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What to expect

Initial Enquiry

Clients can contact me via email or the website enquiry form. If you would like to arrange an assessment, it may be helpful to briefly outline the difficulties you are experiencing, what you are hoping to gain from therapy, and any questions you may have about working together.

Optional Introductory Call

I can offer a brief introductory telephone call upon request (approximately 10–15 minutes) if someone would like to discuss practical questions before arranging an assessment. Please note that this is not a therapy session or clinical assessment.

Assessment & Formulation

I usually begin with a two-session assessment before starting therapy. This provides the time needed to develop a thorough understanding of your current difficulties, personal history, relationships, strengths, goals and the factors that may be contributing to or maintaining your difficulties.

Rather than moving straight into treatment, I believe it is important to first understand the bigger picture. I often think of this process as creating a map before beginning a journey. Before deciding on the best route forward, we first need to understand where you are, how you got there, what obstacles may lie ahead and where you would like to go.

The assessment culminates in a collaborative psychological formulation. A formulation brings together your life experiences, relationships, emotional patterns, beliefs, coping strategies and current difficulties into a coherent understanding of how your difficulties may have developed, what may be maintaining them and, importantly, what needs to change to help you move forward.

This formulation provides the foundation for treatment planning, helping us identify the most appropriate therapeutic focus, goals and approaches for your individual needs. It also allows us to anticipate potential challenges and develop a treatment plan that is tailored specifically to you, rather than following a one-size-fits-all approach.

Following the assessment, you will also receive, at no additional cost, a personalised Psychological Formulation Letter summarising our shared understanding of your difficulties, the factors contributing to and maintaining them, and the agreed treatment plan. Many people find it helpful to have a written summary that they can revisit throughout therapy.

Developing Your Treatment Plan

Your psychological formulation provides the foundation for a personalised treatment plan. Rather than following a standard approach, therapy is tailored to your individual needs, circumstances and goals.

Together, we consider:

the main areas of therapeutic focus
realistic and meaningful therapeutic goals
the approaches and interventions most likely to be helpful
strengths that can support progress and any potential challenges we may consider
the likely structure and estimated duration of therapy, where appropriate
whether my approach is the right fit to support your needs or whether another service or specialist may be more appropriate.

This collaborative plan helps ensure that therapy has a clear direction while remaining flexible as your needs and goals evolve over time.

Once we have developed a shared understanding of your difficulties and agreed a clear therapeutic direction, ongoing therapy can begin with confidence that we are working towards goals that are meaningful to you and informed by a comprehensive understanding of your individual needs.

Ongoing Therapy

Therapy remains collaborative and responsive throughout, with regular opportunities to review progress, refine goals and adapt the approach as your understanding and needs develop.