Frequently Asked Questions
WHO ARE YOUR SERVICES FOR? I offer online individual psychological therapy for adults (18-years +) as well as some specific assessments (e.g. Gender Dysphoria, Personality). I do not currently offer psychological services (therapy or assessment) for children or adolescents in this clinic.
WHAT HAPPENS DURING ASSESSMENT? Broadly, an assessment is an opportunity for a psychologist to determine the best way to help you. However, it’s both understandable and quite common to feel apprehensive about having any type of assessment. I hope to address any general concerns you may have by describing a bit more about the process below. A core element of the psychological assessments I offer is called a clinical interview. This involves a scheduled appointment with me (up to 90-minutes) to speak in detail about your concerns and history and how these may interact with your thoughts, feelings, behaviour, and relationships. Occasionally, assessments may also include interviewing other people who are close to you, such as coworkers or family members (however, these would only be performed with written consent from you). Depending on the type of psychological assessment you require (e.g. gender dysphoria, personality, mental health) other elements may be included in that process (e.g. standardised tools/questionnaires, observations). This is determined based on the specific question(s) being asked. Following your assessment a report is drafted summarising the findings and recommendations. A second core element of my psychological assessments is a scheduled feedback appointment. Feedback is a dynamic and interactive process between the psychologist and client. During this appointment I present the results and recommendations of my assessment and invite your questions, clarifications, reflections, and feedback. While certain elements of the draft may not be subject to change (e.g. clinical diagnoses/judgements) there is space for discussion and how these results can be meaningfully applied for you. Subsequently, the report is finalised and shared with you and other mutually agreed stakeholders (e.g. your GP). If you have any more specific questions about assessment, please contact me directly via email at drorlarichardson@gmail.com.
HOW LONG DOES EACH SESSION TAKE? Each session is approximately 45-minutes in duration.
WHAT ARE YOUR FEES? - Initial Consultation: €150 - Psychotherapy / Return Sessions: €120 - Psychological assessment: Please contact regarding fees for specialised clinical assessments (e.g. Gender Dysphoria, Personality) - Clinical Supervision: Price on request Fees are paid on a session-by-session basis. Payment is currently accepted via Revolut or bank transfer. A standard cancellation fee applies for short-notice cancellations.
WHAT IS YOUR CANCELLATION POLICY? If cancelling an appointment, please give as much notice as possible. Short notice cancellations or non-attendance of a scheduled appointment will result in a standard charge. Management of frequent cancellations or attendance issues are discussed on an individual basis as appropriate.
DO YOU HAVE A THERAPY WAIT-LIST? Due to limited availability, my clinic does not currently operate a wait-list for psychological therapy and is based on availability at the point of enquiry. This is due to the individualised nature of my clinical therapeutic work; which may be brief, moderate, or long-term in duration depending on client need.
ARE MY SESSIONS CONFIDENTIAL? Sessions are treated as confidential. Limits of confidentiality, such as legal requirements, are further outlined during initial consultation. Full GDPR Statement available.
DO YOU PROVIDE PSYCHOLOGICAL ASSESSMENTS? I provide online assessments in relation to specific areas relevant to my interests and training; primarily gender dysphoria and personality. I do not currently provide neuropsychological, educational assessments, or court reports. You can read more about what to expect from assessment below.
WHAT HAPPENS DURING THERAPY? The first meeting focuses on the assessment of your current circumstances and difficulties. You will be asked to describe your current difficulties, and to say a good deal about yourself both now and in the past. You will also be asked about what you would like to be different in your life or what changes you want to make. Sometimes you may be asked to complete some questionnaires or psychometric tests to help best understand the difficulties described. During the course of therapy, I am likely to draw on various psychological approaches according, in part, to the problem that is being treated and my assessment of what will best benefit you. These approaches include, but are not limited to, Gestalt, cognitive-behavioural, dialectic-behavioural, psychodynamic, system/family, humanistic or psycho-educational. However, my predominant approach to understanding psychological issues is psychodynamic. Therapy is not focused on giving advice but is rather aimed at helping you figure out what you really want to do with the issues or difficulties you may be facing in your life, on finding, in other words, the best solution for you in relation to the problems you are experiencing. Participation in therapy can result in a number of benefits to you, including improving interpersonal relationships and resolution of the specific concerns that led you to seek therapy. Working toward these benefits, however, requires effort on your part. You may wonder what people talk about in psychotherapy or how talking can help. In psychotherapy you are invited to talk about anything and everything in the most open possible way – including, for example, your night dreams and daydreams. In doing so, you explore the way you understand yourself and others – which may then lead you to make changes. In therapy there is no notion that it is right or wrong to talk about particular topics, and it is important to be able to say whatever comes into your mind. Psychotherapy does have emotional ups and downs associated with it. The important thing is to commit yourself to regular attendance in advance and that it is not something that gets cancelled for minor reasons. Weekly sessions are recommended, particularly in the early stage of therapy, to best support a beneficial therapeutic experience.
HOW LONG DOES THERAPY TAKE? We are all different, so treatment length will vary from person to person. Life is complex - there isn't a 'one size fits all' solution. The more deep seated the problem, the longer it may take. Treatment duration may be better estimated following an initial consultation. In terms of frequency weekly sessions are recommended to best support a beneficial therapeutic experience.
HOW DOES ONLINE THERAPY WORK? Online therapy or teletherapy is any remote therapy that uses technology to help you and your therapist to communicate. The therapeutic process is similar to traditional in-person therapy; but via phone or video-chat. It usually begins with a few initial sessions during which you and your therapist get to know one another and discuss treatment goals. After that, the therapy continues similar to in-person, based on your needs. As with in-person appointments, you will attend your session at a scheduled time on an agreed platform (e.g. WhatsApp® or Zoom®).
HOW DO I GET STARTED? Scheduling an initial consultation is a good place to start. This allows you the opportunity to meet in person or online, discuss your reasons for seeking support and for us to decide whether I am the appropriate person to offer this support. If you would like to enquire about an initial consultation please e-mail me at drorlarichardson@gmail.com.
WHAT IS THE WAIT-TIME FOR ASSESSMENT? For specific assessments the average wait-time is typically less than 4-weeks. Please contact directly should you require further information.
HOW IS MY DATA MANAGED? A full GDPR Privacy Statement can be accessed below.