How much do sessions cost?
£75 per session (sliding scale offered).
Sessions are 60 minutes indoors or on the phone and approximately 60 minutes when working outdoors.
I offer a sliding scale from £55 per session if the full fee is unaffordable, with a small number of more heavily subsidised sessions when necessary and available.
How do I arrange sessions?
Introductory Call
I offer a free initial session of 30 minutes (by phone) to find out what you are looking for in counselling and answer any questions you might have. This discussion often includes discussing availability and where we could work together. Then we can decide if we can work together and when we can start.
Contact me to arrange an introductory call. I will send you through an initial online assessment form to fill in before our call, along with a contact details form.
Consultation and counselling agreement
If we decide to go ahead and book in sessions, the first session is usually a more in depth consultation where we can explore what you want to work on in therapy and where you are at in your life right now.
Depending on how much we covered in the initial call, we will also cover any outstanding practical arrangements and I will send you an online Counselling Agreement to sign and return.
Ongoing sessions
We will then meet as agreed for as long as you want to continue. We can review our sessions as we go and adapt our counselling agreement and way of working if needed – some people like to set periodic review sessions, others prefer to do this ad hoc as necessary.
Ending therapy
Bringing a period of therapy to an end can be a valuable time to honour the work you and we have done together. It can be a rich opportunity to explore the seasons of life. Therefore I always recommend having one or more ending sessions when you feel it is time to end (or pause) a long term period of therapy.
How many sessions can I have?
I generally work in a long term and open ended way. This means you can have as many sessions as you like and continue to work together for as long as it is feeling helpful or valuable to do so. By long term, I mean for 2 or more years – this enables us to really get to know your patterns of being and work on deeper change, as well as providing support for different challenges that emerge in life.
However, some people have one or two more immediate issues they’d like to work on and may like to work together for just a few months. Of course, there are also people who find something in between 6 months to 2 years the right amount of time for them.
It really depends on what you are looking for from the therapy and how deeply past experiences might be impacting what you are dealing with in the present.
How often do we meet?
Sessions are usually weekly and at the same time each week. This is so I can keep a slot reserved for you while we are working together, and to enable us to build momentum in our work.
Occasionally, I can offer fortnightly sessions subject to availability and preference.
Where will our sessions be?
I offer outdoor therapy in and around Faversham, Kent. This includes along Faversham creek, Seasalter beach and the woods in Dunkirk.
I also offer indoor sessions at Apotheca in Faversham.
In addition to these in person options, I offer telephone counselling so we can work remotely.
During our initial call, we can discuss where you would like to have sessions – we can review and change this as we continue our work together. Some people like to start therapy indoors then move outdoors for some periods of therapy, other people like to combine telephone and outdoor sessions, and for some people, having the familiarity of the same place each week is important.
Do we meet outdoors in all weathers?
I am happy to work outdoors in all weathers where it is safe to do so. Encountering nature in all her seasons can be a rich part of our work together. However, risk factors will be considered and may be environmental or personal. We will discuss this as we go. For example, strong winds in the woods is risky due to the increased chance of falling branches. Unsheltered beach sessions in the winter may be too cold for some people due to personal preference or health conditions.
I offer telephone sessions as alternatives to meeting outdoors if there are reasons why we cannot (or you do not want to) meet outdoors. We may also be able to find an alternative time or day to reschedule.
Do you work with couples or families?
No, I do not work with couples or families. Relationship counselling requires different, additional training. I am trained to work with individuals.
Do you work with children?
No, I currently only work with adults.
In exceptional circumstances I may work with 16 or 17 year olds with parental consent.
Can I bring my dog to walking therapy sessions?
With the exception of guide or assistance dogs, no. Outdoor therapy is not just “going for a walk and a chat”, it is a space for your therapeutic process and a dog you are responsible for is likely to be a distraction to this (for you and me!).
Are in person sessions accessible for people with physical or learning disabilities?
There are steps in Apotheca, so if we are working indoors there will be a few steps to climb. On occasion, there may be a room available with step-free access. However, availability is limited and not guaranteed.
When working outdoors, we can discuss alternative routes and locations to enable different mobility needs. Outdoor therapy does not need to include continual walking for an hour – sometimes it is about finding a spot to sit or be still.
Guide dogs and assistance dogs are welcome for indoor and outdoor sessions. We can discuss how this can work during initial sessions.
I have 15 years experience of working alongside people with learning disabilities, learning difficulties and other neurodivergence both in and out of a counselling setting. We work together at your own pace in a way that works for and affirms your own processing style and needs. I welcome conversations about making adjustments to the way we work to enable you to get the most from therapy.
Louise Allen Therapy 