A few questions and answers about therapy with me
Where do I see you?
My services are available remotely via Skype and Zoom, or in person in my consulting room in Blackfriars. The address is Temple Chambers, 3-7 Temple Avenue, London, EC4Y 0DA. For a location map, please click here. The nearest stations are Temple, Blackfriars and City Thameslink, which are around five minutes walk away. St Pauls, Chancery Lane and Farringdon are around ten minutes walk.
Is your room easily accessible?
My room is on the fifth floor and is not fully accessible to all wheelchairs. Step-free access to the building and a lift to the fifth floor are available between 8am and 6pm. A lift to the fourth floor is available at other times.
How long do I need to come for?
As long as you want to. Some people come for a few sessions, others come for years. My preference is to work ‘open ended’ which means that you come for as long as it is useful to you. However, shorter term contracts are also possible, and in this case, I tend to contract for around six weeks initially, at which time we will review how the work is going. If we continue, reviews will occur regularly from then on, re-contracting and working as long as it feels right for you to continue.
I’m not sure about committing to therapy.
Why not just come for a one-off consultation, and we can think together about how best I can help you.
How often do I need to come?
My preference is to work weekly, sometimes fortnightly. Sometimes, it can be helpful to come more or less often than this, I’m happy to discuss your preferences in the context of what I think will be most useful to you.
How long are sessions and how much do they cost?
First and subsequent sessions last 50 minutes and rates for these are negotiable. My fee depends on your financial circumstances and my availability. If you are working full time, you can expect to pay around £110 per session. If your income is limited, I do have a small number of low-fee sessions, although I currently do not have any vacancies for these. Generous discounts are available if you are a student, particularly if you are training in psychology, psychotherapy or counselling.
What if I miss a session?
Therapy works best if you attend sessions that we arrange, and give plenty of notice if you’re not going to come. If we contract to a regular session, I will not give your space to anyone else, so I will expect you to do your best to attend, and pay for the session if you cancel unexpectedly or don’t come. If you do need to cancel at short notice, if I am able to offer you an alternative session in the same week, you may attend this without further charge. Otherwise, to avoid a charge for a session that you can’t attend, I require at least 48 hours’ notice, by text message or e-mail.
What next?
To discuss your needs further with me, or book an appointment, please contact me.
Dr Russel Ayling 