Clinical Psychologists - ACP UK

See my blog on this here.

It is not uncommon for people to try a few courses of therapy until they find a type of therapy that is helpful, & a therapist who they feel comfortable with.

We would like to talk with you about your previous experience of therapy & what you would like to be different this time, so that this experience is more helpful for you. If you, or we, feel that we cannot help you with your difficulties, we will try to advise you on alternative options for help, where possible.

According to your needs, I may be able to offer online sessions.

One-to-one sessions are typically 60 minutes long though may occasionally be longer or shorter if this is required & agreed with you. Group sessions can be longer than this.

We typically offer weekly sessions, & sometimes fortnightly. You will have a chance to discuss and agree the frequency of your sessions with your therapist at initial consultation.

Unfortunately, I am not able to provide a crisis service. If you need help urgently please click HERE for details of where to get help.

The length of therapy will depend on the nature of your difficulties, & the way that we decide to address these. In our first session, we can think together about a treatment plan & estimate how many sessions are likely to be necessary. I offer both short-term therapy & longer-term therapy, depending on your needs & preference. Short term work often involves between 12 - 20 sessions. It is often helpful to commit to 6 initially to see how you find these, before deciding on further sessions. We will come to an agreement regarding the duration of our work together & will be reviewing our progress on an ongoing basis.

Contact with clients is by booked appointments only. This is so that I can fulfil my commitments to all clients who book to see me, & maintain my professional boundaries with clients. If you need more frequent contact than the planned sessions, or you have other needs, this may suggest I am not the right service for you, and you should contact your Doctor for more urgent help.

If you need to cancel or rearrange an appointment, please let your therapist know as soon as possible. If you are able to give 48 hours notice, there is no cancellation fee. Cancellations made the day before your appointment will be charged at 50% of the session fee. Less than 24 hours notice will be charged the full rate. Where possible, we will try to rearrange your appointment as soon as possible.

It is important to attend sessions regularly to help you make progress with your difficulties. Of course, sometimes unforeseen circumstances do arise in our lives leading to difficulties attending. If this is a regular pattern, it may be important for us to discuss this together as it will mean your therapy is less likely to be helpful to you in the long run. .If you would like to take a break in therapy, for whatever reason, that is absolutely fine. You can discuss the possibility of restarting sessions with your therapist at a later date. However, your therapist cannot hold your slot open for your return as this might need to be offered to someone else who is waiting for therapy. If and when you return, your name will be added to the waiting list, and you will be informed when there is another slot available. Please see my information on fees & Terms & Conditions to learn about my cancellation fees

If you would like to take a break in therapy, for whatever reason, that is absolutely fine. You can discuss the possibility of restarting sessions with your therapist at a later date. However, your therapist cannot hold your slot open for your return as this might need to be offered to someone else who is waiting for therapy. If and when you return, your name will be added to the waiting list, and you will be informed when there is another slot available.

Talk to your therapist when you want to stop working with them. You can think about whether it’s the right time to end & plan how& when to stop. It’s best not to stop abruptly if that’s possible. Sometimes therapy can make you feel very unsettled & this can be difficult to cope with. If this happens you can speak to your therapist about what is happening so that they can support you.  

Yes, what you discuss with your therapist will be confidential. The only time confidentiality will be breached is if you disclose any information that makes your therapist concerned that you, another adult, or a child, are at serious risk. Whenever possible, we will aim to share our concerns with you before notifying relevant parties (e.g. your GP).

It is also a professional requirement for your psychologist to engage in regular clinical supervision - so, information about you may sometimes be shared with a supervisor in order to optimise your care. Such discussions are anonymised the supervisor would not have access to client-identifying details.

More details about confidentiality are available in our Therapy Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy

We do all that we can to keep your information safe & secure. I am professionally required to keep brief session records. These are stored electronically & in line with UK-General Data Protection Regulation (UK-GDPR) requirements. Client names would be visible to those supporting the service with financial reporting, such as an accountant, but no clinical information would be visible in this context. See my Privacy Policy for full details.

If you would prefer treatment under the NHS, I recommend that you speak to your GP about what the options are in your area. Further information about services that you can self-refer to & free help & support are provided HERE.

Our aim is to ensure the provision of a high quality psychological service in accordance with the ethical & professional guidelines of the Health Care Professions Council (HCPC) & the British Psychological Society (BPS). If you have any concerns about the service we provide, we would like to hear about them, so please speak to us, or email info@sustainpsychology.co.uk. We will address your concerns in the best possible way we can. If you are still dissatisfied that your concerns have not been addressed, you may wish to take this up with our regulator the HCPC.

Please see my blog HERE on what to expect.