TOM COWAN

My fees are: £60 for a 50 minute session I don't currently offer a concessionary rate. There are low cost and third sector organisations providing counselling for those on low incomes/benefits. These may often be staffed by volunteer students on placements seeking to qualify or those who can afford to offer reduced rate work because of other income and resources. I set my fees at an appropriate rate to cover all my costs (listed below for transparency) and because I choose to prioritise seeing fewer clients I am able to offer you my full attention. These are some of my core costs, to give you an idea of where the session fees go. - Insurance - British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy registration - Directory listings - Wix website and Zoom video conferencing subscriptions - Registration with the Information Commissioner's Office to protect the confidentiality of your data. - Monthly subscription to Google workspace - Continued professional development (minimum 5 days a year) - courses, studying, research that are connected to your issues so that I can be the best qualified practitioner to support you. - Supervision with an experienced therapist where I regularly review my work - Administration costs in running a private practice - Tax and NI for HMRC as a self employed person

This is a great question and I'm glad you're asking it! Worryingly, anyone can call themselves a counsellor without having done any formal training. You should check that any perspective counsellor is qualified and on a Professional Standards Authority accredited register, like me. I have trained for many years to degree level and am a proud member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy. They have lots of very useful information to help you understand how counselling changes lives here. When you choose a therapist from a professional body such as BACP you know they are fully qualified and expected to uphold a high level of professional and ethical standards. There's a complaints and conduct process on the rare occasion there's a problem. For reassurance my most recent qualifications are: BA (Hons) Person-Centred Counselling (First) - Metanoia Institute Certificate in Ecotherapy - Tariki Buddhist Trust Yoga Teacher - Vajrasati Yoga School Sports & Remedial Massage Therapist - NLSSM Yoga Nidra Facilitator - Yoga Nidra Network

Currently I am based online so that people form all over the UK and beyond can access therapy with me. Online Counselling Benefits Convenience Speak to me at a time that suits you. Accessibility Everyone can benefit from a professional, confidential and skilled listener sometimes. Whether you live in the UK or further afield, I can help with online counselling services that suit you. Feel Comfortable Being able to talk in the comfort of your own home provides a valuable service for people who might not otherwise be able to see a counsellor in person. Online Therapy for You Online counselling with me can lead to a healthier, happier mind so that you can flourish and thrive.

Send me an email through my contact form and we'll find a time and date that works for the both of us to have an initial 20 minute free video call.

I work Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from 10am until 7pm.

Person-centred counselling is one of the humanistic approaches founded in the 1940s by the American psychologist Carl Rogers. He believed that, given the right conditions, a person can reach their full potential and become their true self. To help you achieve your full potential I will offer you: unconditional positive regard (UPR) – accepting and valuing you congruence - being honest and transparent in how I experience you and your world empathic understanding – seeing your viewpoint as if I were you When you’re attending counselling sessions with me, you’ll be encouraged to bring your own issues to the session – the counselling is led by you and not directed by me. Many clients, with no prior knowledge of counselling, believe that the counsellor will sort their problems out for them. I'll help you to explore your own issues, feelings, beliefs, behaviour, and worldview, so you can become more self-aware and achieve greater independence. Discover your own abilities I will help you to realise what resources and support are available to you that you can use to work through your own issues, build your self-confidence and appreciate that you always have options. I will treat you as the expert on yourself, as no-one else knows exactly what it’s like to be you! I will not judge you, no matter what you bring to the session. This helps build a trustworthy relationship in which you can feel free and supported to disclose whatever is troubling you. Eventually it will lead you to discover your own abilities and autonomy, so that you can cope with current and future problems. Edited version of this article (original) from : https://www.bacp.co.uk/about-therapy/types-of-therapy/person-centred-counselling/

Person-centered therapy focuses on the individual's subjective experience and personal growth, and aims to create a non-judgmental and empathic therapeutic relationship. There is a substantial body of research that supports the effectiveness of person-centered therapy in treating a range of mental health issues, including anxiety, depression, and interpersonal difficulties. Here are some key findings: A meta-analysis of 86 studies found that person-centered therapy was as effective as other therapies in treating a range of mental health issues, and that its effectiveness was not limited by factors such as therapist experience, client age, or type of problem being treated (Elliott et al., 2013). A systematic review of 18 studies found that person-centered therapy was more effective than no treatment or placebo in reducing symptoms of depression and anxiety, and that its effects were similar to those of other evidence-based therapies (Lambers et al., 2015). A randomized controlled trial comparing person-centered therapy with cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) for social anxiety disorder found that both therapies were equally effective in reducing symptoms, but that person-centered therapy led to greater improvements in self-esteem and interpersonal problems (Leichsenring et al., 2013). A study of the long-term effects of person-centered therapy found that clients who received this therapy showed greater improvement in symptoms of depression and anxiety than those who received a different therapy, and that these improvements persisted for up to 5 years after treatment (Elliott et al., 2004). Overall, the research suggests that person-centered therapy is an effective approach to psychotherapy that can help individuals address a wide range of mental health issues. I hope this has been helpful :)

I've linked you to an article which highlights an A-Z of issues and concerns which may be helped by talking to me. Person-centred therapy can help with many difficult life problems - from coping with traumatic experiences and events, to dealing with depression and anxiety or managing harmful emotions and behaviours. To see the full article visit the BACP website here https://www.bacp.co.uk/about-therapy/what-therapy-can-help-with/ Let me know what kinds of issues you are looking to explore in therapy.

In our introductory video call we can talk about the frequency and number of sessions you might like to have. Some clients come for a single session and others prefer long term therapy. We can discuss this in our call together. You will decide when it's time to end therapy, when you no longer need the support of my counselling service.

Yes. I will share with you a contract which outlines the agreements we make together for the therapeutic work to come. This will cover things like : costs, frequency, confidentiality, cancellations, safeguarding, data sharing etc. You will be asked to sign this before we can begin our work together. We may need to refer back to this shared agreement in the future so it is a useful document to keep a copy of.