How are costs established?
The prices have been established in line with Spokz People's mission statement to provide services at reasonable prices. Counselling is a professional service and the cost reflects the quality of the service and includes the many overheads which, in order to practice professionally, a counsellor must adhere to (e.g. supervision, professional liability insurance, association membership) as well as other costs such as room rental. For each 50 minute session you attend, a counsellor generally does another hour of work writing notes, reflecting on the content and preparing for the next session, as well as attending supervision.
We are fortunate to have been given a grant by Unltd (Unlimited) which allows us to offer lower rates to those who cannot afford our usual rates.
Free chat about counselling
You are more than welcome to ring free of charge for an informal chat to see if any of our services are suitable for you and to answer any questions you may have.
£15 first session / assessment
The first session is an intial assessment which is offered at a reduced rate of £15.00 to give you the opportunity to find out whether counselling is right for you. After that costs depend on the type of counselling you choose.
Face-to-face (in person) and email counselling
- 1 session of 50 minutes or 1 email of 750 words minimum: £35
- Pre-paid package of 5 sessions (paid ahead in one payment): £165 (£33 per session)
You may have a query after you have read a therapeutic email and counsellors will reply briefly to such queries at no additional charge.
Online instant messaging or telephone counselling
- 1 session of 50 minutes: £30
- Pre-paid package of 5 sessions (paid ahead in one payment): £140 (£28 per session)
Payment
Payment is always upfront through the following means:
- Telephone: all appointments can be paid for with card over the phone. Please ring 0845 25 77 496
- Online: first sessions only (£15) can be paid for online, click here Book an Appointment
- Cash: for face-to-face counselling sessions only
- Cheques: please send cheques to Spokz People, 2 Jordan Croft, Lichfield, WS13 8PN. Please make cheques payable to 'Spokz People'
- Direct bank transfer: Spokz People, Santander, Sort Code 09-01-27, Account Number 83835917. Please put your name in the reference box!
Receipts are sent automatically for online payments; on request receipts can be given for cash payments and cheques and direct bank transfers.
Cancellations
If you are able to give us 48 hours notice of a cancellation we do not charge for missed appointments.
Are there reduced fees for those on a low income?
Please do not be put off by the cost, if you think our services could help you, please contact us to discuss what is possible. We are fortunate to have been given a grant by Unltd (Unlimited) which allows us to offer lower rates to those who cannot afford our usual rates. We operate a sliding scale for fees dependent on your income and situation. Please contact us if you would like to be considered for reduced fees.
Please note: reduced fees are only available to those paying for their own sessions. They are not available for sessions paid for by the GP, NHS, Social Services or Direct Payments.
We are hoping to secure more funding in the future to be able to provide more sessions for those with less financial resources and we will keep you informed of our progress. Please get in touch if you have any ideas about funding or if you would like to donate money to enable us to provide more reduced-fee slots.
Other thoughts on paying for your sessions
The thought of paying for counselling makes some people, counsellors included!, feel uncomfortable. This is because, as you get to know your counsellor, you can develop a deep relationship and bond with your counsellor. It can feel awkward having to pay to offload your personal stuff onto another. Though many counsellors have a 'calling' to help others, we must accept that we live in a world of money, and that counsellors have paid a lot for their training and also need to make a living. A great amount of benefit can be gained from trained counsellors and it may be helpful to think about counselling as an investment in your future. Similar to education, what you put in, you get out at a later date. Think about what you would pay for a massage (£35-45) by someone who has usually only undergone weeks of training and in that light counselling is very affordable.
If you are considering counselling, perhaps do a budget and look at what you can afford on a weekly basis. Have a think about whether you can reduce spending on less essential things like clothes, toiletries, cigarettes or alcohol. Think about where you could get assistance towards the remaining cost (e.g. your work, friends or family, savings, local charities, a sponsor). Or perhaps consider having a session every fortnight rather than every week.
Alternatively, you can join one of our support groups. Groups are more affordable as the cost of the counsellor is shared amongst the members and you can still work on those things you want to change in your life. Change may be slower because you are sharing thetime with others, but you can still learn a lot about your own life by listening to others.
As part of the government's 'Putting People First' personalisation of care, if you receive an individual budget or direct payments from Social Services, you can ask your social worker whether you can use your budget for any of our services. Your assessed care needs may include emotional wellbeing (which includes your psychological wellbeing) or you may have to ask for a re-assessment to include your psychological wellbeing. If you need advice on how to do this, please give us a ring.