Individual Therapy
All of us experience emotional difficulties from time to time. Traumatic experiences, losses, relationship difficulties, the pace and pressure of life can put any of us under strain. People often need help when this becomes too much for them. If you are clear in your own mind about the nature of the problems and are not looking for specific advice or guidance then you may wish to see a counsellor. A counsellor will give you the time and attention to help you sort out things in your own mind.
Why See A Psychologist?
Clinical Psychologists are uniquely trained to assess and understand the emotional problems that people experience. If your confused or not sure what to make of things, unclear about what to do for the best or feel that other people cannot understand the trouble you are having then seeing a Clinical Psychologist will probably be helpful. Your GP can refer you to your local psychology or counselling service for help within the NHS. If you do wish to seek help privately there are a range of practitioners that will be able to offer you various kinds of help.
When you need help with personal difficulties it is important that you are able to trust the person that you see. Clinical psychologists undergo an intense and lengthy training at an undergraduate and post-graduate level. The training enables psychologists to help people understand and tackle the problems which they are having. The work of members of the British Psychological Society is governed by a professional "Code of Conduct". Only properly qualified psychologists can use the letters C.Psychol. after their name. These letters stand for "Chartered Psychologist". You can check that any psychologist you see is chartered by consulting the "Register of Chartered Psychologists" which is updated annually and available in most large public libraries and on the internet.
You can view my credentials online at the British Psychological Society.
Private Consultation With Richard Marshall
Consultations are by appointment only and can be arranged over the phone or you can request further information via the contact form.
What To Expect
Your first appointment will last about 1½ hours. The purpose of this appointment is to establish what the problems are and why they have come about. This will include talking about your current problems, discussing how your life has been to date, as well as specifically exploring how you have coped with difficulties in the past. It is important to establish what support you have at the present time. Although it may be difficult to talk about some aspects of your problems you will get more out of the experience if you can be as open as possible. If subsequent appointments are offered these will usually last 50 minutes.
What Happens Next?
Immediate help may include:
- a psychological explanation for the difficulties which you are having;
- direct advice and suggestions;
- providing you with information about self-help literature;
- advising you about local voluntary groups and national organisations that might be able to offer help;
- arranging a number of further appointments for you.
What About Confidentiality?
All the therapeutic work which I undertake remains confidential. You can see your records that I keep simply by asking me. If I write to anyone about your problems it will be with your consent. It is often useful and diplomatic to let your GP know that you are seeing a psychologist. In exceptional circumstances if I feel that a person is at serious risk of coming to harm, I have a duty to contact others to prevent this occurring. Please feel free to discuss any issues arising from this when we meet.
Private Health Insurance
Whilst I am recognised by BUPA you will need to check the extent of your cover with them or other private insurers if you are expecting them to cover the cost of your consultations.
