FAQs
- Are the counsellors/coaches trained?
All plaintalking psychotherapists, counsellors and coaches are qualified or on diploma-level and doctorate training courses leading to accreditation. Each practitioner is registered with a professional body and are obliged to adhere to relevant ethical guidelines
- What is the confidentiality policy?
Your practitioner will discuss confidentiality guidelines with you in your initial session. All contact you have with plaintalking is treated as confidential. However, in the instance that the counsellor/coach needs to discuss anything with other professionals, they will talk to you about this first.
- How long will sessions last?
Individual counselling or psychotherapy will last for 50 minutes per session, and coaching or group therapy will last for two hours a session.
- How many sessions will I get?
The number of session in open-ended and depends on the service you receive. An appropriate guiding framework will be discussed with you at your initial appointment.
- Can I choose if my counsellor/coach is male or female?
At plaintalking we tend not to allocate therapists to service users based on gender. However, if you have a strong preference please discuss this in your initial appointment.
- Where are the sessions held?
The sessions are held in a private workshop in central Oxford.
- What should I do if I don’t like my counsellor/coach?
It is important to feel comfortable with your counsellor/coach, and, if appropriate, we hope that if you don’t like your counsellor/coach you will feel able to discuss this in your sessions and explore the reason behind this dislike. Often this can be resolved, but if necessary it can be sorted so that you start seeing someone else.
- What do I do if I have missed an appointment or need to cancel?
Because plaintalking has a voicemail-only phone service, it is important that you cancel an appointment face-to-face with your practitioner in the previous session. We understand that you may not always have much notice in emergency cases, so make sure you get in touch at the earliest possible opportunity. If you would like to stop coming to counselling/coaching then please let us know. There is no obligation to continue your sessions, and you can contact us at any time to come back to plaintalking.
If you have missed an appointment, all we ask is that you leave us a message to say whether you want to keep seeing your practitioner, and then come along for the next session.
Your practitioner will discuss the cancellation/missed sessions policy with you during your initial appointment.
- How do I make a complaint if I am unhappy with plaintalking?
Compliments, complaints and suggestions are welcome – email us.
- I’m not sure what I want to come to counselling/coaching for, is it still ok to come?
Yes!
- What if something happens and I need an urgent appointment?
Unfortunately, plaintalking is unable to offer emergency support or counselling/psychotherapy over the phone. If something happens and you are worried about yourself, others, or need someone to talk then please contact your GP.
If you have any other questions or concerns, please feel free to ask these at your initial assessment.