What are your fees?

I charge 90€ for a single session.

How long is a session?

A standard ‘counselling hour’ is 50 minutes long. Most clients find it a comfortable amount of time, on a weekly basis. However, if you would prefer longer sessions please get in touch.

How many sessions do I need?

It is difficult to answer as it very much depends on a personal situation as well as goals and expectations of the client. Short term counselling usually involves 6-8 sessions and it is suitable to address a specific issue. For more complex issues or when an issue isn’t clear, more sessions may be needed. I am also available for long term counselling.

Do I need to attend sessions every week?

I see clients on a weekly basis. Evidence-based studies show a link between weekly therapy sessions and positive outcomes for clients. Having frequent sessions helps to build and strengthen the client/counsellor relationship, which in turn improves the quality of therapeutic work. Weekly sessions also allow the client to create their self-care routine and they are essential for maintaining the momentum of the therapeutic process. When more time goes by between appointments, some of the richness of the experiences in the previous session can fade and it is harder to pick up where we left off. In every session we need time to re-build rapport, trust and the sense of safety and to re-engage. The entire counselling process slows down.

Is Brainspotting effective?

Client testimonials and the studies available make a compelling case for efficacy of Brainspotting.

Research published in the Mediterranean Journal of Clinical Psychology in 2017 found Brainspotting to be more effective than either EMDR or CBT. A more recent pilot study from 2021 showed Brainspotting to be more effective than Body Scan Meditation in reducing memory-related distress. It also provided early evidence confirming that Brainspotting helps to down-regulate the amygdala and promotes coherence between Sympathetic and Parasympathetic Nervous System activity. Another study, carried out in 2016 amongst the survivors of Sandy Hook school shooting in the USA showed that Brainspotting was self-reported by the participants to be a more effective therapeutic intervention than e.g. EMDR, Emotionally Focused Therapy, Somatic Experiencing, CBT or Neurofeedback.

Do you accept health insurance?

In general, I do not. I operate a self-pay practice and I do not work directly with any health insurance providers. However, based on my client experience, Cigna seems to accept and reimburse the invoices I issue for my service. This may vary depending on individual circumstances so please speak to your insurance provider directly before we start working together.

How do I make a payment?

You can make the payment via a bank transfer to an ActivoBank account:
‍
FULL NAME: Alicja Ligeza
‍IBAN: PT50 0023 0000 4567 7656 7679 4
SWIFT: ACTVPTPL

Payments via MB Way are the easiest and quickest card payment option available for clients who use the MB Way app. The mobile number for MB Way payments is 931 426 386.

Payments must be made minimum 24h before the session to confirm the booking.

What’s your privacy policy?

Your personal information will be kept safe and secure and will only be used for the purpose it was provided for. I comply with the current data protection legislation including the General Data Protection Regulation (EU/2016/679), the Data Protection Act 2018 and the Privacy and Electronic Communications (EC Directive) Regulations 2003.

What happens if I can’t make it to a session?

I have a standard 24h cancellation policy. If you need to cancel or re-schedule an appointment, please let me know minimum 24h before the session time by email or by phone (voicemail is fine) to make sure that no charge will be made. Missed sessions and cancellations made less than 24h before the appointment will incur a full session fee. The cancellation or missed appointment fee may be waived only under exceptional circumstances.

Payments for late cancellations and missed appointments should be settled in full before the next session.