appointment would need to be requested with more than 72 hours notice and would be subject to availability.
Zoom is used which provides a secure end to end encrypted connection for video appointments. This can be used on mobile and desktop devices. You will be provided a unique link to use at the time of your appointment with no downloads, video platform accounts or complicated setup procedures.
If you are experiencing difficulties with logging onto the video appointment then please get in contact as soon as possible by email or by phone.
For connection issues during the appointment, please make me aware of this as soon as possible so that we can explore resolutions to this. In the event a contingency is needed we will discuss possible options that may be available to you at the time of your appointment.
Several studies have found that CBT delivered by video appointment have comparable outcomes and are just as effective as CBT delivered face to face. However, these studies may not take into account individual differences and may not provide enough evidence on whether video appointments are suited to some client groups more than others.
Bouchard, S., et al., Delivering cognitive-behavior therapy for panic disorder with agoraphobia in videoconference. Telemed J E Health, 2004. 10(1): p. 13-25.
Dunstan, D.A. and S.M. Tooth, Treatment via videoconferencing: a pilot study of delivery by clinical psychology trainees. Aust J Rural Health, 2012. 20(2): p. 88-94.
Stubbings, D.R., et al., Comparing in-person to videoconference-based cognitive behavioral therapy for mood and anxiety disorders: randomized controlled trial. J Med Internet Res, 2013. 15(11): p. e258.
Wootton, B.M., Remote cognitive-behavior therapy for obsessive-compulsive symptoms: A meta- analysis. Clin Psychol Rev, 2016. 43: p. 103-13.
From my own experience of delivering therapy and supervision by video appointment, I have found it to be as effective as face to face appointments. The effectiveness of therapy can depend on a multitude of factors (e.g. someone’s readiness for therapy and change, how learning from therapy is applied in practice). Video appointments also provide convenience and access to therapy for some people where they may not be able to access therapy face to face.
Invoices
Once we agree on an appointment day and time I will create an appointment booking for you. An invoice will be sent to you by email.
Payment Process
Details for BACS payment will be available on your invoice.
Payment by credit or debit card via Stripe is by prior agreement only for international clients. This will incur a card processing fee payable by clients.
Payment must be paid at least 48 hours before the start time of your appointment for bookings to be confirmed. Appointments will be released if payments have not been made before this timeframe.
I have chosen not to work with insurance companies. Therefore, I am not currently taking bookings for clients who are funding their therapy through their insurance company.
Cancellations will be charged at the full rate if notice of 24 hours or less is given prior to the appointment start time or if the appointment is not attended.
There are three ways you can cancel your appointment:
- Going to the Client Portal
Logging into ‘My Appointments’ and clicking on the red cross next to the appointment that you would like to cancel and completing the cancellation process.
2. Email leah@yourtherapywithleah.co.uk with your full name, date and time of the appointment you would like to cancel.
3. By telephone on 07362 744087 . If I am unable to answer the call please leave a clear message with your full name, date and time of the appointment you would like to cancel.
Information that you share will be kept confidential and for the purposes for which you have provided it. With the exception of the following:
- There are concerns relating to harm to yourself or to others
- There are risks indicated to children or vulnerable people
- You are under the age of 18 years old and there are safeguarding or risk concerns. Your parent(s) and/or legal guardian will be informed of these concerns.
There are requirements that I need to meet to maintain my accreditation as a CBT Therapist which demonstrates the high standards of training and experience in CBT as outlined by the BABCP (British Association for Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapies).
I am required to discuss my therapy and supervision work with my supervisor who adheres to the same ethical guidelines regarding confidentiality. All efforts to remove identifiable information are made.
I am also required to regularly play recordings of appointments where explicit permission has been given by clients to do so for supervision purposes. If you do consent to sessions being recorded, you will complete a consent form which details the use, storage and removal process. There is no obligation to consent to the recording of appointments.
If you would like to proceed with working together after your initial free call, you will be emailed a form to complete with your contact details. I will ask for the details of your GP and would only contact them with your permission. The only exception to this is if there are concerns relating to harm to yourself or to someone else.