About Forward Steps
Forward Steps Counselling was created to challenge the view that private therapy is only accessible to those who can afford it and over the course of the last 15 months we have delivered over 1500 sessions to support clients from all walks of life create a more positive future for themselves. We provide integrative counselling and therapy options meaning we can use the best parts of a range of different types of therapy and provide you as our client with an approach that really works to get the best out of you and support you moving forwards and with a base in Regent Centre, Gosforth, we are well placed to support across the whole of Newcastle. We also offer availability into the late evening and weekends too (usually Sunday) providing the perfect flexibility for school based clients and those that work outside of 9-5. Therapists and Counsellors working with us are all members of a counselling association and have either achieved or are working towards accreditation with a minimum of 500 post qualification hours.
What we Offer
Forward Steps provides Integrated Therapy and Counselling to both children and adults across the UK with face to face sessions delivered within our North East office in Gosforth and Online sessions delivered for clients anywhere in the UK. We have a unique ability to support children and adults as well as families, couples and employers with faster than average referral to treatment times so we are really well positioned to support you quickly and effectively.
Our Costs
Costs of Sessions
Standard costs for sessions are £45 for clients aged 5-17 years old.
Standard costs for sessions are £50 for clients aged 18 and over.
Couples/Relationship sessions are £55 per session.
Employee Assistance Referrals are priced at £50 per session.
***Please not these rates are a guideline. Should you require support and cannot commit to these rates please reach out and discuss what you can afford with us.***
Contact Us
While the website is in progress please reach out via james@forwardstepscounselling.co.uk to arrange a chat with us to see how we can help you or get in touch directly at 07436804082.
Privacy Policy
Privacy Policy 2025
Your privacy is very important to me and you can be confident that your personal information will be kept safe and secure and will only be used for the purpose it was given to me.
I adhere to current data protection legislation, including the General Data Protection Regulation (EU/2016/679) (the GDPR), the Data Protection Act 2018 and the Privacy and Electronic Communications (EC Directive) Regulations 2003.
This privacy notice tells you what I will do with your personal information from initial point of contact through to after your therapy has ended, including: • Why I am able to process your information and what purpose I am processing it for • Whether you have to provide it to me • How long I store it for • Whether there are other recipients of your personal information • Whether I intend to transfer it to another country, • Your data protection rights. • Whether I do automated decision-making or profiling, and I am happy to chat through any questions you might have about my data protection policy and you can contact me at james@forwardstepscounselling.co.uk.
‘Data controller’ is the term used to describe the person/ organisation that collects and stores and has responsibility for people’s personal data. In this instance, the data controller is me. I am registered with the Information Commissioner’s Office.
Registration number ZB712714
Contact number 07436804082
E-mail address james@forwardstepscounselling.co.uk
My lawful basis for holding and using your personal information
The GDPR states that I must have a lawful basis for processing your personal data. There are different lawful bases depending on the stage at which I am processing your data. I have explained these below:
If you have had therapy and it has now ended, I will use legitimate interest as my lawful basis for holding and using your personal information.
If you are currently having therapy or if you are in contact with me to consider therapy, I will process your personal data where it is necessary in relation to the fulfilment of our contract.
The GDPR also makes sure that I look after any sensitive personal information that you may disclose to me appropriately. This type of information is called ‘special category personal information’. The lawful basis for me processing any special categories of personal information is that it is for provision of health treatment (in this case counselling) and necessary for a contract with a health professional (in this case, a contract between me and you).
How I use your information -Initial contact.
When you contact me with an enquiry about my counselling services I will collect information to help me satisfy your enquiry. This will include your name, contact details and a general summary of your enquiry which may include the reason for your referral to our service. Alternatively, your GP or other health professional may send me your details when making a referral or a parent or trusted individual may give me your details when making an enquiry on your behalf. If you decide not to proceed all your personal data will be deleted within seven days of your intention not to proceed. While you are accessing therapy everything you discuss with me is confidential. That confidentiality is limited in cases such as client intention to harm themselves or others, make a disclosure governed under the Terrorism Act or disclose other criminal activity. (This list is not exhaustive but any situations that require the break of the confidentiality commitment will be discussed openly and honestly with you).
After therapy has ended we store client records for six years from the date of the last session completed.
As per your legal rights you can request any information we hold on you under a subject access request. The ICO recommends a response to a subject access request within one month from the request, however our service will aim to respond to these within two weeks. Should, due to unforeseen circumstances, we encounter a delay in processing your request, we will inform you in writing of this with details on when the delay will be resolved.