Getting Started
Initial Assessment
An initial consultation is a 50-minute appointment for individuals and an 80-minute appointment for couples. Please see our Terms and Conditions for further information about appointment length.
What happens in the initial session?
- In the initial session your psychologist will explain confidentiality and answer questions about the Terms & Conditions sent when your appointment was confirmed.
- You will then discuss the problems you may be having and how long you have been experiencing them for. Your psychologist will ask what you do to cope and a little about your background history and current living and working circumstances.
- They will also clarify your goals for therapy, and how frequently and for how long you may need to meet to ensure these issues are addressed in a timely manner.
- By the end of the session, your psychologist will have an idea about what might be helpful for you to help you move forward and will discuss this with you so you can make an informed decision about whether you would like to book further sessions.
- A brief letter will also be sent to you and your GP (with your permission) to inform them of your visit.
How many sessions will I need and how often?
- Wise Oak Psychology believes in short, effective interventions. However, length of treatment varies from person to person.
- Your psychologist will discuss with you how many sessions they think will be needed, but a typical range is between 6-12, with some clients needing more than that.
- Every 3-4 sessions your progress will be reviewed and discussed.
- In the initial stages, sessions are usually either weekly or fortnightly. Regular therapy is important for progress to occur. Once therapy is coming to an end, sessions may become less frequent.
- You will generally meet with your therapist at the same time each week, so if you are booking with us for the first time, try to choose a slot that will work for you on a regular basis.
Service Fees
Initial consultations are set at £180 for individual sessions (50 mins) and £220 for couple and family sessions (80 mins). Ongoing therapy sessions are set at £150 for individual sessions (50 mins) and £200 for couple and family sessions (80 mins).
Additional services (i.e., neuropsychological assessments, mental capacity assessments, clinical supervision, report-writing, home visits) may be available upon request but will incur separate fees. Please Contact Us if you have queries or require a quote regarding these services. Fees are paid at the point of booking (in advance). Please see our payment policy for further details.
Cancellation Policy
Unfortunately, as this is a very small practice, we require a 72-hour notice of cancellation. Missed appointments will be payable in full. Please see our cancellation policy for further details.
Insurance Cover
- We are approved providers with Aviva, Axa, Vitality, WPA, and Bupa.
- If you are paying via insurance, please contact your insurer and check if your policy covers you for psychological therapy. If it does, check whether you need a referral from your GP or Psychiatrist for cover.
- Once your insurer has agreed cover, please give us your policy number and authorisation code, which is needed to book your appointment. Please also ask your insurer the number of sessions that will be covered.
- From there we will liaise with your insurers to obtain coverage for further appointments, send invoices, and track payments.
Please note we are not an emergency service, so if you are in crisis please either go to your nearest A&E, or call your GP.
Please see our Contact Page for additional useful contact numbers and services.