Why Seek Psychological Therapy?
People seek psychological help for a variety of reasons. Some seek help to manage a mental health problem, such as depression, others find therapy helpful to address a major life change (e.g. a relationship breakdown or sudden illness onset), whilst others have identified specific goals that they wish to work on (e.g. increasing self-confidence). Whatever the reason, it takes courage to seek help and our team of skilled and compassionate psychologists are here to support you or your loved ones to meet these goals.
Common Problems Seen for Assessment & Treatment
Below is a list of some of the more common reasons adults choose to see a psychologist:
- Abuse (physical, emotional or sexual)
- Addictions
- Adjusting to change/life transitions
- Anger/aggression management
- Anxiety
- Adult Autism Spectrum Disorders
- Adult ADHD/ADD
- Body image issues, disordered eating & weight concerns
- Career difficulties
- Depression/low mood
- Grief & loss
- Illness adjustment/stress relating to physical health problems
- Low self-esteem/confidence issues
- Obsessive compulsive disorder
- Panic attacks
- Parenting concerns
- Phobias
- Post-natal depression & motherhood stress
- Post-traumatic stress
- Social anxiety
- Work-place stress
Frequently Asked Questions
Your initial consultation is an assessment session and provides the opportunity for you to talk to your psychologist or psychiatrist about your current difficulties and reasons for attending The Edinburgh Practice. In this session, we seek to gain a deeper understanding of these difficulties in order to think about the best way to help you achieve your therapy goals and to make a treatment plan. Please note that attending an initial consultation does not commit you to ongoing therapy sessions.
The Edinburgh Practice does not have the facility to offer an emergency or crisis service. Please contact your GP, out of hours GP or your local accident and emergency department if needing urgent care for your child. Links to useful websites and support lines can be found here.
Confidentiality is at the heart of the therapeutic relationship and it is important that clients feel able to speak their minds. Therefore, everything said in sessions is confidential and will not be passed on to anyone without your permission. The only two exceptions to this rule are:
- Risk of Harm: If your psychologist or psychiatrist has sufficient concern that you are at risk of harming yourself or someone else then they have a duty of care to disclose this information to a pertinent third party (e.g. GP, Social Services, next of kin if under age 16 etc.). However, we will never make any such disclosures without informing the client in the first instance.
- Professional Supervision: Supervision is an essential part of good professional practice and it aims to protect both the practitioner and the client. As clinical psychologists, we have regular supervision with another clinical psychologist as required in our British Psychological Society (BPS) code of conduct. This requires that all clinical psychologists, at all stages of their career and in all work contexts, engage in regular supervision of a minimum of one hour a month on a one-to-one basis. We may discuss individual cases in these sessions in order for the supervisor to support the therapy offered and thus ensure clients are receiving the best possible care. However, all supervision discussions are anonymous.
It is normal to feel awkward talking about sensitive things. The uncomfortable feeling means that you are trying something new. As you get used to meeting with your therapist or group, you should get more confident.
You can pre-pay for your appointments by calling us on 0131 259 5932 using a debit or credit card. You can also pay via debit or credit card upon arrival at the practice. If you would rather pay via bank transfer, please let us know and we can send an invoice via email; however please note that payment must be made before the date of the appointment. Please note that we do not take cash payments for our services.
Yes, we operate a strict 48-hour cancellation policy for appointments. Cancellations made within this period will be charged 50% of the full rate. Cancellations can be made via phone or email. This policy is in place as our clinicians often are waitlisted and work at The Edinburgh Practice for limited hours each week.
If you use insurance, you will be liable to pay the 50% outwith your insurance policy or alternatively.
This depends on the nature of your policy. Please check with your provider to see whether psychology and/or psychiatry are covered, how many sessions can be included and if there are any other restrictions. Some therapists on the team are registered with the major health insurance providers – Cigna, Aviva, WPA, AXA-PPP and Vitality. Please ask us first to see which professionals are registered, as you will be responsible for any payments accrued regardless of the type of insurance cover you have. *Please note- we do not work with BUPA, BUPA Global or Axa Insurance.