FAQs

General

  • When you sign up for any service, I’ll kindly ask you to complete an intake form and, depending on the service, a few more questionnaires - this is all very relevant information for me to understand your needs and where you’re at.

    Once you’ve completed these forms, you will be invited to the payment page - and once this is completed, you should receive a confirmation email almost instantly (but allow for a few hours, please). If you have not received this, please check your spam before contacting me - it may also be helpful to mark my email address as a trusted source in your email.
    Bookings close 48 hours before the start of any type of service - whether this is for mindfulness or ACT. Please contact me if you want to discuss last-minute bookings, but these are not guaranteed.
    For courses, you will be emailed with further details such as Zoom links and workbooks a minimum of 24 hours before the start of the course.

  • You can change your mind and be refunded 14 days after you’ve booked a service if you request this by contacting me, unless the service starts less than 14 days from then (in which case you will not be refunded, but may keep the credit for a future service).
    Please note that I run courses with a minimum of 8 participants, to allow for rich discussions and completing exercises in a helpful way. Sometimes, a course may not have enough people booked - I will contact you as soon as possible to let you know and discuss options, although this may be close to the start date as I try my best to fill every course. If you would like an update on your course, please contact me.

  • I mainly work with adults aged 18+. In some circumstances, I may be able to work with people aged 16+ - please contact me to discuss further.

  • Yes - for any mindfulness service you can attend from anywhere in the world; for ACT therapy services, you can attend from anywhere in the world except if you live in the USA or Canada.

The courses (mindfulness and ACT)

  • You don’t need anything in particular to attend any of the courses, no - as long as you’re committed to engaging in the sessions and home practice.

  • This will depend a lot on how your difficulties manifest themselves, and therefore, the level of care needed to meet your needs. Please complete the pre-course questionnaire, and we will be able to discuss further.
    Generally though, research suggests that the mindfulness courses may not be not ideal for those who have a current episode of depression or suicidality, and the group format can also be difficult for some people with social anxiety. The mindfulness courses may also not be suitable for those who are experiencing addiction (or are in early recovery), psychosis, PTSD, or that have suffered a recent loss or trauma.
    For those presenting with common mental health difficulties such as depression and anxiety disorders, the ACT course may be more suitable - but please also read about it and complete the pre-course questionnaire, after which we can discuss further.

  • I try to strike a delicate balance between not having too few people that it doesn’t really feel like a group anymore, and not having too many that it feels like a lecture. I’ve settled on a minimum of 8, and a maximum of 14 participants, so you can make the most of it.

  • No, you don’t have to speak. However, part of the learning experience is sharing things you noticed while engaging in the practices and exercises, so we all learn from each other. This may be participating in discussions in the larger group, or it may be in smaller groups where you may talk, for example, about your experience of the home practice. It is all an invitation though, and no pressure - I would suggest you come to the course with an open mind, and see what happens. Some days you may not talk at all, perhaps on others you’ll share a little, or a lot.

  • The sessions are live. As part of my continuous training and development, I may ask for permission to record some cohorts, but I will always make it clear, and the recordings will only ever be shared with my supervisor.

  • I do not recommend that you miss any sessions if at all possible - so please make sure this only happens in unexpected circumstances. If you miss the first session, you will either be offered a refund, or credit for a future course, as per your choice.

  • It’s helpful if you can book as soon as possible - so I can review your pre-course questionnaire and arrange a follow-up call if needed, to make sure your chosen course is right for you at this time.
    Bookings close 48 hours before the start of any type of service - whether this is for mindfulness or ACT. Please contact me if you want to discuss last-minute bookings, but these are not guaranteed.
    It is not helpful to join a course after the first week as this can affect the group dynamics, so this is not allowed.

  • The last session of a course usually provides opportunities to discuss taking your learning further.
    You will also be given access to a number of free drop-in sessions, depending on the course you have attended.

The mindfulness courses

  • That’s absolutely fine - you don’t have to have any previous knowledge or experience of meditation, and the course is built such that all participants learn together throughout. Even if some people may have meditated before, every practice brings something new.

  • Definitely - honestly, I myself am not great at sitting down for a long time because of back problems. You can sit on a chair, sit on the floor, lie down, or stand up while we meditate, and you can switch between these, as long as you do it mindfully. I usually incorporate invitations to do this during the practices.

  • Definitely - while the course does technically involve a bit of movement, the invitation is always to take care of yourself and only do as much as is possible for you. This may even vary day to day, or within a day. It may look like sitting down when others are standing up, choosing not to participate in certain movements and either doing something else, or just not doing anything. I usually incorporate invitations to do this during the practices.

  • The retreat day is an important part of the MBSR course, which most participants find really valuable and helpful. It is mostly silent from the part of the participants, with the teacher guiding practices (or inviting unguided practices), and sharing poems or short teachings. The silence is then broken towards the end, in a gentle, supportive way.Please make sure you can attend the retreat day before booking your course. You should really only miss this in exceptional circumstances - if this happens, please contact me as soon as possible, and I may be able to either offer an alternative with myself, or recommend a trusted alternative provider.

  • While mindfulness has been found to have many benefits as described elsewhere on this website, and while I abide by the BAMBA (British Association of Mindfulness-based Approaches) Good Practice Guidelines, no, this is not therapy. When I teach any type of mindfulness, be it the courses or 1:1 support, I am not acting as a psychotherpist, and mindfulness-based approaches do not replace psychological or medical input.

ACT

  • I mostly specialise in working with common mental health difficulties such as stress, depression, and various anxiety disorders, health anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), - as well as with people experiencing a range of difficulties, or a general sense of “stuck-ness” or lack of fulfilment they can’t place their finger on.

  • I generally do not work with people who present with severe and enduring mental health difficulties, including, for example, active symptoms of psychosis, or severe difficulties with emotional regulation - this is because such difficulties are best addressed in specialist services which consist of multi-disciplinary teams of clinicians. Importantly and relatedly, I also do not work with people who are presenting with concerns related to their own safety or that of others - as in private practice I do not have access to professionals and facilities which would support managing such concerns, and therefore, it would be unsafe and unprofessional.

  • I am not set up to provide crisis support, so I am not able to respond to any urgent queries between sessions, nor am I able to work with people who have concerns about their own safety or that of others. If you are having such difficulties and are in the UK, please call 999 or go to A&E. You can also contact your GP or local NHS mental health service for urgent support, contact the Samaritans on 116 123, text Shout to 85258, or use the Stay Alive mobile app. If you are outside of the UK, please contact your local emergency services.

  • Yes, research shows that online therapy is just as effective as in person - as long as we both have good cameras and microphones, we can recreate most, if not all, of what we would do in a therapy room.Additionally, it’s preferred by many people, as it saves on time, money, and can help people feel more comfortable.

  • I do not accept insurance at this time, but feel free to get in touch should you have any questions around this, and I may be able to consider this.

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