Why should I choose your clinic to treat my child?

Over the years, we have created a robust clinical team who specialize in the treatment of children

and young people - child psychiatrists, psychologists, pediatric nurses, as well as other professionals. We are experts in this area and offer a wide range of specialist assessments and innovative interventions for children and young people. 

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How do I know which specialist my child needs to see?
This can be a complex clinical decision. The best thing to do is to give us a call so that we can get a better understanding of the severity and history of your child’s symptoms. This will help us understand whether we need to consider a specialist neurodevelopmental assessment or whether they would be better seeing one of our child psychiatrists or psychologists.

How involved will I be in the process?
In some cases, there will be a two part assessment – one with the child and the other with the parent/s. Ultimately, it will come down to the age of your child. The younger they are, the more involvement you’re likely to have. At a certain age, it’s important that we respect their individuality and need to be separate.

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Why see a psychiatrist?
​Deciding to address mental health difficulties is a brave and important step, and for some, medication will play a key role in this journey. If you’re currently taking medication, have in the past, or are considering it as an option, scheduling a consultation with one of our experienced psychiatrists can be a valuable starting point.
 

What does a psychiatrist do?
Psychiatrists play a pivotal role in mental health care, blending medical knowledge with a deep understanding of the mind. 

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With a background in medical science, psychiatrists understand the intricate relationship between the body and mind. They undergo additional training specifically in mental health, enabling them to diagnose, treat and support those experiencing complex mental health issues.
 

What makes psychiatrists stand out is their ability to prescribe medication, thanks to their medical background. This capability allows them to offer a rounded approach to treatment, which may include both medication and other therapies tailored to each individual’s needs.

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At The Positive Life Psychology & Wellbeing Clinic, our psychiatrists are not only highly qualified clinicians but also compassionate and approachable. They are dedicated to creating a space where you feel heard, understood and supported. Each treatment plan is as unique as the person receiving it, ensuring that every client experiences a treatment journey that respects their own personal story, pace and needs.
 

How does online therapy work?

You will have your online sessions at a set frequency that will be agreed between you and your therapist.
 

The type of therapeutic approach you’ll have will depend on the nature of your difficulties and what you want to get out of therapy. You can have occasional in-person sessions with your therapist if you’d like to.

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If your therapist makes the clinical judgement that you’d benefit more from in-person therapy, we will chat this through with you following your initial assessment, and make an alternative recommendation.
 

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When would I be offered online therapy?
You are likely to be offered online therapy if you’re unable to travel into the clinic – and this may be for a number of different reasons. When we carry out your initial assessment, we will always make a clinical judgement as to whether online therapy is likely to be a good fit for you.
 

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How many sessions will I need?
All therapeutic approaches can be offered in an online format. The number of sessions you will need depends on the nature of your difficulties and what approach to therapy we believe will be most effective for you. This can vary from short-term to long-term therapy.
 

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How long does therapy take?
It depends on your needs and what you’re looking to get out of therapy. We would consider 3 months to be short-term therapy and this would be focused around working on a specific problem. But if you’re looking for in-depth change, therapy tends to be longer term – around 6 – 12 months. Clients very often end up staying long-term because something else comes up and they find that they benefit from therapy in different ways at different times.
 

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Do I need to prepare anything in advance?
It can help to have a bit of an idea around what you’re looking to get out of therapy as this can help steer the direction and make sure the focus rests on the areas that are most important to you. That said, it’s also fine if you’re not sure. Lots of people seek therapy because they’re lacking that clarity so it’s also completely fine if you don’t know what you’re looking for. Just making it through your psychologist’s door is enough.
 

Is it confidential?
Yes, consider therapy your safe space. Everything you talk about is completely confidential. The only exceptions are if your psychologist or psychiatrist thinks that you are a risk to yourself or others, in which case they may contact other professionals involved in your care, such as your GP.
 

How long does couples therapy take?
​Couples therapy can be short-term if you’re looking to work on a specific issue in your relationship. In these cases, therapy might take about 6 months. However, a lot of the time, these types of patterns are more firmly entrenched and they take longer to work through. For this reason, on average, couples therapy tends to take a year.
 

Will our therapist “take sides”?
This is a classic myth of couples therapy. Your therapist will never take sides or look to blame one partner for the problems in the relationship. Their role is to guide you in better understanding each other and resolving your own differences.