Peter Boswell

Hello

I currently have some availability within my practice for new clients, both face-to-face and online.

My standard working hours are as set out below.  I may also be able to accommodate outside these hours after discussion:

Mon, Tues, Thurs 0900 - 1700hrs

Weds - 1000 - 1900hrs

Friday - 0830 - 1530 hrs

Sessions are provided on a face-to-face and online basis.

Cost per 1 hour session - £50.  Concessions are available on a discretionary basis.

Welcome...

Choosing a therapist can be quite an undertaking can't it? So many choices with regard to which type of therapy will be suitable for your needs.  Whether the therapist will have the right kind of personality to suit you etc.

To take the pressure off you, the model of therapy is less important than the therapeutic relationship that you have with your therapist.  

Why is this the key thing I hear you ask?  

Well it's within the therapeutic relationship that healing occurs.  Whatever is troubling you will become apparent between you and your therapist as you work together.  

Then you can start to uncover what is leading you to feel the way you do.  How your life is being affected in the way it is.  What the best way is, for you to acquire the healing that you need.

As a therapist the model of therapy I use is Gestalt therapy.  This not only works with your thoughts and feelings, but also with your body, meaning that when we work together I will pick up on your body language and utilise it help us understand what it has to tell you.

Many of my clients are surprised with what we uncover when we work with in this way.

Working in a Gestalt way is a very natural process, and works in the here and now of your life.  As you live your life now, you are being affected by many things that are going on for you, and as you and I explore these effects we will discover the things that you really need to know in order for you to live a life that is right for you.

Very often my clients are delightfully surprised by what we discover as we work together.

In the section below I outline some of the issues that my clients bring into the therapy room and what you can expect in the way we would work together....

Initial conversation - I offer all potential clients a free initial 20 minute phone or video meeting in order for us to discuss what your goals are in coming to therapy.

1st session - in our first session you can acquire a feel for what it is like for us to work together.  If you feel that we're a good fit then we continue to work together.  If not then we leave it there, and I may be able to suggest a colleague whom I think may be suitable for you to work with.

More details about our first session are contained in the section below.

Typical issues that my clients bring - Many of my clients bring issues such as anxiety, depression, low self-esteem, sexuality, suicidal thoughts, anger, grief, loss of some type, attachment, trauma, work related stress, stress due to having retired, chemsex, amongst many others.

The therapy space allows your issues to be explored in a safe and non-judgemental way, secure in the knowledge that everything you say is confidential.  

Therapeutic contract - Before your first session I send my client a therapeutic contract, which simply asks for your personal details including name, address, phone and email etc.  Also GP details, so that if required we can approach your GP if needs be, in order to enlist their help should it be considered helpful.

In our first session, because we will have had a preliminary  meeting either by phone or video, I will already have some idea of what it is you would like to bring to therapy.

We will also have discussed what your expectations are in coming for therapy, and can use this as a basis on which to begin our work together.

You will have received a therapeutic contract from me, which outlines how we would work together, including confidentiality, the length of sessions, how the issue of suicide will be handled as required by law,  if you state your intention to commit suicide or your intention to harm 'other'.

Given all the above, we will 'contract' with one another (i.e. discuss together)  to how we would best work together in a way that suits you, in order for you to get the best from our work together.

This will help us to create a 'safe container' for our therapeutic relationship.

As we explore what has brought you to therapy, and what your expectations are from the process, this will ensure that we set expectations that are helpful and realistic.

The first session is always interesting, and, delightfully, very often surprising for people!

In the last 10 minutes we will discuss what the session was like for you.  Whether you would like to continue our work together or not.  If not I may be able to suggest other therapists whom I think may be suitable for you.

If we continue to work together, very often people will come for 6 sessions once a week, after which you can take a view whether you would like to finish the work there, or continue.  

It may be that going forward you would choose not to come for weekly sessions.  Instead we can agree on the frequency of our meetings going forward. Once a month for instance...

You are not obliged to come on a weekly basis initially.  Doing so simply allows us to build up a head of steam in the work we do together.  

All of this we would discuss together.  Going forward we can alternate between face-to-face and online sessions to suit.