Frequently Asked Questions
Client Privacy Policy
According to universal ethical practices, the only time your therapist is mandated to break confidentiality is under the following conditions:
- You are actively planning on harming yourself or someone else
- Abuse of a minor or elderly person is involved
In-person & Online Therapy
Our therapists’ profiles are available on our website. You can read through their profiles and make a decision. All our therapists have listed their areas of interest, however, they are equipped to work with more areas of concern as well. If you are confused or unsure about choosing a therapist, you may select that option in the booking form and we will help you select a therapist most suited to your needs. If your chosen therapist does not have availability, we will give you the option of either working with our other therapist or being on the waitlist.
If a therapist has a slot open and can give you an appointment immediately, they will reach out to you as soon as possible. However, our therapists work with clients for at least a few months before they can end sessions with them. Therefore, it is likely that you might be placed on a waitlist. It can sometimes take months before therapists can take you on as a client. We encourage you to be patient and wait for therapists to reach out to you once you have filled out the form. If you need immediate help and have been placed on a waitlist, we recommend that you find a therapist who might be able to take you on immediately as your safety and mental health is our top priority.
Once you click “Book Appointment,” you will be taken to the booking form. Make sure that you provide all mandatory (*) information. We will reach out to you to set an appointment. Our therapists offer a free phone consultation, allowing you and our therapists to assess whether we are well suited to your needs. This is not a therapy session but it is a 15 minute phone call allowing you to ask any questions that you need clarity on. If both parties feel that a therapy session might be useful, we will give you an appointment for the intake session
We follow a sliding scale model: our therapists decide session charges based on their own assessment of client needs and session requirements. Negotiations around session charges are also based on the therapist’s own discretion and may vary from therapist to therapist.
For both online and in-person sessions, the in-take is an initial consultation that involves taking all relevant demographic information and giving you the space to discuss your concerns and reasons for pursuing therapy. This session will mostly be exploratory and will last 45 minutes. Please note, an initial consultation is very different from regular therapy sessions because the purpose is to gather as much relevant information as possible to allow your therapist to truly understand your concerns. We guarantee ethical practices and confidentiality.
A regular therapy session (both online and in-person) is 45 minutes long. Every client is unique and therefore every session is unique. Typically, your therapist will allow you to voice your concerns in a non-judgmental and supportive environment. Treatment goals will be discussed in the in-take session and every session will focus on working towards your goals. Goals may vary over time. Rest assured that our therapists will facilitate you according to your needs, and confidentiality is our priority.
Each client receives a complete hour of the therapist’s time, however, the session itself is 45 minutes long. This is a common universal practice. The last 15 minutes are used by your therapist to review everything discussed in the session and analyze it in the light of previous sessions after you have left. Your therapist will spend this time making notes of your concerns and progress to improve your therapy process. The last 15 minutes also provide you the buffer time to go overtime if needed, without taking up time from the next client’s session. However, this is done only if necessary and is discouraged
For In-Person Sessions:
You may pay by cash or through an online bank transfer. If you choose to pay by cash, payment will be made directly to your therapist when you come for the session. For online payment, you will be given our account details after you book a session with us and clear instructions will be provided on how to send us your payment receipt. Please note, you will have to make the payment before coming to the session, and without payment, we will not be able to have a session with you.
For Online Sessions:
The only mode of payment for online sessions we accept is an online bank transfer. You will be given our account details after you book a session with us and clear instructions will be provided on how to send us your payment receipt. Please note, you will have to make the payment before coming to the session, and without payment, we will not be able to have a session with you.
You may cancel your session free of charge up to 24 hours before your scheduled session. For example, if your session is scheduled for Monday at 3 p.m. - you can cancel the session till Sunday at 3 p.m. without charge. If you cancel after this, you will be charged 50% of the total session fee.
You may reschedule your session at any time free of cost, but it is requested that you give at least a day’s notice to your therapist as a courtesy. The session must be rescheduled within the same week. If you cannot come in person, rescheduling with an online/phone session will also be acceptable. If your therapist’s availability does not match your availability and you have to cancel the session, you will be charged 50% of the total session fee. Our therapists have busy schedules, but they will make sure to tell you all their available slots to avoid charges.
Cancellation charges are common practice in therapy for a number of reasons. When you cancel a session it has an impact on three people: you, your therapist, and a potential client. Ensuring a structure is in place is beneficial for you as a client and it will facilitate your therapeutic process on a deeper level even when it might seem like an inconvenience. Your therapist works on an hour-by-hour basis, so if you cancel your session without enough notice it will cost your therapist an hour from their work. In order to maintain value for therapy, it is important for your therapist to maintain compassionate boundaries. Therapists often have long wait-lists, and if you do not give enough notice before cancellation it will cost a session to a potential client who might have availed the session or might have been in crisis.
You will lose your time in the session. Each client is allotted 1 hour and this time frame is strictly followed so you will be paying the full fee for the entire session. There is almost always another client scheduled one after another, and so unfortunately we cannot keep other clients waiting. The session time will only be extended by 5-10 minutes in cases where it is necessary, and it is otherwise discouraged.
It is understandable that both client and therapist might need to miss sessions from time to time. However, consistency is important for the therapeutic process. If your therapist notices that you are regularly missing sessions, they will discuss this with you and try to accommodate what works best for you. If sessions are still missed quite regularly, the therapist retains the right to discontinue sessions.
Group Counseling and Support Groups
We run group sessions bringing together people who might be experiencing similar issues. A group session involves one or more therapists facilitating a group of six to ten individuals, creating a safe environment to process feelings and connecting to other people. It is an excellent way of finding social support, sharing your concerns with people who understand your experiences, and learning from other people. Themes for groups will be posted on our website and social media.
We run support groups welcoming people facing common issues to share what's troubling them. Through the sharing of experiences, they're able to offer support, encouragement, and comfort to the other group members, and receive the same in return. Common types of mental health issues addressed in groups include substance misuse, depression, bipolar disorder, anxiety, grief, borderline personality, and eating disorders. This is different from group counselling as the space is used mainly to process things rather than involving therapeutic interventions by our therapists. Themes for support groups will be posted on our website and social media.
Once a new group is introduced, a booking form is available to book your slot. Please note each group has a limited capacity and clients are catered to on a first-come, first-serve basis. Advance payments are required to book your spot for the whole duration of the group sessions.
Workshops & Training
ur team of therapists have conducted thorough research to develop manuals and resources for workshops on a diverse range of topics. Our workshops are 60 to 90 minutes long focusing on psychoeducation as well as teaching techniques relevant to the topic.
We conduct both in-person and virtual workshops. Our team ensures an interactive environment to ensure experiential learning through activities. Additionally, we also provide resources and handouts that can be utilized outside of the workshop.
We offer workshops for various settings including but not limited to educational institutes, corporate sector, and development sector. After careful assessment of our client’s needs, we customize our workshops to meet their specific goals. We also conduct independent workshops covering an array of challenges & issues, relevant to the Pakistani context.
You can email us at zaaviyah.pk@gmail.com to schedule a phone or in-person meeting to discuss your needs and requirements. We will work with you to customize our workshops and training to serve your needs.
We organize a range of workshops recurrently. Some workshops we offer independently include: Stress and Anxiety Management, Understanding Trauma, Behavior Modification for adults, children and parents, empathy building, relationship conflict management and more. Please follow us on social media (Facebook & Instagram) to stay updated.
Once a new workshop is introduced, a booking form is available to book your slot. Please note each workshop has a limited capacity and we cater on a first-come, first-serve basis.