FAQs

We know that it can be hard to reach out for help, so we do our best to make the booking process for your first appointment as stress-free as possible. You can phone us on 01548 312256 or email us at info@next-steps.org.

When you contact us, we will arrange an appointment for a time that is convenient for you. Please be aware that our office phone is not manned all the time so you may need to leave a message. If you prefer to email us, please include your full name and a contact number (in case we need to contact you on the day of your appointment).

Whichever method of communication you choose, we will endeavour to contact you within 48 hours of receiving your message. We will not return missed calls if there is no accompanying voicemail. This is for confidentiality reasons.

We ask that you do not send us a message via our social media pages, as these sites are not checked as frequently as voicemails or emails.

Our offices are open between 2pm and 5pm on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday.

We can offer counselling appointments on those days between 2.30pm and 6.30pm, although there may be some flexibility with these timings for online and ecotherapy sessions.

Occasionally we may be able to offer Saturday morning appointments for face to face indoor/outdoor sessions. Please enquire about availability when you contact us.

Unfortunately, drop-in appointments are not possible, all sessions must be booked in advance and full Covid-19 health and safety protocol must be followed (if current legislation requires).

Current fees:

• £50 per standard session (50-minutes)

• £75 per extended session (80-minutes)

The prices listed here are for appointments with fully qualified practitioners. These practitioners will have gained a BACP, NCS or UKCP recognised qualification that equates to at least a Level 4 Diploma in Therapeutic Counselling. They will also have met the relevant professional standards required by the Professional Standards Authority for Health and Social Care (PSA) in order to have been accepted as a registered member of their chosen professional body.

Low cost sessions:

Some low-cost sessions may become available when we receive funding to subsidise sessions or when we commence our counselling placement programme for trainee counsellors. Trainees are in the final stages of a 4-year training process and are fully supported and supervised by both their training organisation and Next Steps.

At present we receive no government, local authority or any other external funding source, so we need to charge for our services to be able to pay our qualified practitioners and cover overheads. However, from September we will introducing volunteer placements for trainee counsellors. With our training programme in place, our capacity to offer much-reduced rates for sessions will increase.

Although we will still need to charge a nominal fee to cover overheads and supervision costs for trainees, we envisage being able to eventually introduce the following sliding scale fee structure for low income clients (subject to confirmation and change):

£15 for the initial assessment with subsequent graduated session fees ranging from £15-40, depending on income.

Individual Supervision:

• £45 per 60-minute session

• £60 per 90-minute session

Group Supervision:

• In-centre /online: £35 pp per 2.5 hour session (Max participants: 3)

• Seasonal Outdoor Group Supervision: £160 for all 4 sessions (Max participants: 6)

Yes, we do.

Our individual supervision (or personal counselling sessions) rates for trainees and those in the first 6 months of private practice are:

In-centre/online/telephone

• £35 per 60-minute session
• £50 per 90-minute session

Trainee counsellors who work with Next Steps whilst undertaking their required placement hours, receive group supervision and CPD training in accordance with our contractual agreement. If you would like to join us as a placement student, please email us on info@next-steps.org for a Placement Information and Application pack.

Our directors will be actively submitting applications throughout the year for grants that subsidise mental health and wellbeing services/projects. Therapy sessions or activities which fall under the umbrella of ‘community services’ may therefore be fully or partially funded. We will then be able to offer counselling sessions on a low cost or free basis (subject to the individual conditions agreed with the funding organisation).

We are based at the Kingsbridge Care Hub on Ilbert Road (see our contact details page). We hire office space at the Care Hub and have access to a dedicated therapy room and a large workshop room for group work.

We also have what we like to refer to as our ‘outdoor offices’ – several locations around Kingsbridge where we can arrange ‘walk and talk’ therapy sessions. We will be adding further details about our Ecotherapy counselling options soon.

You can pay online via our Square payment system for all therapy sessions, supervision, group support or training workshops. Alternatively, we can send you an invoice by email which will enable you to pay by card.

For services that are covered by funding, the invoice will indicate a discount for eligible clients.

Our preference is for sessions to be paid in advance however, we are able to accept card, cash or cheque on the day of your appointment or session.

We understand that circumstances can arise that may prevent you from attending your appointments, however we ask that you give us as much notice as possible.

If you cancel your appointment with over 48 hours’ advance notice, we will not charge you for the cancellation.

However, if you cancel with less than 48 hours’ notice, we will unfortunately still have to charge you for the session.

Group therapy sessions or training workshop events must be paid for in advance. 

Refunds cannot be issued for non-attendance or cancellations made with less than 48 hours’ notice.

To read our full cancellation policy please click here.

If you arrive late, your session time will not be extended, and the agreed fee will still apply.

In line with our therapy centre room hire agreement and Covid-19 risk assessment policies, our practitioners are required to ensure that there is adequate time in between client sessions to ensure that the therapy room is suitably ventilated and that commonly used surfaces are sanitised. There is therefore no opportunity to extend your session time without prior arrangement.

Yes, we offer placements to trainee therapists. For more detailed information on our programme, please visit the Placements page of our website.

There are a few parking places outside the Next Steps therapy clinic for people with restricted mobility. You can access these by turning into Ilbert Road just to the left of the CO-OP Garage forecourt, and then following the road round to the right (past the library).  You will see the Kingsbridge Care Hub building in front of you and the parking spaces to your right. Please note however, these are reserved for people with restricted mobility.

An alternative for parking can be found at Quay Car Park just a few minutes (flat) walk from where we are. If you walk towards the town past the Creeks End pub, you will see the Kingsbridge Care Hub building just to the left past the band stand. Quay Car Park is a pay and display facility. Parking spaces may be limited during the summer months due to an increase in holiday makers, so please allow plenty of time for parking when attending your appointment.

Parking facilities at our various ecotherapy sites may vary. Your allocated practitioner will be able to advise you further when you arrange to meet.

General Data Protection Regulation

As an ICO-registered data controller, Next Steps is committed to respecting and protecting the privacy of all personal information shared with us in the course of our work. We handle, store and process personal information fairly and lawfully in line with the Data Protection Act and the General Data Protection Regulation.

We use personal and confidential information for various purposes. To ensure that we process your personal data fairly and lawfully, before we start treatment, we go through a client agreement process that informs you:

• Why we need your data
• How it will be used
• With whom your data will be shared

This agreement process also explains what rights you have, to control how we use your information.

You can read and download our Privacy Notice here.

At Next Steps, we are committed to ensuring the quality of our services and facilities. If for any reason, you have not been satisfied with any aspect of your experience, we encourage you to contact us. We strive to deal with all feedback fairly, promptly, and pro-actively.

You can speak to the Clinical Director, Suzi Garrod on 01548 312256 or email her directly at suzi@next-steps.org

If you wish to leave anonymous feedback, we have a comments box located in the waiting area of the Kingsbridge Care Hub.

In recent years we have come to see that technology and social media use can also affect the therapeutic relationship and have found it necessary to create a digital policy. We ask all our clients, supervisees, staff, and volunteers to read our digital policy when they start therapy.

You can read or download our Digital Policy here.

Next Steps does not offer a crisis helpline. However, we have a compiled a list of organisations to which you can turn if you feel you need immediate support. Click here for links that may be of help.