Questions about therapy

We have tried to anticipate your questions but if something you want to know isn’t covered here, do get in touch. We will answer your query — and add the information to this page if it would help others.

This page is available as a pdf. Scroll down to the bottom for the link.

What does it cost?

Most therapies are conducted in a series of single sessions usually once a week. Our costs are:

a single session (50 minutes): £95
a single session for couples (50 minutes): £125
a double session (a rare occurrence and only applies to hypnotherapy; 100 minutes): £250
block bookings of single sessions: £520 for six sessions, £850 for 10 sessions
concessions are available on request; please mention any relevant concessions when you book.

Can I claim for treatments with you on my medical insurance?

You may be able to claim if you have medical insurance cover with Aviva (Norwich Union), Pruhealth or Simply Health (HSA) and if your policy covers therapy treatments. Links to the claim procedures on their websites are:

How do I pay?

We ask clients to pay in advance by bank transfer. This is normally done over the internet. If you do not have internet banking, or if you book a session at the last minute, you can pay by cheque or cash at the end of your session (it helps if you could prepare your cheque before the session; please make it payable to Richard Reid). We do not take payment by debit or credit card.

What happens if I can’t make my session?

We know that plans can change but we ask all clients to give at least one working day’s notice of cancelling their session; we appreciate being given more notice if possible. If you can’t give at least one day’s notice, you will be charged for the session. We do not charge if you go on holiday and you have not booked any sessions.

How long is each session?

Each session lasts for what is known as a therapy hour which, traditionally, lasts for 50 minutes. This misnomer might seem misleading but it allows the therapist time between sessions to write up your notes. If you arrive late, that time is lost; the session will end when it would have done, at the end of the 50-minute slot booked by you. The therapy hour you have booked is yours to use as you wish; at first you might find it hard to make the most of your time but most people adjust quickly.

What times are your appointments?

We see clients between 8am and 9pm from Monday to Friday and from 8am to 2pm on Saturdays. Most clients have appointments at the same time every week so some slots may be full but we will try to find a time that works for you.

How many sessions will I need?

Some therapies, such as cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), last for a limited and fixed number of sessions (often six or 10); others may go on indefinitely until the therapy reaches a natural conclusion. When your treatment ends, you can rely on your therapist to suggest a way of winding down to your final session so you can adjust to life without therapy.

Which therapy should I choose?

Some people have an idea of the therapy they want; others don’t know. We ask all clients to be open-minded as we prefer to discuss your situation and consider what would be best for you before recommending options. Equally, we are flexible in our approach and if an issue turns out to be more or less deep-rooted than either of us expected, other therapies or treatments might be more appropriate. A summary of therapies we provide is in a separate section on this website.

Will I see a man or woman therapist?

It is fairly rare for clients to ask to see a particular gender of therapist; we are all trained to work with all clients, whether male, female, heterosexual, homosexual and any age or race. Occasionally, if a client wants to discuss a sexually related issue, or issues relating to a parent, they might want to specify whether they see a man or a woman.

Do you offer telephone or on-line therapy?

Yes, we do but it is unusual and only if we think it is appropriate for you.

Do I have to lie down on a couch?

No. However, some people like to sit on a reclining chair or lie on a bed when they are having hypnotherapy as they find it helps with the relaxation process that is part of hypnotherapy.

I’m worried that I will leave my therapy session looking upset in public

We always try to ensure that you leave the therapy room in a calm and collected state. We do this by guiding the therapy session to a conclusion by winding down from emotionally heightened moments.

What happens when my therapy ends?

We know that long-term therapy, in particular, has a huge impact on clients. When your treatment is coming to an end, you can rely on your therapist to suggest a way of winding down to your final session so you can adjust to life without therapy. We always contact our clients after their course of sessions is over, to see how they are.

What safeguards are there?

We are professionally trained and belong to relevant professional associations, as listed on the home page of this website. As with all therapists, we are also supervised according to the rules specified by the professional bodies we belong to. We sometimes discuss clients with our clinical supervisors, to be sure we are taking the right approach, but we are all bound by professional rules on confidentiality to maintain your privacy.

Do you provide therapy in other languages?

We sometimes receive requests for therapy in other languages including French, German, Greek, Italian, Polish, Portuguese, Spanish and Swedish. If you need therapy in a language which is not listed here, we will try to find someone for you.

What about confidentiality and privacy?

It is a given that whatever a client discusses with their therapist is confidential. Our clients are supervised, according to the rules of the professional organisations we belong to. We will sometimes discuss clients with our clinical supervisors, to be sure we are taking the right approach, however, we are all bound by professional rules on confidentiality to maintain your privacy.

We are registered under the Data Protection Act 1998 (registration number Z1280450) because we hold information on our clients in a database as we may need to contact them between sessions. We also hold limited information on clients so we can refer to it between therapy sessions, as is normal for therapists. We also hold brief details on people who have signed up to receive our newsletters. We will not share information on our database with third parties. If you wish to see information we hold on you, please email us on richard@pinnacletherapy.co.uk.

What happens if I have a complaint?

If you think you have not been treated appropriately, raise it first with your therapist. If you do not feel able to raise it with your therapist, or if you are not able to resolve it with your therapist, please email us on info@pinnacletherapy.co.uk and we will do all we can to address your concerns. If the outcome is unsatisfactory each professional body has its own procedures which are available from them direct.

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