Tim Hill

Finding out about your rights

I believe you have every right to expect a number of things from psychotherapy with me.

1. Confidentiality

Firstly, you can expect that what is said between us remains confidential. I will not disclosure anything that you say to other people without your permission. Even then, I don't disclose even the smallest detail that will allow you to be identified.

2. Being treated with respect

Secondly, you can expect to be treated with respect.I strongly believe that a professional psychotherapist will not deliberately say things that will cause you to feel shame or guilt about the things you have thought or felt or done. On the contrary, a lot of my work is to help my clients lift the heavy burden of guilt or shame from the past, not to add to it.

3. Being properly understood

Thirdly, you can expect that I will work hard to understand you and your life. It is only through taking the time to listen and understand, to appreciate what you are going through and what you are feeling that I earn the privilege of being able to help you.

4. Commitment

Fourthly, I believe that if I take you on as a client I also take on a commitment to you that extends beyond our face-to-face sessions. My commitment is that I will keep working with you until you want to stop, and that I will be there, on time, for every session. I make myself available to you for our agreed sessions, but I also understand that you will, from time to time, come to my mind between sessions or that you might need to make contact with me between sessions. This is a normal part of the day for me and is not an intrusion; it is part of the process.

5. Being in control

Lastly, it is important to understand that you are in control of what happens in the sessions; I will not rail-road you into exploring things that you are unwilling to look at. If you were to force yourself, you might start to feel unsafe with me, and this leads to a deterioration of the good work that we can do. Much better progress can be made when we focus on what you want and need to talk about.

Supervision

As a private practitioner, my work is supervised by a highly experienced peer psychotherapist. This is standard practice for almost all reputable psychotherapists. The supervisor will not know enough about you for your identity to be exposed.