Prior to sessions starting, a free, ten to fifteen-minute telephone conversation is required which will allow us to confirm whether the service will be appropriate for you and collect your personal details (if you wish to proceed with therapy). This is also an opportunity to answer any questions you might have and discuss the fees for sessions (if you are not covered by health insurance).
Appointments will usually be 50 minutes long and are normally weekly, but this will be negotiated with you. The first appointment is a chance for you to discuss your problems and how they affect you. You will be asked to return at least one questionnaire prior to this appointment [link] with a completed information leaflet/consent form [link] (a privacy notice that details how your information will be used and secured is available [link]; this website's publisher's privacy policy is available here, details of how they process your data is here and their cookie policy is here). Returning the questionnaire(s) and form completed allows the initial appointment to be used as most effectively as possible.
There are different types of talking therapies. They are all a joint effort between you and the psychologist. To bring about change you will have to take a very active role yourself. Some therapies are concerned with how our thinking affects the way we feel or behave, some focus on particular behaviours which are seen as a problem, some look at the influence that others around us have upon us, and others look at a combination of these influences.
After the treatment has finished, we would be most grateful if you could give us your feedback by completing this form [link].