Appointments
How do you arrange to see us?
If you were thinking of seeing a psychologist or psychiatrist privately we would invite you to contact us by phone and/or email. We would discuss your situation and what kind of help you were looking for so we can decide whether to arrange an assessment appointment. At this meeting we would ask you about what’s been troubling you as well as try to explore other areas of your life so that we can gain a broad understanding of you and your situation.
We would also discuss your needs and how best to address them and we would help you decide whether you need, or could make use of, the therapeutic approaches that we use. If we were not the best people to help you then we would discuss alternative services with you, and if you wish, help you in accessing them.
If you decide to start therapy we would agree on a “therapy plan”. This would detail what we have agreed to work on, the number of sessions, and the obligations we have to each other. Sessions last for fifty minutes. They could be at weekly or fortnightly intervals; it really depends what your needs and wishes are. Therapy is voluntary and you are therefore free to leave therapy at any time.
Confidentiality
What we discuss is confidential. The only exception to this would be if we judged there was an imminent risk to your safety or that of others. All psychologists and psychiatrists are required to have regular supervision of their clinical work. The discussions we have with our supervisors about our clinical work are confidential and we would not use your name or other identifiable personal information during these discussions.