Lifescape

I offer psychotherapy and counselling to individuals or couples, and this can be long and short term work, usually on a weekly basis. Current fees for a 55 minute session are £45 for individuals and £55 for couples. Rates to businesses and organisations are available on request.

Contact me at: stevethorp@lifescape.org.uk or phone 07949553029.

My approach is ‘integral’, building on the recognition that human wellbeing, joy and fulfillment depend on a wide range of contexts and factors – not least the pull of our inner, deeper self to be more authentic, as well as the habits, expectations and relational patterns that emerge from our families, cultures and societies.

For individuals, I can provide short-term support around symptoms of stress, anxiety and depression but this can also involve starting to explore deeper meaning, inner experience and patterns of being and behaving. Longer term support can be most appropriate when an individual is ready to embark on a deeper exploration of their ’self’ and to become aware of their habitual ways of being in the world. I can also offer in-depth coaching or workplace supervision which can be face-to-face, by phone or by email. Such support aims to provide an ongoing dialogue that is challenging, professional and positive – helping people become more successful and effective in their work lives. Coaching and supervision for managers/leaders can support personal and professional effectiveness, and improve team leadership and people management.

Couple work is sensitive, yet challenging; enabling couples to reflect on their role in their relationship and how they, and the couple or family, need to change in a way that is Ok for everyone. Over the life of a relationship there are many challenges and transitions and my aim is to help couples to get through these in a way that can strengthen a relationship, whilst enabling each individual to grow and develop in their own right.

I am a trained psychotherapist (MSc/Clinical Diploma in Integrative Psychotherapy from Metanoia Institute); a Relate trained couple therapist, and have a Diploma in Counselling from Oxford Brookes University (1997). I am registered with the United Kingdom Council for Psychotherapy (UKCP); and I am a member of the British Association of Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP), and have full Personal Professional Indemnity Insurance. As with all therapists, my counselling and psychotherapy work is professionally supervised. Counselling and psychotherapy sessions will usually be weekly and last for 50-55 minutes. Coaching sessions can be held less regularly by agreement.

You will be guaranteed confidentiality in all sessions. however issues from counselling and psychotherapy sessions may be discussed in my supervision. These sessions are in themselves confidential, and anonymity is respected at all times. There may also be certain, very rare, circumstances in which I might wish to contact a client’s GP. I would usually expect to discuss this with a client before any information was released, except in the case of an emergency.

I keep brief notes of sessions for discussion during my supervision; these are otherwise confidential and are kept in a locked filing cabinet. In the event of my being unable to deal with these notes, my supervisor will take responsibility for them.

Other information:
I will let you know of my holiday dates in advance, and I ask clients to provide me with reasonable notice of any holidays or breaks. Fees for counselling and coaching are payable by cash or cheque at each session, or can be paid on an invoiced basis by negotiation. Current counselling fees (2010) are £45 for a 50-60 minute session for individuals, and £55 for couples. Coaching and supervision is £45 per hour.

Cancellations: I need to be informed in advance – preferably 7 days – of any pre-booked sessions that need to be cancelled. Any sessions missed without cancellation or cancelled sessions informed less than 72 hours in advance must be paid for in full.

Venue: I meet clients in a consulting room in my home at 40, Bloxham Road, Banbury, Oxfordshire. I ask all visitors to remove their shoes, so bring some socks or slippers if you are likely to get cold feet!