Face to Face and Online Therapy with Clinical and Coaching Psychologists

Seeing a Clinical or Counselling Psychologist for Therapy

WHAT CAN I EXPECT FROM THERAPY?

We are all unique. The therapeutic process is an individual journey. Depending on the therapeutic modality, treatment will progress in slightly different ways. However, what is consistent is that we always work towards the goals you set, and we review this regularly to ensure we are on track. 

All of our treatments are time limited. We appreciate the demands that therapy places on your resources, and we always aim to ensure that treatment strikes the balance of feeling sufficient, but not excessive.

When working with children and young people, we believe that a whole-family approach works best. This may involve you attending some sessions with your child, part of sessions, or arranging separate face-to-face / telephone sessions, whichever is situationally and developmentally appropriate. 

We will aim to identify and help you better understand your worries, dilemmas, and other difficulties. We then work collaboratively to develop strategies to help you fulfil a meaningful life. Many of these strategies are generalisable, and people often find they can use them not only to tackle the specific difficulties they came with, but other areas of their lives as well. 

Some of our clients come to us with sleep related problems, and for this we are delighted to recommend Sleep Well Oxford. Dr Dimitri Gavriloff is a Clinical Psychologist specialising in the field of behavioural sleep medicine. He combines his experience of working clinically in the NHS together with his research expertise to offer evidence-based, tailored cognitive-behavioural approaches to people struggling with their sleep.

DO YOU HAVE A LONG WAITING LIST TO SEE A CLINICAL / COUNSELLING PSYCHOLOGIST OR COACH? 

We are usually able to arrange an initial assessment within two weeks.

WILL MY SESSION BE CONFIDENTIAL?

Confidentiality is important to us. We only break confidentiality if we are concerned about somebody's safety. We will always try to discuss any times we may need to break confidentiality with you. If the session is via Skype or other video platform, we ask that you ensure you are in a private place. Whilst Skype is fairly secure, we also cannot assume responsibility for any breaches of personal information which may occur over Skype. 

We often write paper session notes. These are then kept in a secure, locked location. We rarely record Skype or other video platform sessions. If we were considering doing this, we would discuss with you beforehand and only with your consent. 

At Psychology Oxford, we are dedicated to protecting your personal information. We are fully compliant with the new General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) requirements, and we are registered with the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO). You can read our full privacy statement here. 

WHAT WILL HAPPEN AT MY ASSESSMENT WITH A CLINICAL / COUNSELLING PSYCHOLOGIST OR COACH?

Your initial appointment is an opportunity for us to get to know you better and understand more about any concerns you may have. If your child or young person is being seen for an assessment, we usually spend part of the session talking with both you and your child and also alone with them, provided you and they both feel comfortable with this. If you have any letters or reports from other professionals, bring them along with you to help us with more information.

We will ask questions to gain a deeper understanding of the concerns you have and also a little about your personal history to better understand the circumstances leading to your current situation. We will then decide together on the best approach for you to take. We produce a report summarising the assessment and the plan we made. You are never under any obligation to continue with therapy. If a more appropriate service is available for you elsewhere, we always endeavour to point you in the right direction.

If you would prefer to have Skype sessions, we would still ideally like to meet you first in person, where it is practically possible to do so. 

HOW LONG DO APPOINTMENTS LAST?

Typically, our assessments last 90 minutes and our sessions run for 50 minutes. We kindly ask that you please arrive promptly. However, as there is no waiting area, we ask that you do not arrive early.

HOW DO I SET UP SKYPE, FACETIME OR WHATSAPP VIDEO?

It's really easy to have online therapy via Skype, FaceTime or WhatsApp Video. We are happy to walk you through this.

WHAT HAPPENS IF I NEED TO CANCEL MY APPOINTMENT?

We ask that you please give 48 hours notice, to receive a full refund. Within 48 hours, we provide a 50% refund of the cost of the appointment.

WHAT HAPPENS IF I WANT TO END MY THERAPY?

We usually mutually agree on when therapy should end, and our final session focuses on staying well beyond therapy. However, If you decide you don’t want to continue with your therapy sessions for any reason, we can discuss this. Or simply contact us prior to the 24 hour cancellation period and there will be no charges or obligations to continue.