Therapy FAQs and Gender Assessment FAQs

Is therapy right for me?

There might be many different reasons for seeking out therapy. You might be going through a particularly challenging time in your life and need support. You might feel frustrated by the repetition of certain patterns in your life and relationships and wish to understand yourself better and make more helpful choices. You might be suffering from a particular difficulty or experience, such as depression, anxiety or stress and need help with those or have a wish to develop new coping skills. Seeing a therapist could also be a part of your own process of personal development. If you’re unsure about whether or not therapy is right for you, please do contact us and we can talk through any questions you have about the process.

What is the difference between a psychologist, a psychiatrist, a counsellor, and a psychotherapist?

A Psychologist has studied for a minimum of 7+ years to acquire their first degree of Bachelor’s of Science in Psychology and subsequently a Doctorate in a form of applied Psychology. Counselling and clinical psychologists have training in a range of different therapeutic approaches and have carried out extensive research. Counselling and Clinical Psychologists often hold positions within the NHS and academic settings. Psychologists are accredited by the HCPC and are often registered with the BPS.

A Psychotherapist has usually done 4 years of training in a particular therapeutic model or a combination of more than one model. They might hold positions in schools, charity sectors, private practice or the NHS. They have a range of experience in many different areas. They are accredited by the UKCP.

A Counsellor has usually undergone 2-4 years of training, which might be in a specific therapeutic model or in several difference models. They may work in the charity sector, schools or teaching settings. They are usually accredited by BACP or The National Counselling Society.

A Psychiatrist is a medically qualified doctor who has a specialism in the field of psychiatry. This means that a psychiatrist can rule out the physical cause for your difficulties and also order tests and prescribe medication.

How much are the fees?

We hope to make our fees as accessible and affordable as possible. We know psychology and psychotherapy fees are unaffordable to many, so we offer a range of therapies and therapists with a range of fees below. Our junior psychologists who have many years experience and qualifications in mental health are able to offer lower fees whilst they complete their doctorate in psychology. Please contact us to find out more.

Lead Psychologist
£120-£180 (50mins)

Psychologist
£110-£160 (50 mins)

Psychotherapist
£90-£120 (50 mins)

Low Cost Psychology
£50-£80 (50 mins). **Please note, these fees can be negotiable if not affordable**.

Couple and Family Therapy
£160 (1 hours session)

Coaching
£150 per hour

Mindfulness and
Compassionate Course
£250-£350 (depending on course length and structure). **Please note, these fees can be negotiable if not affordable. We have some entirely free slots as well**.

Assessments
The fees of assessments vary depending on the referral, the type of assessment and the location.

Gender Assessments are £500 for a 90-120 minute appointment followed by a comprehensive assessment report letter and referral.

Psychology Assessments are £500 for a 90-120 minute appointment followed by a comprehensive assessment report and treatment plan.

Expert witness reports will vary depending on the instructions, the reading time and type of assessment required. Please contact us for a quote.

Why do therapists’ fees vary?

Therapists’ fees vary significantly as they reflect the nature of the training of the therapist. Psychologists are trained to doctoral level and have experience in multiple therapeutic models. They also have experience in senior positions within the NHS and have undergone research. Due to this, psychologists’ fees are higher than those of counsellors or therapists.

Is everything I talk about confidential?

Yes, everything you talk about is confidential. The only exceptions to confidentiality are if your psychologist or therapist thinks that you are a risk of harm to yourself or others in which case, they may contact other professionals involved in your care such as your General Practitioner. This will always be discussed with you first, unless there is concern that this could lead to further harm. Please discuss any concerns you have about this with your therapist when you first meet.

Does my GP have to be informed?

For professional and ethical reasons, it is good practice to have the details of your GP should we ever need to contact them. However, we will not write to your GP unless we have your permission to do so. The only exception to this is highlighted in the section about confidentiality. If you have any concerns about this issue, please highlight them with your psychologist or therapist at the first appointment. We will respect your decision and your confidentiality.

If we are carrying out an assessment, we will, with your permission, send a copy of the report to your GP. However, we will send you a copy of the report in the first instance for you to check you are happy with the content of the report and to let us know if you require anything to be changed.

What is your cancellation policy?

Appointments can be cancelled with 48 hours’ notice. This allows us to provide urgent appointments to new enquiries or clients who are waiting to be seen. If you cancel an appointment within this cancellation period, the full fee will be incurred.

Can I contact the clinic out of hours?

Our service is not an emergency service, and we therefore aim to respond to enquiries within 24-48 hours. Your therapist will discuss with you contact arrangements. We can certainly recommend more emergency contacts, if you require. Some of these are available on our resources page.

How many appointments will I need?

This will depend on the type of therapy you are having. Some forms of therapy are more exploratory and open-ended whereas other therapies are more goal and solution focused. Some therapies will offer an integration of the two. This is something you can discuss at your initial appointment with us.

For assessments, you will need 1 appointment. However, there may be instances where a follow up appointment is required or you may require a referral to another service for this. We will always discuss this together.

I’m not sure if therapy is for me, should I come?

Having an initial consultation will give you a sense of us. You are not committed to any further sessions after the first appointment, and we recommend our clients to go away and decide if they want to continue with a course of sessions. If you have further questions that you would like to discuss about therapy and whether it is for you, please contact us.

Gender Assessments - what can I expect?

Once you have contacted us to arrange an appointment, we will send you a form to complete and further information about the appointment. You will need to complete the form prior to your appointment with us. But please do let us know if you have any difficulties completing the form.

Our assessments take place online (zoom) but can also be arranged to take place in East Sussex, Lewes or in North or Central London (see our addresses).

You can be assured that we offer a safe, kind and compassionate space for our assessments. In no way do we consider ourselves to be the experts of you, but we are here to listen to your lived experience and to offer you whatever support we can for you to be able to progress with your desired goals and wishes. We are very aware of the historical and current political climate for trans and non-binary people and we try hard not to re-create harmful, oppressive and pathologizing narratives. We welcome feedback and will send a post appointment form for you to complete, whereby you can provide us with this.

Types of questions we will be asking you:

The gender assessments are broad and in depth. We are guided by the WPATH guidelines on this and by our experience and expertise working in the NHS. The assessments cover the areas of:

• Gender Goals

• Gender Journey

• Social and emotional wellbeing and mental health

• Physical health

• Next steps and referrals

The reason we ask these questions is not because we want to gate keep care, but because we want to offer you the best and most appropriate care for you. We will always let you know at the beginning of the appointments that some of the questions we ask may feel incredibly personal and that you can always tell us if you do not want to answer something, or you want to pause or take a break!

Other Gender assessment FAQs

How long will it take to receive my report?

You will likely be receiving your assessment letter within 2-3 weeks of your appointment, if not, before then.

How long is your waiting time?

We can usually offer an appointment within a few weeks, rather than months.

If I receive a diagnosis of gender incongruence/ dysphoria, what will happen next?

We will agree on what the next steps will be together. If you would like to be referred to a hormone specialist nurse or endocrinologist, we can discuss together who you would want to see and we can make the appropriate referral.

How old do I have to be to have an assessment?

We see people who are 18+ for gender assessments.

How do I arrange payment?

You can pay following on from booking an appointment with us. We will send an invoice. If you are paying through your insurance company, or another funding source, you will need to provide this information on the form that we send to you prior to your appointment.

If you have any further questions, please do contact us.