Therapy & Counselling FAQs

How much does counselling cost?

My charges, per session, are £55 for an individual therapy session and £70 for a couples therapy session.

I have a limited number of concessionary places available; please feel free to ask about these, which we can then discuss.

What is the length of a counselling session?

Counselling Sessions are 50 minutes long.

How often do I attend counselling?  

Counselling sessions normally take place weekly. Regularity is important for productive therapeutic work. The standard format of weekly sessions helps you make gradual and steady progress.

What days and times are you available?

I work Monday–Friday. Daytime and evening appointments are available.

Do I have to pay for missed/cancelled counselling appointments?

Yes. I require 48 hours' notice of cancellation, otherwise I charge for the counselling session.  

How long will I come to counselling for?

The duration of Counselling can vary from 6 sessions to even a number of months for more focused problems, and from 6 months to a number of years for more in-depth problems.  Longer term counselling offers a therapeutic relationship; it is more than simply the development of skills. Problems often arise in relationship to other people, and a therapeutic relationship offers the opportunity to re-work issues that have arisen.

What is a Therapeutic Relationship?

A therapeutic relationship provides you with focused attention.  It is based on offering core conditions, i.e. Acceptance and Empathy.  

When you feel focused on, accepted and understood, you are more likely to be able to accept and support yourself. 

 “True empathy is always free of any evaluative or diagnostic quality. This comes across to the recipient with some surprise. "If I am not being judged, perhaps I am not so evil or abnormal as I have thought.”
― Carl R. Rogers

The therapeutic relationship enables patterns that have developed in relationship to others to become present in the counselling room and to be re-worked in a non-judgmental, supportive space.

The therapeutic relationship also enables more hidden feelings and thoughts to come to the surface to be worked with.

Are the counselling sessions confidential?

The work in which we are involved is confidential. I will only break confidentiality if I come to believe there is a high risk to you or others, or if I am required by law to do so.

How do we get started with counselling?

In the first instance, I would suggest you meet with me for a couple of sessions to see how we relate and to assess the issues you wish to work with.

To discuss how counselling may benefit you, please contact Jackie Parkes on tel: 0121 454 2209 or mob: 07796 836739 or email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.