Difficult to build trust due to cancellations and admin handling
I recently ended my sessions with Lucy after a short period, although the therapy was originally intended to be longer, due to repeated issues around reliability, communication, and fee policy.
My experience was challenging in terms of continuity, administrative clarity, and how disagreements were handled. There were several last-minute cancellations on her side, which affected the consistency of therapy. In our final online session, we were only able to proceed for roughly 15 minutes due to connectivity problems on my side. I asked whether we could continue by phone to avoid losing the session, but this was refused on the basis that she does not have a work phone to offer phone sessions. I later discussed this with my mentor (a registered therapist provided through my university), and it is common for therapists to use their personal phone for work. I felt the refusal reflected a lack of flexibility and did not support continuity. Despite the session being cut short, I was still required to pay the full fee for the booked time.
When I raised concerns and asked for clear written clarification of the policy and how it aligned with the contract wording, I was told she was not comfortable discussing it via email and that it should be discussed during paid session time, or I could cancel upcoming sessions. The tone and process felt rigid and non-collaborative, and I did not experience the kind of repair and reassurance needed to build trust in the therapeutic relationship.
Overall, I had no major issues with her therapeutic techniques. However, I found it difficult to build a trusting therapeutic relationship with her, which is essential for effective therapy. This may work for clients who are comfortable with strict policies and minimal written administrative communication. For me, the lack of flexibility and the way concerns were managed meant I chose to end therapy and now have to restart with a new therapist. I also found the £90 fee to be overpriced relative to the overall quality of service I experienced.