FAQ

We understand that starting therapy can be unfamiliar for many people and so we have answered some common questions about starting therapy. If your question isn't listed here, why not contact us?

WHAT IS COGNITIVE BEHAVIOURAL THERAPY?

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) is a type of talking therapy that is effective for a wide range of emotional problems. There is a strong evidence base of research that suggests CBT as a first-line treatment for most anxiety and depression problems. Take a look at our What Is CBT page for more information.

HOW QUICKLY CAN I GET AN APPOINTMENT?

It is our aim to be as flexible as possible and we will support you try our hardest to offer you a time and day this is most convenient for you. In some cases we may be able to offer treatment the same day. You can schedule an appointment online or by phone.

HOW MUCH DOES IT COST?

Sessions are charged at the following current rates:

Self Payment Appointments Fees:
£89.00 (Monday-Friday, 9am-4.30pm)
£99.00 (Weekends, Evenings & London & Cardiff Anytime)

Insurance Payment Appointment Fees:

These fees vary depending upon your insurer. Please contact us for more details.
In some harder to reach areas we may need to charge an additional mileage fee, invite you to our nearest location or offer you treatment online via secure webcam software. Please contact us for more details.

We accept payment in advance by credit or debit card together with Paypal - however our Therapists are unable to take cash payments at the end of sessions.

CAN I USE MY HEALTH INSURANCE?

Yes, we are authorised to provide care by a number of health insurance providers. In most cases your insurer will require a referral from your GP or a Consultant who recommends CBT treatment. We are able to liaise with your insurance provider or help you with the authorisation process.

HOW SHOULD I CHOOSE A THERAPIST?

We have a number of therapists geographically. Ultimately we are flexible and want to ensure that you feel comfortable with your choice of therapist whether you meet face to face or for sessions online. Please advise us of any preferences you have such as gender, ethnicity or age and we will try to meet these if we can. We are also happy to arrange for you to discuss treatment with a therapist prior to booking an appointment with them.

WHAT HAPPENS DURING A SESSION?

Often when you book a session we will send you a set of relevant questionnaires to complete before your appointment. Your therapist will look at these with you during the appointment and explain what they can tell us about your current problems.

The first session is an assessment session which gives your therapist the opportunity to understand your difficulties and hopes for treatment. At the end of the session they will advise if CBT is likely to be useful to you and explain how treatment works. Future sessions focus on helping you overcome these difficulties with a range of techniques. CBT is therefore a very practical therapy that 'helps you become your own therapist.' For this reason it is very important to attend sessions regularly.

If for any reason you are unable to come to a planned session, please let us know with at least 48 hours notice as cancellations within this time will require the full session fee.

ARE SESSIONS CONFIDENTIAL?

Yes. In the same way as visiting your GP, we ensure that your treatment and areas you discuss with us are strictly confidential. We keep a brief written record of sessions which are stored securely and in line with UK law. It is often helpful to keep your GP informed about your treatment by letter and we will ask if you are happy for us to do so.

The only times where we may need to share information are where we believe there is a significant risk of harm to yourself or others and situations that involve serious crimes. We are registered under UK law with the Information Commissioner's Office and comply with all legislation on data handling.

WHAT SHOULD I DO IN A CRISIS?

If you find that you are struggling between sessions you can contact your therapist who can help you apply the skills from sessions to your current difficulty. Your therapist will always help you develop a plan to stay safe and will support you to use it at more difficult times. If you feel that there is an immediate emergency or that you need very urgent care then contacting your GP, the emergency services or visiting your nearest Accident and Emergency department would be recommended.

HOW MANY SESSIONS WILL I NEED?

Your therapist will be able to give you detailed recommendations for your personal circumstances during an initial assessment session with us. Cognitive Behavioural Therapy is a very targeted psychotherapy to reduce emotional problems and therefore tends to require less sessions than many other types of therapy. Typical lengths of treatment vary between 4 -18 sessions on average.

IS MY THERAPIST QUALIFIED?

Our Therapy team includes leading therapists with significant qualifications and experience in working with a range of emotional problems.
All of our Therapist have post-graduate clinical qualifications in either Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Clinical Psychology or Counselling Psychology. They hold registrations with one or more of the following registration bodies:

- British Association of Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapies (BABCP)
- British Psychological Society (BPS)
- Health & Care Professions Council (formerly HPC)

Our Team are not accredited by the British Association of Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) as we believe this accreditation does not provide the level of qualification and experience required to offer Cognitive Behavioural Therapy effectively.

DO YOU SEE NHS PATIENTS?

We are able to offer treatment to anybody that would benefit from psychological therapy. As we are a private clinic we are independent from the National Health Service which means that clients can either pay for their own treatment or access funding from a health insurance policy. We are unable to offer free or discounted rates for treatment sessions at our clinics.

DO YOU OFFER FAMILY THERAPY?

Working with a family requires a specific type of psychological therapy called Systemic Therapy. Unfortunately at the current time we cannot offer this. However, often many family problems can arise as a result of specific members of the family experiencing their own individual emotional issues which can 'spill over' to the rest of the family. So if you are looking for family therapy we would encourage you to still contact our team in order to explore if family therapy or individual or couples therapy could be useful in your circumstances.

DO YOU OFFER COUPLES THERAPY?

Yes - we offer a particular approach called Cognitive Behavioural Couples Therapy (sometimes just called Behavioural Couples Therapy). It is a highly effective way of working together to understand and resolve relationship problems such as frequent arguments, disagreements or sexual problems. Currently we are only able to offer this treatment at our London Clinic.