Please read this carefully.
There is a major restructure to my therapy practice and appointments. You are likely to be affected by being a current client during these transitions.
As I look ahead towards caring for myself now and in my eventual retirement (!), I’m taking steps to improve my systems. So that I can earn a living and continue my research and writing.
Blue skies scheduling link – click here to book
FEE INCREASE:
I am going to increase my fees to an appropriate level for my experience, from April 1st 2024.
WHAT THIS MEANS FOR YOU:
Therapy is a two way commitment and fees are part of that. If you are already working with me then I am committed to working with your for the duration of therapy and your ability to pay the fees will not affect sessions going forward. We will work while both parties are engaged and while the therapy is beneficial to you.
A review of fee structures is an opportunity nonetheless to consider what format, structure, fee level and frequency suits your needs for the year ahead.
REGULARITY OF PAYMENT:
The upcoming changes are designed to give me enough income and enough predictability. Therefore my clients will pay me a monthly amount for 12 months of the year.
CLIENT EXPERIENCE:
My aim has been to design packages with your current expenditure and therapeutic support in mind to keep the changes to cost close to what you might be expecting for the year ahead. I’ve also been increasing the access to therapeutic support that is more affordable alongside traditional 1:1 psychotherapy.
PACKAGES:
You will choose your package. Please see FAQ below for concessions and adjustments. This structure is rigid but I am not, and I hope this will be a dialogue and discussion between us rather than an imposed directive.
Packages are designed around current client session frequency and current budgets.
I will retain 2 discounted places as always.
As TRANSITION CLIENTS, you and I will personally agree your monthly amount which might in some circumstances be less than the new structure.
PACKAGES DETAILS – Choose one of the following 6 options – current clients will find options 2 & 3 the most familiar.
1 STARTER PACKAGE £200 per month (£75 p/h)
What you pay
£600 broken down into 3 monthly payments of £200 each
What you get
8 x 55 minute sessions weekly, over 2-3 months
What you need to do
Have a one-off Registration Session
Set up a Standing Order for £200 x 3
Discuss your appointment time with Miriam who can book you in for your 8 sessions.
Intakes in October & March. I have two or three new spaces each year.
2 WEEKLY PSYCHOTHERAPY PACKAGE £225 per month (£69 p/h)
What you pay
£230 each month x 12 months
What you get
40 x 55 minute sessions weekly over 12 months
My holidays vary but usually 2-3 weeks September; 2-3 weeks December – January; 1 week May – July
What you need to do
Set up an ongoing Standing Order for £225, you will no longer pay through acuity.
Book your sessions at your usual time on the Acuity Calendar for as far ahead as you like. If it’s a different time see FAQ. Your account will show how many sessions you have booked. You can cancel and rearrange sessions.
3 FORTNIGHTLY COUNSELLING PACKAGE £150 per month (£72 p/h)
Fortnightly work isn’t appropriate at the outset of therapy but some clients who have completed their main therapy and want to continue with support to integrate their learning or those with neurodiversity may prefer this option. I don’t like this to be used in order to save money. Psychotherapy really needs to be more frequent so that a client feels ‘held’ through the opening up process. Fortnightly therapy can delay or dilute the deeper work and isn’t cost effective for you in the long run. If cost is an issue you can discuss ‘chunking’ the work where we do weekly sessions for a period and then take time off before returning for the next chunk or asking for a reduced fee so you can afford weekly therapy.
What you pay
£150 each month x 12 months
What you get
25 x 55 minute sessions over 12 months
What you need to do
Set up an ongoing Standing Order for £150
Book your sessions at your usual time on the Acuity Calendar for as far ahead as you like. If it’s a different time see FAQ. Your account will show how many sessions you have booked. You can cancel and rearrange sessions.
4 MONTHLY SUPPORT PACKAGE £75 per month
For clients who have completed their main therapy and want to take longer with support to integrate the work. Remember this should not be an expensive avoidance of ending. Ending therapy is a valuable and empowering experience.
What you pay
£75 each month x 12 months
What you get
12 x 55 minute sessions over 12 months
What you need to do
Set up an ongoing Standing Order for £75
Book your sessions at the time we have agreed on the Acuity Calendar for as far ahead as you like.
5 INTIAL REGISTRATION ASSESSMENT SESSION 75 mins £80 per session
Current Registration Offer – for the whole of 2024!
25% off for women in midlife (my research area) and a further 10% off for those who are coming out later in life, or those with a disability!
6 AD HOC / TOP UP / FOLLOW UP / ONE OFF SESSIONS 60 mins £80 per session
7 COMBINED THERAPY PACKAGE £140 per month
*HIGH VALUE OPTION(1:1 £55 p/h, group 20 p/h)
What you pay
£130 each month x 12 months
What you get
12 x 55 minute 1:1 sessions over 12 months
Group maximum number 8 people
3 x Intensive Sessions (October February May)
(Thursday evening 7.30pm – 9.15pm, Friday afternoon 1.45 – 5pm)
25 x group sessions Wednesday evenings
52+ materials, exercises, prompts, meditations, homework (optional) sent in a weekly email.
What you need to do
Set up an ongoing Standing Order for £130
Book your 1:1 sessions at your usual time on the Acuity Calendar for as far ahead as you like. If it’s a different time see FAQ. Your account will show how many sessions you have booked. You can cancel and rearrange sessions.
MIRIAM WILL BOOK YOU INTO THE THERAPY GROUP SESSIONS WHICH RUN ON WEDNESDAY EVENINGS October – June
8 GROUP THERAPY £85 per month (£20 p/h)
What you pay
£85 each month x 12 months
What you get
Group maximum number 8 people
3 x Intensive Sessions (October February May)
(Thursday evening 7.30pm – 9.15pm, Friday afternoon 1.45 – 5pm)
25 x group sessions Wednesday evenings
52+ materials, exercises, prompts, meditations, homework (optional) sent in a weekly email.
What you need to do
Set up an ongoing Standing Order for £85
MIRIAM WILL BOOK YOU INTO THE THERAPY GROUP SESSIONS WHICH RUN ONLINE 6.45 – 8.15PM WEDNESDAY EVENINGS October – June
FAQ
Are all your sessions via Zoom?
I love to work face to face. Most of my sessions are via Zoom because it’s more convenient for the client, but I would love to see you in person in the room at least a couple of times a year if you can. My therapy room is in the UK, S41 9TB. I am a Covid Conscious Therapist – see below.
What concessions do you offer?
Low Income: I have 2 reduced places. In 2023 these were £20 fortnightly and £50 fortnightly.
Financially Squeezed: Current clients can pay a reasonable fee between their current expenditure and the new structure and set the amount with me.
Neurodiversity: If your concentration span is generally shortened by neurodiversity or other clinical reasons then we could have 40 minute sessions for £50 on the weekly plan or fortnightly plan.
If you have ADHD or scattered concentration, (for example, sometimes dyslexia or dyspraxia add to this pattern within therapy) I sometimes negotiate longer sessions for the same price as the usual hour to accommodate this thinking style. Again this is for the fortnightly or weekly plans as the run over time is not designed to accommodate ‘catching up’.
How will the system work?
You will set up a monthly standing order to me and then book your sessions going forward on the Acuity Calendar. You’ll be able to see on your account how many sessions you have had. The most you’ll have are 40 sessions a year over the 52 weeks.
What if I’ve paid for sessions on the monthly plan and then finish therapy?
It’s more likely that you’ll have not paid fully. However, when you end therapy – with a minimum of 4 sessions notice – sessions over or underpaid will be refunded or invoiced.
What is the notice period?
Contractually you have agreed to a minimum of 4 sessions notice. A general professional guideline is that you have 1 finishing session for every six months of our work together (eg 3 years = 6 sessions) though this is an average, we will discuss and agree. Sessions over or underpaid will be refunded or invoiced. See CLIENT CONTRACT
Do you charge for cancellations?
To avoid being charged, you need to cancel sessions with good notice. You can do this via your appointment confirmation and reschedule. The system won’t let you do this with less than 24 hours notice, in which case, email or text me and I will reschedule it if I possibly can. If it isn’t possible then it will count as one of your sessions.
Do I pay if I’m on holiday or if I’m sick?
No. You book your sessions for the weeks that suit you, and you can rearrange if you are sick. See above re cancellations. If the session is in person face to face and you have symptoms of a virus PLEASE cancel your session or change to Zoom. Even the cold virus can affect my ability to work and my recovery from ‘flu or Covid is prolonged.
What if I want extra or fewer sessions?
You can have extra sessions by paying a one off fee.
You can have fewer sessions by scheduling them later in the year or by changing your monthly plan.
What if I want to come at a different time to my usual time, or if I find my usual time is unavailable one week that I want to come?
It may be fine to book a different time but it may be someone else’s usual time. You can email or text me first. If it’s a person’s usual time they have priority.
If your usual time is unavailable check my Client Page here to see if I’m on leave that week. If it looks as if I’m not on holiday then message me to ask. Someone else may have booked that time and you have priority on that slot. I will sort it out for you.
What is a Covid Conscious Therapist?
I believe that Covid exists and can have devastating effects on people’s health and I take care to protect those using my therapy room and to protect myself from Covid. I have a HEPA filter switched on during our sessions and window ventilation during warmer months in addition (as well as freshly washed cosy blankets available to snuggle in). If you’d like me to wear a mask I have standard masks, masks with a clear mouth panel or high grade masks and am happy to wear one if you prefer. I am vaccinated. I ask that clients with a fever, or cold symptoms don’t attend in person.
I am happy to work with clients who have different views on Covid, as long as they are able to protect me and vulnerable clients from viruses by not attending with viral symptoms. I don’t require you to be vaccinated or to wear a mask.
What is Nourish and Nurture Group?
This group runs for 5 months annually, from when the clocks go back in Autumn until the change to British Summer Time in Spring. With group support at weekly Campfire (by Zoom) and via a private facebook group where daily journalling prompts (poetry, art, therapy exercises, videos) are posted. It isn’t therapy, it is about learning to trust your inner wise woman to care for you. This is ideal for those who don’t need therapy, but who want to be encouraged and to develop self awareness further. Campfire is on Thursday evenings and participants from different time zones also join.
What is Loving Women Group?
Loving Women is for all women who are figuring out relationship dynamics with other women. Lesbian, bi-sexual, or without a label, you are welcome. This IS therapy within a context of feminist psychotherapy. I believe that applying relationship norms and literature to a romantic relationship between women does not work and that we need to create our own understanding of what healthy relationships look like for us. I believe that many issues arise from the invisibility of women not just in society, but to themselves, and that sexist and hetero-normative indoctrination puts obstacles in the way of of women experiencing loving women. Lesbian Break Up Therapy is part of this group’s remit and you can read more about my perspective HERE.
Why do fortnightly sessions and monthly sessions cost more than weekly sessions ?
This is because the cost is not based solely on how many minutes you are working with me. My work with you is not limited to the one hour session that we have. Having you as a client is a relationship I consider and reflect on, your issues are issues I research and learn more about or pay to attend further training on.
I want to begin to move away from a situation where it is ‘how much a session?’ and more ‘how much for this person’s therapy? What is the best frequency and length of sessions for them? What should the payment be? Are there other activities that the client undertakes to engage with alongside the psychotherapy?’. For example if we agree that yoga or massage with another practitioner are essential components to our work, we will be creating an individual plan that has consequences on your purse and diary.
You may come to sessions fortnightly or monthly but you are my client all year just like my weekly clients. Most of my overheads (clinical supervision, bills, IT, further training etc) cost the same monthly whether I have one client or 20 (20 clients equals a full time practice).
Therefore the value of a fortnightly contract is more than half that of a weekly contract.
Why are you increasing your fees?
Newly qualified therapists 2023 with 3 years training, charge £50 per session as they begin their practices. I’m going to add less than £1 for each year of experience I have had.
I’ve worked as a psychotherapist for over 30 years. I’m three times qualified in three full different Psychotherapy disciplines (12 years core training) with extensive CPD training in addition, all of which I’ve funded myself.
I’ve taught Psychotherapy at 5 different universities and been a visiting lecturer overseas in trauma training. I’ve written masters and undergraduate degree programmes in psychotherapy and trauma. I supervise therapists and have supervised, marked and moderated masters dissertations in psychotherapy and mental health.
Of key importance to me, I’ve research publications regarding the need for improved provision of psychotherapy for women in midlife and for lesbians, which I am keen to add to over the next few years, but which will not provide any income for me. I call it my legacy. It’s important to me to make a change in awareness within the professional field before I retire. Unlike university lecturers I am not employed to write and research, so I take unpaid leave from practice to do so as well as paying for supervision on my writing / thought development.
My private practice will be my sole income for the final part of my working life when I transition from part time work at the university to solely working for myself once more. I aim to have ‘take home pay’ resembling the national average UK take home pay based on 2023 national statistics.