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How do I schedule an appointment with you?

To schedule an initial consultation for counselling in Edinburgh or online counselling, please email us stating what times are preferable for you, and a little about why you are seeking counselling. We always aim to respond to emails within 48 hours, although we may not respond out of office hours. You can also fill out a contact form through our website, or book directly through our online booking form. For regular clients, there is no need to book online, we organise our next appointment at the end of each session. 

 

Are my sessions with you private?

Yes. All therapists here take your privacy very seriously and discuss confidentiality with you in our first session. The Edinburgh Counselling Service is GDPR compliant and never share or sell any data we may hold. 

 

What are your prices?

Face to face or online counselling sessions for individuals are £60 per appointment. Counselling for couples, families or groups in Edinburgh are £75 per 50 minute appointment or £120 per 90 minute appointment.

 

How many sessions will I need?

The number of sessions varies enormously and depends on what issues you bring, and we will discuss this at your first session. You don’t have to decide then how many sessions you’d like - we can continue to check in with you throughout your counselling. We tend to suggest starting with 6 if you are unsure, then we can check in and see if you would like to extend. Counselling can be open-ended and there is no maximum limit on the number of sessions you can have. You can find out how you can get the most out of your counselling sessions here. 

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How long are appointments?

We offer a range of services, session lengths, and pricing options to help counselling fit people's lives. A typical appointment lasts 50 minutes, although longer or shorter appointments may be available upon request. 

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How do I pay?

Payment is by cash or bank transfer. We require payment at time of booking for regular sessions, or on the day for drop in sessions.

 

How often are appointments?

Each therapeutic session is normally on the same day and time each week to facilitate consistency in the work. Some therapists do offer some flexibility with this, which you are welcome to discuss at your first session. If you would like to check your therapist's regular availability before booking an initial consultation, you are very welcome to email us. 

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What is your cancellation policy?

All therapists at The Edinburgh Counselling Service operate a 72 hour cancellation policy for regular appointments. There is no charge if you cancel or reschedule your appointment with at least 72 hours notice. Missed sessions, and sessions cancelled with less than 72 hours notice, are charged the full fee. Please note that due to high demand, initial consultations are non-refundable. By booking an appointment with us, you are agreeing to abide by our cancellation policy.

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How does counselling/ psychotherapy work?

In our initial appointment, we will explore what has brought you to counselling, your expectations for counselling and what your counselling goals are. We will also discuss confidentiality, the therapeutic contracting process, and how things would proceed going forward, should you decide that counselling with The Edinburgh Counselling Service is right for you. There is no obligation to return to counselling should you not feel therapy with The Edinburgh Counselling Service is right for you - what is most important is that you find someone who you feel can best support you. From there, we will have weekly sessions on the same day and time (exceptions to this are possible). Each session will be different depending on what you wish to focus on. Occasionally we will have therapy reviews to check in with how you think the therapy is going for you, and if there is anything in our approach you would like to modify, or if you feel you are ready to leave therapy. Please see our article ‘How Therapy Works’ for a more detailed account of what to expect.

 

Should I go for Counselling or Psychotherapy?

The terms counselling and psychotherapy are often used interchangeably, so please don’t worry too much about which type of therapy you would like to go for. Generally speaking, counselling is focused more in the present and in our day-to-day life. Psychotherapy tends to focus more on the past and goes more in-depth into how our past experiences and difficulties can have an impact on us in the present. Our therapists use an Integrative Approach which means we draw from different schools of thought in our  counselling practice.