Moving in and opening up
So I’ve started renting an office space rather than working from home. It may seem curious that I’d do that during the Covid-19 pandemic. I also started a business at the beginning of the pandemic, but needs must as my employment contract came to an end.
Although my experience of the pandemic and lockdown has been mixed, with many ups and downs, I am grateful for the push to get the business going that it gave me.
Until now, including the first month in the new counselling room, all my work was still via telephone and video, and really didn’t know if in-person work would be possible for the foreseeable future.
At the time, for my own mental health, I needed to “go to work”; I knew I could be far more productive. And when you’re starting up a new business, the To Do List is long and varied.
Moving out
One thing that is important to me, is that we try to move psychotherapy out of therapists’ spare rooms and their office at the bottom of the garden, into lovely space that is safe for everyone.
Therapists do it because often the space available is expensive, and the ethical framework we operate within means we must limit the amount of work we do. Your £60 therapy hour is actually paying for at least a half hour of ‘decompression’ time, some time at supervision as well as perhaps paying towards the rent bill.
Opening up
The great news is that, after a month of preparation, interior design, furniture moving, and shelf building, regulation-reading, risk assessing, photography, videography, measuring, and ticking off a long shopping list, I am delighted to say that I’m finally ready to open.
Covid-19
I don’t take the Covid-19 situation lightly.
I studied the UKCP and government guidelines in detail, working through line by line to ensure we have considered everything and all measures are in place to keep you physically, as well as psychologically safe.
See our Covid-secure measures
A lovely room
The lovely counselling room is big enough to easily physically distance, and has a window to provide ventilation and a very kind neighbour donated a fan, to help, and saved me some money.
See you soon!
At the moment it’s just me, but very soon I will be joined by other UKCP-accredited psychotherapists so we can provide you the best possible support, across the widest variety of issues and concerns.
I can’t wait to see you here, in-person, at Counselling West Bridgford.
I’ve moved in and now I’m opening up!
