Here are answers to the common questions people have about therapy.
Please contact me by telephone or complete the contact form. You are also welcome to email me on hello@psychologicalperspective.co.uk. Either way it's useful to understand the headlines of the difficulties you’re having and what you’d like to gain from therapy. If you'd like to arrange a 15-minute phone call I would be happy to do so at no charge. Please bear in mind that if you will be using private health insurance to fund treatment, authorisation will need to be obtained from your provider prior to the full assessment session.
Sessions are 50 minutes long.
In accordance with the ethical codes of conduct of the HCPC, all sessions are entirely confidential and nothing goes beyond the consultation office. You may provide informed consent for your clinical information to be shared with your GP, Consultant Psychiatrist, health care provider, friends or family members but this is entirely up to you.
The only time that your confidentiality would potentially be breached is if you were seen to pose an immediate threat to yourself or others (e.g. actively suicidal) or if your clinical notes were subpoenaed by a court of law. Even in such circumstances, however, initial attempts to secure help for you with your permission will be definitely be made.
This varies from person to person, depending on your specific difficulties as well as what you're what you're looking to get out of therapy. Most clients typically achieve their goals within 12-22 sessions while others may require longer term, ongoing therapy.
The aim is to help you get to a point where you feel confident to continue making changes on your own, and we typically review progress at around 6 sessions.
CBT works best if you attend appointments weekly in the first half of therapy so that we can make early progress and build momentum. The second half of therapy often entails a longer period between sessions, perhaps fortnightly, as clients practice the in-session learning with planned behavioural experiments and report back. Once we are in the maintenance phase, it’s likely that appointments drop to a monthly frequency. Having said that, each arrangement is individual and has to take account of life circumstances, so it’s best to discuss.
It’s important that the hard work you put in during sessions actually leads to changes in your life. At most sessions we will design a challenge for you to work on during the week. These challenges are designed collaboratively, and I’ll make sure you’re clear as to how it fits into the treatment plan so that you can keep up the motivation to push ahead.
Psychologists in the UK do not directly prescribe medication but are well informed on the option. If you are interested in taking medication for your mental health, this can be discussed with me in therapy. A referral for a Consultant Psychiatrist can be provided for you alongside psychological therapy.
It's understandable that you might face some intense difficulty between sessions. I will consult with you via phone, text or email if needed and if possible. It's important to note that, unlike NHS services, I do not provide psychological treatment in acute situations, and am not always available for immediate consultation. In the event that you might have an immediate emergency please contact emergency medical services (999) or go to your nearest A&E.
It is required that all sessions be paid for in advance. After booking an appointment you will receive a confirmatory email with relevant payment information. You are required to make payment a minimum of 48 hours prior to the appointment.
You are free to bring therapy to an end at any point, and I encourage clients to discuss their thoughts and feelings about this with me. It’s perfectly fine to change your mind, you don’t have to keep coming just because you said you would.
Yes, Psychological Perspective is recognised by many major private insurance providers including AXA, Bupa, Cigna, Aviva, Vitality, Healix and WPA.
Psychological Perspective maintains a strict 48-hour cancellation policy. Appointments cancelled without 48-hours notice will be charged in full. Nonetheless, there is an understanding that life is unpredictable and things do happen. In such cases, attempts will be made to re-schedule your appointment within the same week at your usual charge. It is important to note, however, that rescheduling is subject to appointment availability and cannot be assumed.
I am an experienced clinical supervisor of secondary care psychology trainees, IAPT services staff and private therapists. Please contact me for discussion.
Yes, I'm experienced in working with clients via a number of online platforms including Zoom and Skype and would recommend it. I find it to be highly effective and client feedback is positive. It is more convenient for many clients as it fits more easily into daily life, and gives fair access to expert therapy irrelevant of where you live. Telephone contact is also available, if most suitable for you. See Online Therapy for more information.
Yes, I am registered with the Health & Care Professions Council as a Counselling Psychologist. Only those that meet the criteria set out by the HCPC have permission to use the protected title of Practitioner/Counselling Psychologist.
The exact frequency will depend on the focus of our work and therapy approach, however I tend to build an informal review into most sessions, and every six sessions or so, we will look back to the goals we set and collaboratively consider progress made. This is to ensure the approach we're taking is proving helpful and highlight if there are areas for adjustment.
Yes, you will find recommended reading/listening mentioned at the bottom of the relevant page: anxiety disorders, depression, low self-esteem, sleep disorders and work-related stress.