Last week I flew to Stansted Airport after a short holiday with my family. As we got off the airplane we saw a fellow passenger, a young mum, trying to figure out how she was going to get up several flights of stairs with her child in a pram. She managed to call out to a member of staff, who appeared to be busy offloading other pushchairs, and asked whether there were any lifts nearby. The response she received was unfortunately far from helpful: “…yes I am serious, there are no lifts. You get what you pay for. You pay five pounds for a flight and expect a first class service.”
Setting aside that this price estimate for the ticket was wildly inaccurate, it left me thinking about our expectations when it comes to paying for services. How do we judge whether we are getting our money’s worth or whether we will get what we pay for? Especially when it is something which is not quite well defined as therapy. Afterall we can’t see the end product (a new version of ourselves) at the time of purchase. It is no surprise that it takes most of us some time before we decide to start therapy.
Given this, I try to be clear from the beginning about what I can and cannot offer. You are welcome to contact me and request a free 15 minute consultation where you can ask specific questions (if you have any) or just get a feel for who I am and what support I offer. If you decide to meet with me for a session, we will spend the first appointment mapping out the main issues which have brought you to therapy. Then, we will plan for any further work, should you wish to undertake this. In most cases I will offer my opinion on what I think would be the best approach to meet your hopes and expectations. If you continue with therapy, we will review your progress throughout to make sure we are working collaboratively towards your goals.
Please feel free to get in touch with me. I look forward to hearing from you.
(And yes, we helped the young mum and her baby get up the stairs. 😊 )