How do I choose the right counsellor or therapist for me?

I offer a free, 30-minute ‘taster’ session in which you can ask me any questions you have and get a sense of how I work and whether this feels like a good fit for you.

Alongside this, I encourage potential clients to explore their options and choose a psychotherapist or counsellor who feels right for them. There are several general online directories you can use to search for a therapist, including the BACP Directory, UKCP Directory and the Counselling Directory. You can find further information on choosing a therapist here. For information on how to find a therapist specialising in supporting marginalised communities, please see the question below.

I have a marginalised identity/identities. How do I find a therapist with a specialism in supporting me around that?

Pink Therapy has a directory which lists LGBTQ+/ gender, sexuality and relationship diversity affirmative therapists.

BAATN has a directory which lists therapists with a focus on supporting Black, African, South Asian, Caribbean and other non-white people.

The Association of Neurodivergent Therapists has a directory which lists neurodivergent therapists.

The Radical Therapy Network lists a wide range of resources with a specific focus on supporting people with marginlised and intersectional identities.

Gendered intelligence, an organisation which supports trans and gender diverse young people, has a directory of therapists aimed at trans, gender diverse and gender questioning people (and their families and partners)

I am on a low income. How can I access affordable therapy?

You can approach your Gp to request free therapy on the NHS. Waiting times are variable depending on your location and reason for accessing therapy.

The free psychotherapy network seeks to provide free psychotherapy to people on low incomes and on benefits. They also have a section on their website showing other places to look for low cost therapy/ counselling.

Charities such as the LGBT Foundation offer free therapy/ counselling.

Are there any circumstances in which you can’t work with me?

I do not work with clients who are already working with another psychotherapist or counsellor as this can be counterproductive and confusing for the client. There are some experiences I do not work with and would recommend that clients access support specialising in that area. This could be from a specialist psychotherapist; a different kind of mental health professional; or from a support service or support group specialising in this area. You can find a list of current exemptions here, under the heading ‘exemptions’.

Eligibility is decided on a case by case basis based on your individual circumstances and in discussion with you. You are welcome to discuss this with me prior to being added to my waiting list, or in an initial free 'taster’ session.

Is psychotherapy/ counselling confidential?

Confidentiality is essential for keeping my clients safe and for building trust into the therapeutic relationship. Psychotherapy is confidential with some limited exceptions. These exceptions are in place in order to ensure I work to ethical and professional standards, protect the safety and wellbeing of my clients and others, and do not break the law. These include:

• Supervision- In order to ensure the quality of my work and that I am working ethically I discuss my clients issues with a supervisor. During supervision I anonymise and generalise client details and do not reveal any details which might disclose their identity

• Reporting serious and long term harm to self or others- If you disclose that you or another person you tell me about, including children, is at risk of immediate, serious and long term damage I may be obliged to report this. I will strive to discuss this with you before disclosing the issue, unless doing so would put you or any other people involved at greater risk.

• Reporting illegal activities- I am obliged to report certain illegal activities, such as those covered under money-laundering or anti-terrorism legislation

How long will I need therapy for?

There is not set answer to this question- the length of therapy required will depend on you, your individual way of approaching issues and the issues you are dealing with. You are free to use the service for as long as it is useful for you to do so.

I offer short-term therapy, which tends to focus on issues in the here and now, and long-term therapy, which tends to look both at here and now issues and how these correspond to experiences from earlier on in your life or patterns to your experience.

We can discuss whether you want a short or longer term focus at the beginning of working together. In long-term therapy we review progress on a regular basis.

What usually happens in a therapy session?

I work in a person-centred way. These means that each session is tailored to the needs of that particular client at that point in time, and there can be a lot of variation in session content between clients or even with the same client over time. That being said, there is a simple structure in place: the session will usually begin by me asking whether you have a sense of what you would like to bring to the session today, and at the end of the session a set of fairylights go off behind me, to let you know we are in the last 5 minutes of the session.

I also offer clients the option of regualr review sessions: during these sessions I ask a series of questions to help the client reflect on their therapeutic process, and get a ‘bigger picture’ perspective on their therapeutic journey.

How does online therapy work?

Online therapy is delivered over Zoom. I will send you a link which will open a virtual ‘meeting room’. You can use the same link for each session. In order to access online support you will need a reliable internet connection and will need to meet in a confidential space where you will not be interrupted.

What issues do you work with?

I have experience of working with a wide range of issues- please contact me at cj@rainorshinetherapy.co.uk if you are unsure what I cover. Some of the most common experiences include anxiety, depression; grief and trauma; shame; assertiveness, confidence and self-esteem; discrimination; bullying; coming out as LGB and/ or T; exploring one’s gender identity and /or sexual orientation and/or sexual and intimate relationship style; gender dysphoria; navigating non-binary identities; dealing with social transition as a trans and/ or non-binary/ gender diverse person; kink, fetish and BDSM relationships and practices; polyamorous/ non-monogamous relationships; minority stress; body dysmorphia; body image; fatphobia; being on the autistic spectrum; neurodiversity; spirituality.

For particular issues- such as grief; sexual and/ or domestic abuse; traumatic stress; substance use/ addiction- whether or not I would work with the issue or refer on to a specialist in that area would depend on how that issue was presenting at the time, which we would discuss during an initial ‘taster’ session.

How long does each session last?

Sessions begin on the hour and last 50 minutes. This includes any time needed to fill in paperwork.

How regular are sessions?

You can book sessions either on a weekly or fortnightly basis.

How much do you charge?

You can find detailed information about my fees and concessions here.

Where are you based?

I am based in the Manchester area. However, I do not offer face to face sessions. I work online using the Zoom platform. In order to access online support you will need a reliable internet connection and a confidential space.

What does Person-Centred Therapy mean?

Person-centred Therapy means that I am client led and see my role as to help you realise your full potential, as defined by you, working at your pace.  At the heart of my practice is an intention to work in an empathic, unconditionally supportive and genuine way, and to make sure that this is communicated to you.

What does Integrative Therapy mean?

As an integrative therapist, I see individual experience and personality as composed of many ‘layers’. These layers could relate to childhood experiences, familial relationships,  how you understand your identities and your relationship to society, or whether you have a faith practice, for example.  I am trained in a variety of approaches which offer different ‘lenses’ or conceptual frameworks to understand these layers through. I draw on these flexibly according to each individual client’s needs. In this way, I help clients to bring all aspects of their experience into their current awareness.

What does Relational Therapy mean?

As a relational therapist, I understand my clients not as islands, but rather in terms of the relationships they have had, are having and wish to create in the future. The therapist- client relationship we have mirrors how relationships might work for you in the outside world, and through our relationship we can look to explore and repair relationships dynamics that are currently not working or have not worked well for you in the past. We work collaboratively to achieve your therapeutic aims.

Is it ok to talk about sex in therapy?

Sexuality or asexuality is a part of everyday experience which you are welcome to talk about in therapy if you feel it would be beneficial to do so, so long as it is understood

• that therapy is a non-sexual, boundaried relationship and

• the primary purpose of talking about sex there is that emotions associated with it can be talked through

  If appropriate I will refer you to other professionals who can address other aspects of sex in which I am not fully trained, such as sexual health.

I noticed that you work with an admin assistant. What information will they be able to access about me? How do I know they will hold it safely? 

The admin assistant will not have access to notes related to the content of therapy sessions as these are strictly confidential. They will have access to standard administrative information. This includes your name and contact details (including pronouns etc.) as well as information about accessibility requirements relevant to contacting you, and details of payments made. If you choose to opt into the online client portal, in addition they will have access to your invoices and your schedule availability. Whether they do or do not have access to specific information will be highlighted throughout the process of onboarding with Rain or Shine.

The admin assistant does not have access to CJ’s email inbox cj@rainorshinetherapy.co.uk so if you need to communicate something confidential to CJ you can do so via this email.

With regards to holding information securely, the admin assistant is contractually committed to the same standard of confidentiality in relation to your data that CJ, and Rain or Shine as a legal entity,  holds. They are required to comply with GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) as a data processor. They are registered with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) which is a government agency dedicated to data protection. Further details can be found in the Privacy Policy (section 4.3).