Initial Assessment
Our initial assessment is the most unique part of our service and can take up to an hour. We generally advise you put some thought to the circumstances behind your decision to seek help, and what you are hoping to gain from this process. During this initial consultation a senior member of the team will explore the precise nature of your issues, what has brought you to this point, and establish your particular needs. It is unlikely that the therapist you see at this appointment will be your therapist for subsequent sessions, so essentially this is a finding out session to make sure we make the right referral to one of our team. Our aim is to ensure you are allocated to the right therapist, not just in terms of the correct expertise but also someone you will be comfortable working with.
Counselling or longer-term psychotherapy is a serious undertaking which involves a commitment to the work to achieve your desired outcomes. This is why your initial assessment is an ideal opportunity to ask questions or raise concerns about what’s involved, prior to proceeding any further. Whilst we encourage clients to commit to a minimum of four to six sessions before reviewing, it is important you tell your counsellor or psychotherapist how you feel it’s going. You are investing valued time and money, we want to make sure you make the right decision from the very outset.
While we endeavour to book your first appointment with your allocated therapist within a matter of weeks, very occasionally the most suitable therapist may not have space available and so for this reason there may sometimes be a delay until your first appointment.
If our service cannot provide the specific help you need we will suggest alternatives whenever possible. Once a referral has been agreed our aim is to start your sessions as soon as possible. Often you can speed this up by being as flexible as possible about the times that you are available.
Availability
Appointments are generally available from Monday to Friday 9.00 am to 8.00 pm, with some availability on Saturday mornings and for understandable reasons evening appointments are most in demand and therefore more limited.
