Frequently Asked Questions

Find the answers to the most frequently asked questions about counselling & psychotherapy with me. 

The Practicalities

Where are you based?

I am based in Nottingham and Cheshire. All of my therapy sessions are online via Zoom and you’re welcome to work with me wherever you are in the UK.

How long do sessions last?

Sessions usually last 50 minutes and take place weekly. I am not able to offer fortnightly or monthly sessions.

How many sessions will I need?

The answer to this depends on why you’re coming to see me. Some people come for just one session, others feel they need support for a much longer period. We can adjust and review as we go and you’re never obliged to keep having sessions if you don’t want to.

How much do sessions cost?

My current fee is £95 per 50 minute session with an optional 15 minute introductory Zoom call. If you are a previous client and cannot afford my current fee, please get in touch to discuss options.

How do I contact you?

The best way to contact me is by email – hello@alicetew.com.

I aim to respond within 48 hours.

My qualifications and experience

What sort of therapist are you?

I’m a humanistic integrative psychotherapist.

Humanistic means that I believe that when people are given the rights conditions, they will become the best they can be. Put simply these conditions are accepting my clients for who they are, setting aside my own experiences to fully hear yours so that I can offer empathy and being genuine with you. 

Integrative means I also draw on other types of therapy to deepen my knowledge. In particular it means I work with unconscious processes (the parts of you that you’re unaware of), attachment theory (how your childhood impacts you in adulthood), trauma (traumatic events and relational trauma) and shame theory (really handy for clients who never feel good enough). 

What qualifications do you have?

You can see the additional training I have done on my About Me page. 

Are you registered with a professional body?

Yes I am an Accredited Member of BACP. You can find my register entry at number 236989.

How can I be sure you work ethically?

I follow the BACP Ethical Framework and I have Clinical Supervision every month.

What issues do you have experience of working with?

I love working with people who are stuck in survival mode struggling with overwhelming emotions and my experience doesn’t stop there.

I am also able to help with the things listed on my services page.

What is therapy like?

What happens in the first session?

The first session is an assessment session. This means the focus on us getting to know each other. I need to understand what it is that is bringing you to therapy and whether I think I am the right therapist for you to work with and you need to get a feel for how I work and whether you feel comfortable enough to talk to me. 

Can you give me advice or tell me what I should do?

From my extensive training and experience, what I know is that what works for one person won’t work for someone else. The person who has the best idea of what you should do is you. You might feel that you don’t know and if that’s the case, my job is really listen to what you’re struggling with and to help you to remove the obstacles in your way so you can find some clarity about your situation. I want you to get to a point where you can manage without me and I do this by helping you to know your own mind.