Can you really sort out your life-in five hours?

As I ring the doorbell of a west London address, where I'm due to attend a five-hour session of talking therapy, I feel excitement, but also a twinge of dread. I'm about to divulge every neurosis, excavate the darkest recesses of my mind, to a stranger. What if I bore this woman?

Fiona Arrigo, a trained psychotherapist and bio-dynamic psychologist who has practised for 30 years, greets me like a friend. She offers these five-hour slots - as well as more conventional weekly one-hour sessions, and four-day retreats in Somerset where counselling is combined with massage, aromatherapy and soul food - for those who need a fast fix.

The retreat sounds like paradise, but I am particularly struck by the fast fix; by the idea of blabbing out every woe and securing all the answers, all in a one-day "mind cleanse". "The luxury of a day-long session enables you to see the big picture," Fiona explains.