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. 

In view of the latest Corona Virus crisis I am not seeing any clients face-to-face. However, Clients are requesting FaceTime, Whatsapp video or chat, Skype, Telephone/Audio etc.

A number of years ago as part of my continuing professional development (CPD) I took professional training to work with people online and as such I  qualified to work remotely including online video, telephone, chat, email etc.

I can support you to adapt to this if it is a new way of meeting people. 

Even those who have preferred to meet face to face have often found that they adapt to this very quickly, have found that they forget very quickly that we are not meeting in person, the same level of emotional connection can be experienced, even though we are not meeting in person. 

However, of course, this could bring up challenges and issues for you. We can work through those challenges and 

CHALLENGING TIMES

This can be a challenging time for many people for many reasons. 

Social/physical distancing and self isolation are new phrases but have become a sudden reality for many.

Relationships and families can be difficult at the best of times, but being required to stay at home with your partner and families for days, weeks or even months at a time can bring up issues very quickly.

Privacy can be difficult, so we can look at ways that you can access wifi and have the privacy that you need for ours sessions. 

I'm an Accredited member of the BACP.  

My qualifications include - MSc, Psychotherapy and Counselling, BSc Honours Psychology, Diploma in Clinical Supervision.

 Compassion, empathy, confidentiality, support and being non-judgemental are fundamental to the way I work. 

 You will be able to explore at your own pace, to heal, gain insight and to make the changes you want. 

 My theoretical background allows me to draw from a number of philosophical and theoretical approaches that mean I work with how you are in the here and now, as well as how you got here and where you would like to get to. This includes Psychodynamic, Existential, Person Centred approaches. 

 In the course of continuing professional development I have taken additional training to work with couples, children and young people in addition adult individuals. Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Hypnotherapy and Creativity and Play Therapy.

 I also supervise trainee and qualified counsellors and psychotherapists individually and in groups.

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

I work very consciously with therapeutic boundaries as they enable us to develop safe and supportive therapeutic relationship so that you feel able to work through the things that you are struggling with.

This means that it is valuable for us to arrange to meet at the same day and time each week as far as possible. I aim to plan sessions on a rolling four weeks in advance so we know where we are.

If you need to change appointments within shorter notice, I will offer to reschedule within the same week, but would charge if you cancel within 24 hours notice without an opportunity to reschedule. 

As we are currently working online, I request payment to be paid by BACS before the session. 

The first session has a very important role in our therapeutic relationship.

It may be the first time you have spoken about some issues.

It can be the first time you have considered some things. 

It is an opportunity for us to get to understand how we work together, confirm contact information and to consider how we want to continue. 

Since we need to work remotely at the moment, it is important to make sure that this is right for you.

Prior to the first session I will send you my working agreement and will need you to complete and return that before our session. 

If you are already in crisis or particularly vulnerable, working remotely like this may not be appropriate so we may need to look for other options that you may take. 

 I request payment by BACS prior to each session. 

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.