Frequently Asked Questions - Psychology & Counselling- Therapists in Malvern for Adults, Couples & Children

What are your fees?

The following are the fees for self funding clients:

Counselling with Debra Lewis – £65 per session
Psychotherapy / EMDR with Helen King – £75 per session
Doctor of Counselling or Clinical Psychology – £85 per session
Dr Abigail Pamich, Clinical Director – £95 per session

Insurance cases have a different funding level as these are a set fee from the Insurer. We accept funding from many agencies including BUPA, AXA PPP, AVIVIA etc.

Please email contact@malvernhillsprivatepractice.co.uk to find out more.

Sessions are 50 minute talking time plus 10 mins at end to pay/ rebook

How do I decide which therapist to see?

Finding a suitable therapist can be tricky and we hope to bring clarity to this decision by recommending therapists in our team that will suit you the most (based on your needs and availability).

If you complete the Self Referral Form this will provide us with information on which we can make our recommendations. Your form will be personally reviewed by Dr Abigail Pamich, Consultant Clinical Psychologist and her recommendations will be passed on to you. There is no obligation to book with the therapist we suggest, we just want to provide our ideas to help you find the right person.

How do I book a session?

MAKING A NEW ENQUIRY

Due to a high demand for our therapists, we have developed a fast track pathway into our service called the Self Referral Form. This form is confidential and will be password protected in our system, held under strict GDPR rules. The purpose of this form is twofold:

1. Helping you find the most suitable therapist
Finding a suitable therapist can be tricky and we hope to bring clarity to this decision by recommending therapists in our team that will suit you the most (based on your needs and availability). Your form will be personally reviewed by Dr Abigail Pamich, Consultant Clinical Psychologist and her recommendations will be passed on to you. There is no obligation to book with the therapist we suggest, we just want to provide our ideas to help you find the right person.

2. Providing a foundation for your initial session

If you decide to book with one of our therapists your referral form will provide the foundation for your initial therapy session and guidelines on particular goals and directions for therapy .

What does therapy involve?

Therapy & counselling involves talking to someone in a safe, relaxed and confidential environment so you can feel comfortable to talk about sensitive personal problems. The Therapist will then use a type of talking or movement ‘intervention’ that is based in evidence (i.e. CBT/ EMDR). There are nearly 200 different types of therapy! Our Associates are all trained to match the most appropriate intervention to your difficulty.

The therapist brings their professional understanding to the problem so you can find a way through together.

What happens in the first session?

The first session is a chance to get to know your therapist, to make sure you feel comfortable with them. It also gives your therapist a chance to ask about your problem and how it began.

The first session is often called an Assessment as it allows the therapist to build a picture of who you are, whats your goals for therapy and how you might work together to achieve these goals.

Who can benefit from therapy?

Years of worldwide research has shown that psychological treatments are extremely effective.

Therapy can help people with everyday life struggles through to complex mental health problems.

Therapy has also shown to enhance happiness, self esteem and increase performance, with many seeking to enter therapy in a bid to improve their general wellbeing.

How many sessions of therapy might I need?

Sessions last 50 minutes of talking, with 5-10 minutes at the end for payment and rebooking.

The number of sessions needed varies from person to person, the problem and support required.

Generally, people find it useful to attend six to ten sessions, although some may need more or less time. Immediate, short-term interventions are available, as well as longer-term, ongoing therapy for more complex issues.

You will decide on your treatment plan together with your therapist, according to your specific needs and circumstances. Ultimately the number and frequency of appointments is completely up to you.

Some people find it helpful to undertake a period of six sessions then come just once a month for a while, whereas others may just want three sessions then come back again two months later. In private practice the pace is completely up to you.

However its worth noting that in the early stages of therapy we need to meet at least twice a month (fortnightly) for therapy to be effective; with meeting once a week being the ideal.

Research on the effectiveness of therapy suggests that meeting once a week is the ideal, and fortnightly is still effective – taking a little longer to see results.

Below is a video about how many sessions of therapy you might need.

Do you take insurance - and how does that work?

Many of our therapists are covered by Health Insurance e.g. Bupa, Aviva, Axa PPP etc. Please call us at 01684 877 115 or email us at contact@malvernhillsprivatepractice.co.uk and we will send you more information. If you are going to use Health Insurance we have a specific form to complete before your therapy begins.

This form asks for information such as your provider number and your claim code. We simply need to confirm with the Health Insurance Provider before we start your sessions.

Not all our therapists are covered so it might be useful to call us first to discuss.

What is your privacy policy?

Our Privacy Policy is in accordance with the guidelines set out by Health and Care Professions Council HCPC.

All information remains strictly confidential unless we are required by law to disclose information. For example, this could be because you or someone close to you is at risk of harm. If this occurs then a third person (i.e. GP and next of kin) will need to be informed. This is all outlined in your Therapy Agreement that you will be asked to sign before your first session.

As with all Therapists, if we suspect a child is at risk of harm, or a vulnerable adult, then we have to make a mandatory report to the relevant safeguarding team.

All notes taken are securely and confidentially stored. All notes on the PC are password protected with two steps (mobile phone and laptop password).

For more information on our Privacy Policy please click here for the full document. A link to the Privacy Policy is also sent to all clients in their Confirmation Email.

What does 'evidence based practice' mean?

Evidence based practice (EVP) refers to psychological approaches that have been shown, through research, to be effective.

For example, studies show Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) can be as effective as medication for individuals suffering from depression.

Guidelines stipulate that therapists should use the approach that has been shown to be most effective with each particular difficulty.

What is difference between counselling, psychotherapy and psychology?

For many in this industry, the terms counselling therapy and psychotherapy are used interchangeably. There differences are very slight, and the differences tend to lie more with the therapist and their individual training.

However, the main differences are that counselling & counsellors are concerned with every day life events – struggles in a marriage, loss of a loved on, work stress. Its about creating a safe space where the person can work through their difficulties.

Traditionally Psychotherapy tends to go deeper than counselling, looking at patterns within relationships, unconscious ways of living, influential mind states, childhood effects. This type of therapy can sometimes be longer term. For example, our psychotherapist Helen also works with trauma and EMDR which is concerned with deeper processing of trauma.

Generally, Clinical Psychology & Counselling Psychology focus on changing patterns to create recovery – when someone becomes unwell in their behaviours, emotions and thinking. Such as anxiety, depression, trauma, acting out, panic etc. Often Clinical & Counselling Psychology is quite structured and involves teaching new ways of being.

What is the difference between a Psychologist and a Psychiatrist?

Psychiatrists have completed a medical degree and hold a biological and medicalised understanding of mental distress. Their treatment is mostly medication (i.e. antidepressants).

Clinical Psychologists have completed six years at university including a specialist three year degree wholly focussed on treating distress with therapy. They have learned to use multiple approaches of therapy and choose the best approach that suits their client.

Their understanding of distress considers a persons biology, psychology and social situations. Psychologists do not prescribe medication.

Psychologists focus on teaching people skills to manage psychological difficulties and resolving problems that caused the distress in the first place.