One to One Therapy

What to Expect

During the assessment you can expect Dr Firkins to:

  • Focus on starting to develop a shared understanding of your situation.
  • Discuss your therapy goals.
  • Explore what therapeutic approach will suit you best.

 

These initial appointments last between 60 - 75 minutes. They are charged at the usual £120 rate for self-funded clients & upto £130 for insurance funded.

Subsequent sessions will last 50-60 minutes.

 

Though this initial assessment duration is usually sufficient to get a good understanding of what you’ve been up against, it is not uncommon for the assessment process to spill over into other sessions. Typically, the first couple of sessions are a mix of assessment and intervention. Having an extended assessment process in place, helps to ensure that the therapeutic work is really targeted on the areas it needs to be. It also allows for a more flexible and reflexive approach, if important information emerges in subsequent sessions or new things happen that needed to be discussed or worked through.

Dr Firkins is able to accommodate both short and longer term therapy sessions. In the first instance, it is usually recommended that 6 weekly sessions are booked. This ensures that there is enough time and sufficient momentum to see meaningful therapeutic change. The need for further sessions can then be reviewed. Some people make significant and sustainable changes within just a handful of sessions, where others value longer-term work. There will always be regular points to review our progress & agree a duration that feels right for you.

Please visit our approaches page to learn more about the evidenced based psychological models used by Dr Firkins, in her one-to-one work. 

GET IN TOUCH

To make an enquiry or book an appointment, please complete the contact form below:

Fees

Self-funded therapy sessions are priced at £120 and Insurance funded therapy sessions are upto £130. *Dr Firkins works with the following insurance provides: Aviva, AXA, BUPA, Cigna, Evernorth, Vitality Health and WPA. 

The price reflects the level of training and experience gained. Additional to the clinical contact hour, this price also accounts for pre-session preparation, after-session reflection (including supervision) and continuing professional development (e.g. training and conference attendance). There is a slightly higher insurance fee to reflect the additional admin typically involved in these cases.

If you would like a report or letter written on your behalf, the time taken to prepare these will be charged at £120 per hour in all instances. Please let the practice know in advance if you are seeking a professional letter of any kind or seeking therapy as part of a legal claim.

Assessment appointments are payable at the time of booking. Ongoing therapy appointments are payable 5 days before the scheduled session. 

Payments for any session type should be transferred by bank transfer. 

* If you are insured with a provider that I have not listed above, please contact me as I can enquire with them. Costs may differ based on your insurer. 

Policies

Holding Hope Therapies has a few policies which help to ensure that it always delivers the highest standard of care.

Consent and Confidentiality

Clinical psychologists working within the NHS are accountable to a professional and ethical code of conduct. Reassuringly Holding Hope Therapies is no different and we take issues of confidentiality very seriously.

Prior to our first session you will be asked to complete and return a consent form with your emergency details on.

At our practice all information is kept private and confidential with the following exceptions: If there is concern for the safety of either you or others, or if serious criminal activity is disclosed. In such circumstances, wherever possible, this will be discussed with you first, unless this could potentially increase the risk to either yourself or others.

Sometimes, it can also be helpful to contact other services such as GPs, or previous health professionals you may have worked with or still be working with to gather or share information. Where there are no issues of safety or criminal activity, this is only done with prior consent from you about what information can be obtained or shared.

View our privacy policy for further details. 

Cancellation Policy

If you book a session and need to cancel, please give a minimum of 48 hours notice, otherwise you will be liable for the cost of the session.  

Testimonials

  • I have no words that will truly capture how grateful I am to Ashlyn. Her patience, kindness and brilliant knowledge helped me through some really difficult times. Her sessions were useful and tailored to suit me which showed how much she listens to her clients and takes care to adapt to meet them where they are.

    Client navigating physical health difficulties

  • Ashlyn shared some really useful tools/resources for me to refer back to…. I also learnt to be more compassionate towards myself. Ashlyn made me feel seen, heard and validated in our sessions together - that alone helped me so much.

    Client navigating physical health difficulties

  • Ashlyn has by far given the best experience you could ask for. She is kind and considerate with our needs being priority. I really love how she has a plan for the session but can change it on the fly to suit what is needed at the time.

    Parent of a child, navigating anxiety and school-based challenges

  • The experience had a profoundly positive effect on my overall wellbeing, through seemingly subtle changes in thought processes and actions.

    Client navigating physical health difficulties

  • I have gained so much more confidence within me. I don’t really care what people think about me anymore.

    Client navigating anxiety and low mood
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