FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What is the cost?
Please see our Cost page for details about our fees.
Counselling is a time and financial commitment. As far as it is possible, we will endeavour to provide counselling at an affordable price. We understand that everyone has different financial situations, so if cost is a barrier for you, please do contact us to discuss things further.
When are appointments?
We offer morning and afternoon appointments in person or on Zoom. Appointment times will depend on availability of counsellors corresponding to your availability, the opening hours of the venues that we use, and when we are able to meet face to face.
Some evening appointments may be available on Zoom, please contact us to find out more.
What happens after I request counselling?
Taking the first step of contacting a counsellor can be daunting and we seek to make the process as reassuring and simple as possible. Once you have filled in the ‘Contact Us’ section, the Counselling Manager or Lead Counsellor will contact you within two working days to arrange a brief phone conversation and an initial assessment appointment, either with themselves, or a counsellor assigned to you. She will discuss when you are available and agree the fee for the sessions. The assessment session is half an hour by phone and free to you. If speaking by phone is difficult for you, a half-hour face-to-face appointment costing £10 can also be arranged.
What is an initial assessment?
It is a chance for you to tell us what brings you to counselling and what you would like to gain from the counselling process. The counsellor will go through some questions to gain some background information, and go through an agreement between yourself and Charis Counselling Brighton & Hove, which explains the counselling relationship further. You can either sign the agreement after the first assessment or reflect further and email the service to confirm when you are ready to start.
Questions about Spirituality?
Each person discusses and designs their own counselling experience with their counsellor, deciding the focus of each session. There is no expectation to discuss issues of faith in your counselling sessions. For some, however, personal and spiritual issues are inextricably linked and faith is an important aspect for them so they may want to explore spirituality. Whatever your needs, we offer a non-judgemental and non-biased service whatever your personal beliefs, and your counsellor will work with you in a way that is compatible with your goals and worldview.
How many sessions?
Counselling sessions will normally be offered on a weekly basis. We do not generally offer a fixed number of sessions since there is a uniqueness to every person including how long a counselling process will continue to benefit you; however, in some situations where you have been given funding, this may dictate the number of sessions available and the frequency. Each counsellor will regularly review the counselling process to ensure the sessions remain relevant and beneficial to you.
What happens if I cancel or end sessions?
You can cancel at any time and for any reason. We understand life can be hectic, complicated and we can get unwell. Please give us 48 hours’ notice if cancelling a session to give the counsellor time to cancel the room booking. If you cancel in less that 48 hours, we will need to charge you 50% of the cost and if less than 24 hours we will need to charge the full cost of the session, except in extraordinary circumstances.
If you are ending all sessions rather than cancelling, we ask that this be discussed with your counsellor in session so it can be a supportive ending. When you start with your counsellor, they will give you their direct contact details. If you would like to cancel and can't find their details please email: contact@chariscounsellingbh.co.uk or chariscounselling.bh@gmail.com.
What do I do if I am not happy with counselling?
We understand that counselling can bring up difficult and uncomfortable feelings and situations. Even in counselling, expectations and frustrations we didn't realise we had can come up and we may feel unheard or rejected. Sometimes there is fear around expressing something we are not sure about or not happy with. It is strongly encouraged that in the first instance this is discussed with the counsellor. Our counsellors will always endeavour to provide a safe and supportive environment and are keen to work with you to make this more suitable for you.
We hope this will resolve the issue, but if you are still unhappy, you can speak to the Charis Counselling Manager or Lead Counsellor. Please see the ethical guidelines our counsellors adhere to here: BACP
Data Protection Act
In carrying out our day to day activities we process and store personal information relating to our clients and we are therefore required to adhere to the requirements of the Data Protection Act 1998. We take our responsibilities under this act very seriously and we ensure the personal information we obtain is held, used, transferred and otherwise processed in accordance with that Act and all other applicable data protection laws and regulations including, but not limited to, the Privacy and Electronic Communication Regulations.
“The sessions are really good - it gives an insight not just from personal perspective but also spiritually and allows you to talk freely about the Christian walk.” - CLIENT
