Clinical psychologist London W1

How... therapy happens

Finding a therapist

The key success factor in therapy is finding a therapist you like and trust.  Lists of accredited therapists are available from therapy training organisations.  But being accredited doesn't mean a therapist is good: a few are bad, most are about average, and only a few are really good.  So get recommendations from a GP, a psychiatrist or a friend.  Then interview several by phone before you spend money seeing them for an initial session.  Ask them what experience they have of people with your problems, how they would help you, and where you can get to with them.  As with any other guide, you're looking for honesty, insight, experience, competence, and affinity: in other words, a person whom you'll feel comfortable talking to.  A therapist who seems cold, formal or unresponsive won't form the bond you'll need to support you if therapy gets tough.  If you like the sound of a therapist, see them for two or three sessions.  You'll find out whether they can bring up touchy subjects, listen, empathise, offer guidance and channel bad feelings to good effect – things which studies say good therapists do.  You'll know therapy is off to a good start when you and the therapist get on, agree where you’re going, and make early changes to how you see your problems.

Starting

If you decide to meet me, I'll send you an intake form to complete which asks you to describe yourself and your problems.  Part of the intake form deals with payment.  If you want your health insurance to pay for you, you'll need to contact your insurer before you come to get authorisation from them, and they will probably require a referral letter from your GP or a psychiatrist saying that therapy is necessary.  Here's a list of the insurers I'm registered with and their referral pathway:

Attending

It's good to have therapy regularly, with sessions close enough together for you to keep therapy in mind, but far enough apart for you to complete any homework and digest what you've picked up.  If you can't attend a particular session you've booked, then give me 48 hours notice, and we can reschedule.  You can have the session on the phone if you're comfortable with that.  However, if you cancel within two working days then I'll need to charge you for the session, as it is a space I could have used for someone else but am unlikely to fill.

Records and Reports

I keep my clients' details in electronic form, so I'm registered under the Data Protection Act, and keep records secure according to its standards. I aim to give you a copy of the notes from our sessions, so that you have a record you can refer to after therapy ends.  Therapy notes are exempt from police powers of seizure unless authorised by a warrant from a circuit judge.  As for reports, we'll discuss when we start whether you want me to write to anyone.  I usually write a short assessment report to the GP or referrer with your permission without charge, which I can give you a copy of.  For any other reports, I charge my hourly rate.

Confidentiality

I will reveal what I learn about you only to the people you allow, unless you're in immediate danger of harming yourself or someone else, in which case I'm bound to contact your doctor or the police as necessary.  My duty of care is to you the client rather than to the people around you unless they are also my clients. So if I'm in contact with your partner, for example, in couples therapy, I will reveal to your partner what you said only with your permission.  I may discuss you anonymously with supervisors and colleagues.

Payment

If you're paying for yourself then I ask for payment at each session. I accept cash, cheque or electronic transfer.  If your insurance is paying for you, we can discuss whether I should bill them directly or than ask you to pay and claim the money back from them.  If they refuse to pay for some reason, I'll ask you to pay instead. If you're unable to pay then therapy can't continue until you do.

Services

Psychological Therapy £150.00 Psychological Therapy Concession £110.00

Date of meeting

Additional information

Relationship

The therapeutic relationship is a professional one between client and guide, so to keep that relationship simple, we won't be having a friendship or business dealings outside therapy.  Within therapy my job is to help you get stronger, so whilst I'll be caring, I'll also be challenging.  My job is also to be a person like any other you meet outside therapy, so I'll tell you if you overstep my limits.  I hope you will do the same if by mistake I overstep your limits.

Assessment, Formulation and Plan

In the first few sessions I'll be listening to your story, putting together a picture of how you came to be where you are now and how you can get to where you want to go.  To help me in that, I use questionnaires.  I may also ask you to keep a journal, or to log events in your life. By the third session I'll have what I need to complete that initial picture or "formulation", and I'll have started making suggestions of things you could read or do to make progress. I'll tell you what I think we can achieve together, and how long it is likely to take.  Our contract will be informal, though I'll write down our goals and a provisional plan. 

Making progress

After the first few sessions, most therapy becomes the process of finding a problem, exploring it, staying with it through strong feelings, finding the best route over or around it, preparing to take that route, committing to the route, keeping going until you have got somewhere useful, and checking where you got to.  Your contribution is vital at each stage, particularly between sessions, when you will need to do something yourself to secure the progress you have made.  Sometimes you'll have gained a new understanding of yourself or your world, at other times new skills or new attitudes. If at any time you don't understand where you're going and how you're going to get there, or you don't want to go, or you don't like where we've been, please say.

Ending

Sometimes clients come for an agreed number of sessions, but usually they start therapy with an estimate from me of how many sessions it will take, an estimate which we review regularly.  Apart from that, both you and I can end therapy at any time if we think it is best for us.  When we agree to end therapy, it's useful for us to review what we've done, and to plan how you will maintain your progress after we end.  We may agree a follow up appointment some time ahead to refresh what you've learned.

Contactable at: +44(0)7971 597331, or at info@jeremyslaughter.com