Working with me

How it begins…

The first step is to get in touch with me via email on contact@ryanokane.uk . If you include in your message a contact number and good time to call, I will text you to confirm (or reschedule) then ring you at that time. Please make sure you are in a convenient and private place to receive the call. It should last about 20 to 25 minutes, during which time I will ask some questions to get a sense of what has brought you to counselling and whether my skills and experience are suitable for your needs. We will then schedule our first (online or face-to-face) session together.

Our first session will provide the basis of our working arrangement. In this 50 minute session I will ask some initial assessment questions and you will have the opportunity to ask me about the counselling process and relationship. At the end of this first session, we will hopefully get a good sense of whether we are the right fit for each other. If so, we will plan out together an initial number of sessions and confirm their regular weekly slot.

For more information on what to expect from a counsellor, you could also read BACP’s excellent guide on ‘Choosing a counsellor or psychotherapist‘.

My fees

My guideline fee is £45 per session. I am keen to provide counselling to as broad a range of clients as possible and I encourage you to be direct and honest about what you can afford, because I may have scope to lower my fees in some circumstances.

How and where?

I usually offer counselling on Wednesdays & Thursdays from a hired therapy room at a private therapy practice in Aberystwyth. You are welcome to attend from further afield, but do bear in mind that counselling sessions are a regular (usually weekly) commitment and that the duration of work can range from 6 weeks to many months. I am also open to counselling clients from further afield via online video calls via Zoom or Skype (whichever you are more comfortable with).

COVID-19 NOTE: I am currently offering face-to-face sessions. However, this may change at short notice in reponse to the pandemic. In that event, I will offer a transition to counselling sessions via online video calls, with the intent to return to face-to-face sessions as soon as is appropriate.

My professional credentials

I am a Registered Member of the British Association for Counselling & Psychotherapy (BACP), one of the main professional bodies for counsellors in the UK. What this means is that I have qualified from a BACP approved counselling course, and completed a certain number of hours studying, seeing clients and in personal therapy.

This also means that I have regular professional supervision from a trained supervisor to make sure that I am treating my clients safely and effectively. So when you enter into a counselling relationship with me, you will be supported not just by me, but by my supervisor, and by our professional bodies.

As a member, I share and apply the principles of BACP’s ethical framework. This framework covers every aspect of the counselling relationship – from fees to confidentiality – and means that I will communicate honestly and transparently about the potential benefits, costs and limits of our work together; and that the way I work will be entirely led by your needs – rather than my own. You can read the full ethical framework on BACP’s website, here: www.bacp.org.uk

Ryan O’Kane (MBACP, PGDip), Psychosynthesis Counsellor