Dennis Hughes

Currently FULL. I started working in the field of counselling in the late 1980's and over the last 30 years have worked in the NHS, Social Services, Charity’s, Higher Education and Private Practice. I also provide therapy services to EAPs (Employee Assistance Programmes).

I am a BACP Senior Accredited Counsellor/Psychotherapist.

I work with both individuals and couples. I am qualified and experienced to undertake couples/relationship work of a complex nature and am COSRT Senior Accredited (the College of Sex and Relationship Therapists).

The way that I work is based on the simple premise that the quality of the working relationship we build between us is key to the therapy being effective.

I am unlikely to sit opposite you in stony silence, but neither will I invade your space. The time is yours, but my role is to help you through the process by creating a safe space in which you feel comfortable to talk about personal and difficult areas of your life.

I work with the issues that you bring, at a pace which is right for you and will support you in exploring options that help you reach decisions which feel right for you.

It can be a difficult to decide whether to enter into therapy. I don't lock people into long therapy contracts and build regular reviews into sessions. We start with an assessment session – after this I encourage you to go away and think about how you feel working with me and then decide whether to arrange follow up sessions. At the assessment stage you will be assessing me, not just I you.

If we do continue to work together, we will draw up a short therapy contract, which includes: the length of sessions, dates, times, frequency, my cancellation policy and, importantly, confidentiality.

My fees are on a sliding scale, based upon your income. If you are struggling financially, I will endeavour to negotiate an affordable fee.

The first session is an Initial Consultation (IC). This maybe up to 90 minutes long.

After the IC I don't immediately book ongoing work with you. I encourage people to go away and reflect on their experience of your meeting with me and leave it to you to decide if you'd like to proceed.

I do not cold call people for a decision.