FAQs

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1. Is this counselling or therapy? The work I offer is clinical supervision and coaching, rather than counselling or psychotherapy. It provides a confidential, supportive space to reflect on your experiences, challenges, and their impact, including personal or emotional experiences where these connect to wellbeing, identity, and life or work contexts.

While this is not therapy, it is grounded in relational and reflective practice, and I draw on counselling skills where these support safe, thoughtful exploration.

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2. Can you explain the difference between clinical supervision, reflective practice, and coaching?

• Clinical supervision offers a structured, confidential space to reflect on your work, its emotional impact, and the responsibilities you hold. It supports wellbeing, ethical decision-making, and safe, accountable practice.
• Reflective practice  creates space to think more deeply about your experiences, responses, and the wider context of your work, supporting insight, learning, and professional development.
• Coaching is more future-focused, supporting clarity, direction, confidence, and purposeful change.

In practice, my work is integrated. Sessions may draw on elements of all three, alongside professional development coaching, depending on your role, context, and what feels most helpful at the time. There is no requirement to use specific language or engage in any particular approach.

For information about language and the terms I use in my practcie, please see: Language & Meaning 

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3. Do you offer group supervision? Yes. I facilitate small group and team supervision and reflective spaces. This can include supporting teams to navigate challenge or change, reflect following a specific incident, or come together to align approaches, share learning, and reflect on values, boundaries, and ways of working.

I have experience working with group-based roles, advocacy teams, and specialist areas such as suicide prevention, as well as supporting neurodivergent workforces and LGBTQ+ staff groups. Sessions are structured, reflective, and adapted to the needs of the group.

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4. How do sessions take place? Most sessions are held online, usually via Zoom or Microsoft Teams.

If meeting in person feels more helpful, I can arrange a suitable space in central Brighton. Some organisations I work with also have their own meeting spaces, which can be used where appropriate.

Sessions can also take place by telephone, or in a hybrid format where this is helpful. In some circumstances, walk-and-talk sessions can be arranged.

Where accessibility is a priority, alternative formats such as text or WhatsApp-based sessions can be agreed. Clear boundaries and expectations are always discussed and agreed in advance.

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5. What happens in a first session? The first session is a chance for us to get to know each other and begin to explore what brings you to this work. We can talk about your context, what you might want from support, and any questions or uncertainties you have.

We will also talk through our working agreement, including confidentiality, boundaries, and how sessions will be structured, so that everything feels clear and transparent from the outset.

There is no expectation to have everything clear from the start. We move at a pace that feels comfortable, and begin to shape the work together in a way that feels safe, useful, and relevant to you.

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6. Do you offer a free, initial conversation? Yes. I offer a free 20-minute initial conversation so you can get a sense of whether this feels like the right fit for you.  You’re welcome to ask questions and talk a little about what you’re looking for. There is no obligation to continue.

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7. Is it possible to meet in a café or informal setting? Sometimes, yes, particularly for coaching-style work where a more informal setting may feel supportive or accessible. Sessions are person-centred and we can discuss what feels most comfortable for you.

There are important limitations. In public settings, I cannot guarantee confidentiality in the same way, conversations may be overheard or interrupted, and boundaries can feel less clear.

Café or informal settings are not appropriate for clinical supervision, where identifiable individuals, sensitive workplace dynamics, or safeguarding issues may be discussed.

Where appropriate, informal settings can support some areas of coaching, such as social inclusion, transitions, confidence, or anxiety. In some cases, this may also support gentle, supported exposure to situations that feel challenging, such as social anxiety. This is always considered and agreed carefully on a case-by-case basis.

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8. Do I need to have a clear goal before starting coaching? No. You do not need to have a clear goal before starting. Many people come to this work with a general sense that something needs attention, rather than a defined outcome.

Part of the process is creating space to explore what matters to you, and to develop clarity over time. Where goals are helpful, these can emerge naturally and be shaped together.

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9. How flexible are sessions and contact outside appointments? Sessions are usually 60 or 90 minutes. Longer sessions can be arranged by prior agreement where more time would be helpful for complex or in-depth reflective work. I can also offer occasional evening or weekend sessions, subject to availability.

You’re welcome to contact me between sessions to confirm, change, or cancel appointments, or for pre-agreed check-ins or to share information we have both agreed is important.

If you feel you need additional support between sessions, this can be discussed and arranged in advance, subject to availability.

Unscheduled or ad hoc contact may not always receive an immediate response, as I may not be working at the time. Ongoing conversational contact or general updates usually fall outside the agreed support structure and boundaries.

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10. What are your fees and payment options? Fees vary depending on the type of support and whether sessions are self-funded or commissioned by an organisation. You can find full details on my Price Guide page. If you’re unsure what applies to you, feel free to get in touch and we can talk it through.

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11. Is this confidential? Are there any limits? Yes. What we talk about is treated as confidential, and I take care to protect your privacy.  There are some limits to confidentiality where there is a risk of serious harm to you or others, or where there is a legal or safeguarding requirement. Wherever possible, this would be discussed with you openly and collaboratively.

We will talk through confidentiality and its limits as part of our working agreement, so that everything is clear from the outset.

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12. Do you only work with LGBTQ+ people? No. I work with people from a wide range of backgrounds and identities. I do, however, have extensive experience supporting LGBTQ+ individuals and communities.

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13. My work is affecting my mental health. Is this OK to talk about? Absolutely. There is space within supervision and coaching to talk about how life, work, or identity experiences affect wellbeing and mental health.

I bring extensive experience in this area, and there is no need to avoid, hide, or mask how things are impacting you.

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14. I live with suicidal thoughts. Will this automatically be treated as a safeguarding issue? No. Living with suicidal thoughts does not automatically mean safeguarding action will be taken. Safeguarding becomes relevant where there is immediate or significant risk.

I have many years’ experience in suicide prevention work and am accredited in Applied Suicide Intervention Skills. My approach is respectful, collaborative, and based on open conversation rather than assumptions.

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15. When clinical supervision ends with my employer, can I continue to work with you? Yes. When employer-funded supervision ends, we would usually take time to reflect on the work completed and bring the supervisory agreement to a close.

If you would like to continue working together, we can discuss this separately and agree a new arrangement, typically within a self-funded coaching framework. This would be a separate agreement from any employer arrangement.

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