How can a Clinical Psychologist help me? What is a Clinical Psychologist?
A Clinical Psychologist has studied Psychology at undergraduate level and then gone on to complete a practice-based doctorate for a further 3 years. In the UK, Clinical Psychologists complete 6 work placements in the NHS as part of the doctorate. Typically it takes about 8 years to train as a Clinical Psychologist and by the end of training, you are equipped to work with people of all ages and to provide a range of talking therapies. Often people are confused by the difference between Psychiatrists and Psychologists. Both professions work with clients to help overcome mental health difficulties. However, Psychiatrists as medical doctors can prescribe medications whereas Psychologists are unable to prescribe and use talking therapies instead.
What is the best way of arranging an appointment with you?
If you would like to book an initial assessment, please contact me by phone or email in the first instance. I will endeavour to respond to your enquiry within 24 hours and arrange an initial phone call with you to discuss your difficulties.
Where can I come and see you for an appointment?
I currently practice from three locations in Worcestershire in a part-time capacity:
- Stourport on Severn Clinic, Stourport
- The Spire Clinic, Droitwich
How long will I have to wait for an appointment?
I would hope to be able to see you for an initial assessment within 7-14 days of your initial contact. This will obviously be dependent on factors such as your work commitments.
What will happen at the initial assessment appointment?
The first meeting is an opportunity for you to talk in detail with me about what is troubling you and for me to hear more about how the problem is impacting on your life and relationships. I will also be interested to hear about what goals you may have for therapy. You will be given some questionnaires to complete which will give me some further information about the difficulties you have come to see me about. Often clients tell me that a weight has been lifted by the end of the assessment session as they have felt able to share their struggles with someone who is genuinely interested and knowledgeable. You will almost certainly be advised to take it easy after the initial appointment as you are likely to feel tired from talking in detail about your difficulties. At the end of the initial appointment, you will have a sense of whether you feel comfortable talking with me and would, therefore, like to continue working with me.
Can my GP refer me to you?
Yes, I am happy to accept referrals from General Practitioner’s (GP’s), Psychiatrists or other Health Professionals involved in your care.
What are your fees?
Sessions typically cost £85 / hour but may vary according to which clinic you attend. Appointments last 1 hour.
Do you accept cash or cheques for payment?
Payment can be made by cash, cheque or bank transfer on the day of treatment. Initial appointments must be paid for by cash or cheque.
What happens if I am sick or am unable to attend an appointment?
If you need to change or cancel an appointment, please give a minimum of 24 hours notice so that your appointment can be made available to others. Any appointments which are missed including cancellations with less than 24 hours notice will be charged for.
How long is treatment likely to take?
Understandably, you are likely to be curious about how long treatment is likely to take. The number of sessions required will vary according to a number of factors including the severity of your difficulties and how long your difficulties have been around for. Many clients presenting with mild to moderate difficulties will benefit from up to 10 sessions of therapy. Those with more severe and longstanding difficulties are likely to require more sessions. Following your initial assessment, you will be given an idea of the likely timescale of treatment.
Typically clients benefit from attending sessions weekly during the early stages of therapy and we may then decide that fortnightly or monthly sessions may work well later on in our work together.
Can I use my Health Insurance cover to pay for my sessions?
I am registered with most of the major insurers including AVIVA, AXA PPP and BUPA. Please speak with your insurer before considering any treatment to ensure your policy will cover your session costs. You will be responsible for payment of any outstanding charges including any excess on your policy, or any non-attended appointments.
Can I trust you to keep what we discuss in sessions confidential?
What is discussed in your sessions is kept strictly confidential and I respect the guidelines on confidentiality set out by the British Psychological Society (BPS) and Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC). There are a number of circumstances whereby I would, however, need to extend the limits of confidentiality. For example, this could arise if I became concerned that either you or someone close to you were at risk of harm. In this instance, I would need to inform relevant others including your GP. If I suspect a child may be at risk of harm, I would also need to make contact with the relevant safeguarding team.
Some insurance companies require that I write to your GP at the start and end of treatment with an overview of your difficulties and to inform them of the treatment plan and outcome. I will let you know if this applies to your treatment.
I receive regular clinical supervision as required by the British Psychological Society (BPS) in order to ensure a high quality of clinical care. Clients discussed are presented anonymously in order to protect confidentiality.
For further information please refer to my Privacy Notice.
What happens if I feel unable to cope between sessions?
I am unable to offer a crisis support service and therefore cannot guarantee my availability outside your session times. We can, however, discuss strategies for you to draw on should a crisis arise and you find it difficult to cope. If you are in need of urgent support, please contact your GP, Local Accident and Emergency Department (A &E) or telephone the Samaritans on : 0845 7909090.
