new psychotherapy associates with immediate availabilty
new psychotherapy associates with immediate availabilty
Clinical Psychologists are highly trained professionals who spend at least 6 years learning about psychology and how to help people. They study how children grow and develop, how family relationships work, and how to support children’s mental and emotional health. They are also trained to carry out tests to assess things like intelligence and memory.
They use treatment methods that have been proven to work through scientific research, following guidelines from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE). Clinical Psychologists must be registered with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) and regularly update their skills and knowledge.
Clinical Psychologists are not medical doctors and cannot prescribe medication. Instead, they use talking therapies to help people, although they understand when medication might be needed.
The clinician will do their best to make you and your child feel relaxed and comfortable during your visit. It can be helpful for a parent or carer to join the first appointment, at least for part of it, to share important background information about your child's development.
During the session, the clinician will take some time to get to know your child—asking about their hobbies, interests, friends, and strengths. They will also talk about what your child hopes to get out of coming to see us and what changes they would like to see in their life. It’s also important for the clinician to hear about the positive things happening for your child and family.
By the end of the first session, we aim to have a shared understanding of the challenges your child is facing, how we can work together to address them, and to plan for future appointments.
If you have any questions after the session about what we offer or how we work, please feel free to talk with your clinician or Dr. Tanya Griffiths, our Clinical Director.
The number of sessions your child attends will depend on their specific needs and the type of treatment that’s most suitable.
Typically, young people are offered between 6 and 12 sessions. Some children make good progress after just 4-6 sessions, while others may need more time.
We usually review progress after the first 6 sessions and discuss how many more might be helpful.
Appointments can be weekly or every 2 to 3 weeks, depending on your child’s needs and the treatment approach.
Every child is unique, so the plan will be tailored to what works best for them.
Your involvement as a parent or carer is essential in helping your child or young person make positive, lasting changes. We encourage you to participate in our work together.
We understand that some young people may prefer not to have their parents or carers involved, and there can be benefits to talking to someone outside of the family. We also recognize that it may not always be possible for parents or carers to attend sessions regularly. During the first appointment, we will discuss how to appropriately involve parents and carers while ensuring your child has a safe, confidential space to express themselves freely.
Additionally, we can offer appointments for parents or carers without the child present. This can be helpful if you want to talk openly about any concerns or seek advice on how to support your child effectively.
Confidentiality is very important to us, and we want to ensure that everyone involved understands it clearly. During the first session, the clinician will explain what confidentiality means and discuss its limits.
If there are any concerns about your child's safety or well-being, we may need to inform parents or carers, even if your child is hesitant about it.
The clinician will openly discuss our responsibility to share information with outside agencies if there are concerns about your child's welfare. Your child’s safety is our top priority, and we aim to work together to support them.
Appointments are currently offered at serviced offices at Technopole, Kingston Crescent Portsmouth or the Remedi Clinic, Marmion Avenue, Portsmouth and Totton in Southampton.
On occasion, a home visit can be arranged if there are difficulties accessing the clinic.
Appointments are also available online via Cliniko Telehealth/Zoom.
A GP referral is not required to see your child and happily accept self-referrals. For those individuals self-referring, we do not routinely communicate with GPs (unless there is concern about a young person’s risk of harm to themselves/others or from another person, or you wish us to inform your doctor about our involvement). We will discuss this with you further at our first appointment.
The Haven Child Psychology Practice offers services to those individuals and families who are self-funding, in addition to those who have private healthcare insurance including cover for psychological therapy.
Some insurance companies will only agree to pay for psychological therapy when a young person has been assessed by a registered psychiatrist and this is part of the treatment plan.
It is best to check your own policy and what cover you have with your insurance company directly before you get in contact with us. Some insurance companies have a set amount that they are willing to pay for psychological assessments and subsequent sessions. You will also need to pay for sessions to cover any excess on your policy.
We invoice for the initial assessment after the first appointment at the end of each calendar month.
We are no longer taking new referrals from the following insurance companies: AXA, CIGNA, AVIVA, Vitality
The aim is to offer a timely service to children, young people and their families.
The amount of time you should expect to wait to see a clinician will often depend on how flexible you can be in terms of the timing of the appointment.
You will be more likely to secure a sooner appointment during school hours as after school appointments get booked very quickly.
We often liaise with a child’s school if required but would never do so without your permission.
We can send letters/reports, speak to teachers or attend meetings if it is thought to be useful. Occasionally it can be helpful to observe your child in school, especially if there are concerns about their behaviour in school or their development. We would be happy to arrange with your prior parental agreement.
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