Taking The Next Step
Step 1
Initial free consultation
Please send an email briefly summarising what type of help you are looking for and your main concerns. After this, we can arrange a time to have a 15-minute video consultation for me to understand more about your concerns and your support request. This will be free of charge. If I do not feel that I am the right person to provide therapeutic support I can think with you about where you may access that support.
Step 2
Assessment appointment
If we decide to proceed, the next step would be for us to have an assessment appointment to get a detailed understanding of some of the difficulties you and/or your child are facing and what you are hoping to be different by the end of our work together. All initial assessment appointments offered are for 50 minutes. On occasions, additional follow-up sessions may be needed to complete the assessment, which will be charged at the sessional rate.
In some cases where the concerns are about your child, you may wish to attend the first appointment alone so you can discuss your concerns as openly as possible. We can think together about what suits your family’s needs best before the appointment.
Step 3
Booking sessions
After the completion of the assessment I will offer my recommendations with regards to a plan for the support to be offered and a suggested number of sessions. Our shared understanding of the problem (the formulation) and the type of goals you are wanting to work towards will determine what type of intervention I think will be clinically helpful.
In my clinical practice, I work integratively, being influenced by a range of different psychological models. Ultimately the approach that we take will be decided upon together.
Confidentiality
Everything we talk about in our assessment and sessions is confidential unless I am worried about your child’s safety or the safety of anyone else. In those circumstances, I have a professional responsibility to share information with relevant professionals. Unless there was a specific reason not to, I would always have a conversation with you about this first.
As a mandatory requirement of the professional bodies I am licensed by, I receive regular supervision for my work to provide the best possible care for my clients. Any material discussed within my supervision is discussed anonymously and is bound by the same level of confidentiality.
Liaison
When working with children, there are times when it may be important to liaise closely with other professionals such as school staff, social workers or other professionals in their network, as we know this often provides the best outcomes. Where liaison with such individuals feels that it may be helpful to the work with your child, this will be discussed and agreed upon together as part of the intervention plan offered.