Foreword
Before going into the information about the sessions, I’d like to draw your attention to the work’s essence. It helps to view therapy as more than problem-solving. It is not about you presenting a situation and asking for a resolution. Instead of answers, I wish to offer you my sensitivity, understanding, feelings, observations, and accompaniment. I would much rather that we go into your situation and look at it together so that your answers can emerge. I rely upon your truthfulness, and I invite your trust. I will create a safe space for you to be yourself–you are free to share your emotions, thoughts, reactions, and even outbursts. I also ask for your willingness to go into situations that might be challenging to explore. Our work is successful when you are emboldened to receive and respond authentically to your situation.
Information
I primarily work online over Zoom, Google Meet, Skype, WhatsApp, etc. I live in Nelson, New Zealand. I am happy to meet in person where possible.
A one-hour session (lasting around 55 minutes) costs between NZ$85 and NZ$110. I encourage you to pay what a session is worth to you and what you feel comfortable with.
If it makes it any more accessible, the initial one-hour session can be free to allow us to learn about each other and to gauge if further collaboration would be fruitful. If money prevents you from making contact, please still reach out and we can work something out.
We use Zoom (or similar) to meet at an agreed time. You can use my calendar to make a booking. If you want to work with a communication channel other than Zoom, I will do my best to accommodate you. Please have good internet connectivity and please be on time. Please also choose a safe, quiet, and comfortable space for our work.
Here is my contact information.
Payment, late cancellation, and missed appointments
I prefer a bank transfer to my New Zealand account. I’ll share relevant details in our correspondence.
It is also possible to pay me using Stripe (providing your email as reference). Some international payment services, such as TransferWise, can also use UPI (above).
Please pay the appropriate fee before each session or within a week afterward. As you are contracting for time-allotted services, you are responsible for the time you have booked, and if you choose not to use that time, you must provide 24 hours notice to cancel the contracted time.
I’ll wait for up to 10 minutes before considering your absence as a no-show.
If I miss an appointment due to any reason, I will refund you the money or offer another session.
Online Therapy
Here is some information about what online therapy means, its advantages, and its risks.
Online therapy has its advantages. The most significant is that it allows us to meet from our comfort zones, saving travel costs and simplifying scheduling. We can work regardless of our locations and even while on the move. Conversely, there are also some downsides.
Privacy is one big concern. You can read my take on it here.
With online therapy, the underlying technology can sometimes fail due to factors outside our control–for example, computers might go down, or the internet service may be interrupted. I will do my best to run reliable software on my computer and to ensure good internet connectivity to allow a video call. In the event of a connectivity failure, I will attempt to reconnect through alternatives as quickly as possible–for example, I will reach out to you by phone or email.
E-therapy can be helpful for various situations but not severe psychiatric illnesses requiring immediate and direct treatment. In those cases, seeing a mental health professional in person is better.
Online therapists sometimes cannot sense facial expressions, vocal signals, or body language. These signals can often be quite telling and give the therapist a clearer picture of your feelings, thoughts, moods, and behaviors. Video chats can provide a clear picture of the situation, but they often lack the intimacy and intricacy that real-world interactions possess. I will let you know if this becomes a severe limitation, and we can review alternatives.