Frequently Asked Questions

How many sessions will I need?

Impossible to say with any accuracy, we humans aren’t all alike! For CBT interventions, there is some evidence to suggest that 12-16 sessions for certain difficulties is indicated; but this is ‘how long is a piece of string question!’ Some individuals may get to their chosen target after a handful of sessions, whilst for others it may be the work of years. It’s important to review sessions and to raise any concerns you may have about how the sessions are going. I do not offer ‘magic bullet’, ‘I can change your life in one session!’ type of work, that is invariably offered by poorly qualified individuals or firms that don’t know what they don’t know – real change takes time and effort from us both and it’s hard to predict what obstacles we might encounter on the path until we’ve walked it for a while.

What types of sessions do you offer?

Above all else, the sessions I offer have to be in service of you – and a big component of that is being able to get to your own answers, solutions and next steps. These two things are absolutely central to my approach – hence, while I am qualified as a cognitive behavioural therapist and also have a lot of experience and training in DBT and attachment-based interventions, no one size fits all (and I’d be quite wary of any therapist who assumes the same approach will work for everyone)! Part of the early stages of work may be negotiating the kind of approach that will work for you. I am committed to offering sessions outdoors as part of how I work not just because my clients have told me it’s very beneficial to them, but because any steps we take to bring nature into our conversations are important in reminding us of our connection with our environment.

How do I know if I need therapy or coaching?

That’s a fantastic question! There aren’t really hard and fast rules about this (and again, please do be wary of anyone that provides such hard and fast rules by way of answer to such a complex question). Not all therapists are the same or have the same training, and the same goes for coaches, which makes this a difficult question to answer. The approach taken often emerges over time, and I’ve certainly found myself with a ‘coaching client’ offering something that I learnt from therapy training and vice versa. That’s why our initial call and first session are important in formulating how we, as a team, are going to move forward.

Who do you share information with?

If you have a look at the important documents section of this website, you’ll see some information about GDPR as well as confidentiality and consent. Session notes are kept electronically within an encrypted, password protected folder and will not be shared with anyone without your permission. It is important to note that there are exceptions to confidentiality – if I have concerns that someone is at risk of harm or at risk of harming others, then patient safety comes first and I will discuss breaching confidentiality with you where possible.

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David Fong Publications