Geraldine McManus

March 2020 

In view of recent government guidance about Covid-19 Corona virus,   I am now seeing clients entirely remotely - via online video, phone etc. During lockdown some people do not  feel they have the privacy or space to have a video/audio/telephone session and prefer to meet via  Email and online chat.

 If this is the case we arrange a regular day and use the session  time to read and write emails or chat messages.   

Clients are choosing to meet using FaceTime, Whatsapp, Skype  or telephone/audio/ 

In normal circumstances I also see people face-to-face but in these extraordinary times that is not appropriate. 

Fingers crossed our normal options will resume soon. 

On the plus side, this gives me more flexibility in days and times. 

For example. most mornings and evenings.

My original training includes a degree in psychology (BSc, Honours) and Masters in Psychotherapy and Counselling (MSc) which means I can draw on a range of different theoretical and philosophical approaches including Psychodynamic, Existential, Phenomenological, Humanistic, and Postmodern.

In the course of my continuing professional development (CPD) I have taken training in Couples Counselling, CBT, Hypnotherapy, Clinical Supervision, Creativity and Play Therapy.

I have an Advanced DBS certificate and I am registered with a range of Insurance companies including Bupa, AxaPPP, Healthcare, Health Assured, etc

For therapeutic reasons I aim to plan sessions three or four weeks in advance and plan to meet on the same day and time each week where possible, at least initially. 

 I will send you a working agreement that summarises how I work, including confidentiality.

 This allows us to develop a safe therapeutic relationship - one where you are able to feel safe and supported to explore your thoughts, feelings and situation. 

It is important for me to know how you find our work. So I will ask you from time to time what it is like to talk about things, what you would want more of or less of. 

This helps me get to understand you but also allows you to get to know yourself differently, and from there you can heal and potentially make changes.

I work with the standard fifty minute (50) 'therapeutic hour.'

The first session is important therapeutically as much as any other session. It is a time for us to start to get to know where you are, what you are looking for, and how we work together. 

We will go through and confirm some contact information and how we are planning to continue. 

Unless we are working within a short term, time limited, brief therapy framework, which is normally limited to 6-8 sessions, I will not direct our work. 

I cannot know what has happened to you between sessions, and so it is not for me to prioritise what you want to talk about. 

However, I will ask questions, to check my understanding of what you are saying and to help you reflect and explore. 

My initial qualifications was as degree in Psychology (BSc Honours) and Masters in Psychotherapy and Counselling (MSc, University of Surrey) and Diploma in Supervision.

This means my work is informed by and integrates a number of different philosophical and theoretical approaches, including Psychodynamic, Phenomenological, Existential, Humanistic and Post Modern and Attachment Theory. 

In the course of my Continuing Professional Development (CPD), I take training and development to continually update, deepen and broaden my knowledge and experience. I  have taken formal training and experience to work with couples Couples,  Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, Hypnotherapy, Creativity and Play Therapy, Certificate to Working online via online video, audio, email, and online chat. 

As an integrative therapist my work is informed by Clarkson's Five relationship Model.  

I work with adults individuals, couples, primary school children, young adults, etc. 

I work with people from a diverse range of socio economic backgrounds,  education, geographical locations, gender, sexuality and ethnic backgrounds.

March 2020

In view of the Covid 19 corona virus and 'social distancing' recommendations,  I am meeting clients and supervises entirely remotely. 

This includes online video/audio, telephone. Email and chat sessions are also available - especially during lock down, some clients do not feel they have the privacy to arrange regular sessions or use their voice during sessions.  

Trainee and qualified psychotherapists and counsellors are recommended to explore their work on a regular basis with a consultant/ supervisor. This offers the opportunity of a safe space for support, development and also has a role in a client safety and safeguarding. 

Depending on caseload, trainees often have weekly supervision. The BACP recommends a minimum of 1.5 hours /90 minutes supervision per month for qualified practitioners.

In all my work I plan around the standard therapeutic hour of 50 minutes and so a supervision contract of at least two sessions a month seems to be the most straightforward approach.  

During the first session with a Supervisee we can talk about our therapeutic orientations and how we want to work together.

I offer a supervision contract at the outset but there are some aspects which are important for us to develop and agree together in the course of our work.

For example, we will explore and agree how we differentiate the supervision relationship from a therapeutic relationship; we will explore and agree how we want to use feedback to learn; we will explore and agree how we work best with challenge.