What is a Counselling Psychology?

What is a Counselling Psychology?

Counselling psychology is a type of applied psychology that can be used to help people gain control of their feelings. This type of psychology focuses on treating individuals with a variety of different emotional, behavioural, and social problems or disorders. Counselling Psychologists deal with a wide range of mental health problems concerning life issues including bereavement, domestic violence, sexual abuse, traumas and relationship issues. They understand diagnosis and the medical context to mental health problems and work with the individual’s unique subjective psychological experience to empower their recovery and alleviate distress (BPS).

What is the difference between a Psychiatrist, Psychologist and Psychotherapist/Counsellor?

What is the difference between a Psychiatrist, Psychologist and Psychotherapist/Counsellor?

Psychiatrists are medically trained doctors who specialise in the area of Psychiatry. They use a diagnostic system and work from a medical model perspective to understand mental health difficulties. Their treatments often involve some form of medication and they tend to see people who have more severe and enduring mental heath difficulties such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, etc.

Psychologists start their training receiving an undergraduate degree in Psychology at University. Following this, many gain various work experiences in relevant healthcare settings prior to starting a 3-year Doctoral Programme in a specialised area of Psychology, e.g. Clinical Psychology, Counselling Psychology, Educational Psychology etc. During this time, they work with clients while under the supervision of an experienced senior psychologist in order to gain the skills and knowledge to practice psychological therapy with individuals of all ages and with varying presentations. By the time they qualify, they can offer a range of talking therapies for various difficulties including trauma/abuse, OCD, addictions, depression, personality difficulties. Psychologists cannot prescribe medication. They work in different settings depending on their specialty; for example, Counselling Psychologists can be found to work in the NHS, in voluntary or charitable organisations or self-employed in private practice. Many psychologists may also work in academia, lecturing in universities or involved in research.

Psychotherapists is an umbrella term to describe any mental health professional trained to help individuals overcome emotional and psychological difficulties. Specifically, psychotherapist or counsellor refers to someone who only offers and provides talking therapy such as Cognitive-Behavioural Therapy. Whereas, psychologists may provide psychological therapy but may also work in academia or research. Furthermore, ‘psychotherapist’ and ‘counsellor’ are not protected titles by law; this means that anyone can use these professional titles without proving they have received the appropriate qualifications. However, ‘psychologist’ is a protected title by law and all practicing psychologists need to be registered with the Health & Care Professions Council (HCPC) to provide psychological therapy. Psychologists must adhere to professional practice guidelines and conduct themselves appropriately.

How do I know I need to see a Psychologist?

How do I know I need to see a Psychologist?

If your difficulties are causing you a considerable amount of distress and this is impacting on your day to day functioning including your work, relationships, parenting abilities, etc., then it may be beneficial and helpful for you to see a Psychologist. In particular, you may like to make certain changes to your life or accept something you have little control over in order to improve how you feel. This is something we can discuss in more detail in your free initial consultation over the phone prior to agreeing to therapy.

Can I self-refer or do I require a referral from my G.P.

Can I self-refer or do I require a referral from my G.P.

We work on a self-referral basis, so if you feel you need to be seen for psychological therapy, please feel free to get in touch (see contact details). However, we also accept referrals from GP surgeries or other medical professionals.

How long does therapy take?

How long does therapy take?

This is variable depending on the individual’s desired need and the complexity of their difficulties. I like to review after six sessions and at regular intervals thereafter to see how we are progressing in therapy. During our review processes, we may discuss working towards an ending and tailoring this process to you as sometimes individuals can struggle with the loss of regular therapy. Therefore, it is usually helpful to space out sessions during the ending process to help a person adjust to no longer having weekly/fortnightly sessions. In terms of how many sessions, you may require, this is something we can discuss in the first few sessions during our assessment period. For example, for moderate to severe depression, the NICE guidelines would recommend 16-20 session of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy over the course of 3-4 months. However, depending on the severity of the condition and the client’s level of readiness to engage in therapeutic change, this may be longer or shorter. It really depends on the person and where they are in their life.

https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/cg90/ifp/chapter/Treatments-for-mild-to-moderate-depression

Where can I be seen for therapy?

Where can I be seen for therapy?

I practice at the following locations around Forth Valley:

One Allan Park Wellbeing Clinic, 1 Allan Park, Stirling, FK8 2QG
This clinic is in the town centre of Stirling. It is easily accessible by bus, train or on foot and metered parking is available on street. There is also a NCP car park (Stirling Wellgreen) located 10 minutes’ walk from the clinic.

Life Fit Wellness, Falkirk Business Hub, Weir Street, Falkirk, FK1 1RA

It is easily accessible by bus, train or on foot and metered parking is outside the door in a small carpark near the entrance of the clinic.

We offer appointments during the day (Monday and Tuesday) or in the evening and have some availability for weekend appointments on Saturday mornings. Therapy can be provided on a weekly or fortnightly basis depending on your need.

How much does therapy cost?

How much does therapy cost?

• If you are self-funding, we charge £90 per 50 minute session.

• If you are attending as a couple, sessions are £95 per 50 minute session.

• If you are a Counselling/Clinical Psychology Trainee requiring therapy as part of your training, please get in touch to discuss a discounted rate.

• If you wish to attend through insurance-based funding, we are registered providers with AXA-PPP, WPA, Simply Health, Cigna and AVIVA. The fees for these sessions are negotiated between the insurance providers and the psychologist providing therapy.

  ***We can offer a discount for a block of sessions (5 or 10) bought in advance.

Can I use my health insurance policy to fund my sessions?

Can I use my health insurance policy to fund my sessions?

Yes. It is best to contact your healthcare provider to check what level of cover they will provide and to discuss their policy. Once they agree, you will be given an authorisation number which you must provide when you are booking your first session.

Confidentiality Policy

Everything you say in our sessions is confidential and it is hoped that the therapeutic space will be a safe place for you to disclose your difficulties and explore your distress. However, unfortunately, there are certain occasions in which I may need to break that confidentiality, for example:

• If I thought you were at risk to yourself or others such as a vulnerable child or vulnerable adult, then I would need to act on this which may involve speaking with a third party such a family member, your GP, the Police. This is to ensure your safety and the safety of others.
• When I explore my therapeutic practice with my supervisor – this process focuses more the work I am doing with you and you will stay anonymous in this process. Supervision is a professional requirement which I am obliged to engage in regularly.
• If I was ordered to disclose information pertaining to our sessions by the court.

Cancellation Policy

Cancellation or non-attendance with less than 24 hours’ notice for any reason will result in the full session fee being charged. If you provide more than 24 hours’ notice and have paid for your session in advance, the fee can be transferred to your next session, or refunded.