Frequently Asked Questions.
Questions relating to Clinical Services
I/we need help, who do I see?!
This can depend and we’ll be very happy to discuss your case informally with you to help you decide. We may suggest you see a Consultant Psychiatrist or a different professional, or it may be that we sign-post you in the right direction.
If you are unsure, please book in a 15 minutes informal discussion with a senior clinician who can best advise you given your circumstances.
How quickly can I be seen?
We really understand that you would like to be seen as quickly as possible as you, your child and/or your family may be very distressed. We to aim be as responsive as possible but please get in touch.
Do you work with ‘risk’, like self-harm or suicidal thoughts?
Yes. Our levels of experience and expertise mean that we able to work with levels of risk where other private mental health care providers may feel out of their depth. However, there may come a point when you or your child’s best interests may be best served by your local CAMHS or Adult Mental Health services. Should this be the case, we will guide and support you to access these services as we understand that this can be a very distressing time indeed.
What conditions do you see?
We see a wide range of conditions that include common mental health problems like anxiety and low mood, OCD, self-harm and suicidality, school avoidance (EBSA; previously known as school avoidance or ‘refusal’), behaviours that challenge at home and/or at school and relationship difficulties. For a more comprehensive list, please [coming soon].
What approaches do you use?
We use a wide range of psychological approaches that range from CBT, ACT and DBT to Child Psychotherapy and Psychodynamic work. We also use specialists such as Speech and Language Therapists and Educational Psychologists, along with Psychiatric colleagues who may suggest medication. We may approach work directly (i.e. individually or with the family) or indirectly with parents and family members, or schools. For a full list of interventions and approaches, please [coming soon].
Will you share what we talk about?
No. Everything is confidential and, unless we are concerned about you or others (see below), we will not share information.
Please note that we are duty bound to share information should we be concerned about risk to self or risk to others. Similarly, if there are safeguarding concerns, we may also have to share this information. These situations happen rarely.
We use a highly secure package of clinical note taking. This means that, like in the NHS medical records, your information will be kept secure and confidential. Please see link at bottom of the page for our Terms and Conditions including Information Governance.
Questions relating to Fees/Payments:
Why do I need to pay in advance for my assessment/sessions?
In order to keep fees lower and to keep ‘DNAs’ (“did not attend”) to a minimum, we have taken the decision to charge ‘up front’. This ensures that when clients do not attend or even when they have received a service but decided not to pay, the clinician is paid for their time.
Up to when can I cancel?
You will be refunded for any cancellations up to 5 working days (i.e. a week) before an Assessment and for any cancellations up to 48 hours before therapy or consultation sessions.
Clinicians will not cancel unless there is an absolute emergency. If this does happen, your session will either be rearranged or refunded as per your preference.
Do you accept private health insurer payments?
Whilst many of our staff are currently recognised with most of the major insurance companies, we do not currently have the ability to take payments directly from them. You will therefore need to pay in advance and claim back from your insurance company directly - we will be able to provide receipts and invoices.
Why are your fees for Autism Spectrum Assessments lower than other clinics?
We are a collective of genuine and caring professionals who always act with integrity and transparency. We charge fair and accessible rates that allow patients to afford vital mental health care assessments and interventions. In turn, we pay our clinicians fair rates that not only reflects their levels of skills and expertise but also encourages them to continue working for the collective.
Why are your fees higher than some other service providers, such as individual counsellors?
There are many excellent individual service providers out there; there are many who are not so good. With us, you/your child are in safe hands: we provide a level of support and intervention that is backed by experience and expertise. We also ensure that clinicians continue with their ongoing Professional Development, are fully DBS certified, fully registered with the relevant authority for their profession and receive ongoing clinical supervision. Working together allows us to draw support from each other when needed.
Other Questions
I have a dog/emotion regulation toy, can I bring it?
Yes, just please let us know in advance if you are bringing a dog so that we can plan this together as other clients may be scared or feel uncomfortable and we need to ensure that everybody feels safe.
Do I need to be referred?
No. If you have recently seen another mental health or educational professional, it can be useful to share with us any reports you may have.
Are all your staff registered with the appropriate professional bodies?
Yes. All our staff are registered members of their appropriate bodies, such as GMC, HCPC, BACP etc. They all undertake appraisal and regular supervisions. We can also meet as a team to address any concerns we may have about a patient (for example, around risk and safety, or complexity) - this provides patients and their families an extra layer of backup and support.
Will my personal information be kept secure?
Yes, we follow strict rules and guidance and are registered with the IGO. For full information on how we keep your information, press/link here
What is your complaint procedure?
Please write to us at info@westhampsteadclinic.com with the word ‘complaint’ in the heading and we will look in to your concerns and provide a response within 14 days.
Terms & Conditions
For more information regarding our Terms & Conditions, please follow the link below to our T&C’s page
Have a different question?
Please contact us via the form below, or email us at info@westhampsteadclinic.com
We will respond to your enquiry as soon as possible.