Initial interview for Counselling & Psychotherapy

How do I book an initial interview?

Please first click on 'Booking Initial Interview' to make a booking via our online Bookings system.  Online payment is taken at the time of booking the appointment. 

You can then complete the Initial Interview Form online which is sent electronically to the Clinic.  You will be sent an email by the system to confirm that it is complete.  It is essential for you, and the therapist you will be seeing, for this to be returned at least 24 hours prior to your appointment and in the current climate it will not be possible to conduct the interview without this.  You will receive an appointment reminder 36 hours before the appointment to confirm the time, date and location.

Alternatively, you can book an appointment by telephone – payment for the appointment is taken at the time of booking by card only.

You will receive an email confirmation of your booking and a reminder email prior to your appointment. Reception staff are more than happy to help with questions or concerns relating to bookings and general information and will refer any other queries to our Clinical Management team.

If you need to cancel your appointment, this can be done electronically.  If you need to rearrange your appointment, please call the Clinic to arrange an alternative date.  Fees are refunded if notification is received 48 hours or more before the appointment time. 

Please note that Reception staff are not trained therapists so queries regarding therapy itself are best discussed at the initial interview.

Do I need to book an initial interview at the Clinic that I want to go to for ongoing sessions?

No, you can book at either Clinic at a time that is convenient for you based on the availability of appointments.  You can then discuss at the interview which Clinic you would prefer to attend for ongoing sessions although it may not be possible to guarantee this.

When do initial interview appointments take place?

• Individual adult - Appointments are available during office hours and on Saturdays.   First appointments are not available in the evenings, however for ongoing therapy both Clinics are open until 9pm during the week.
• Young people - Appointments are available during office hours, on Saturdays and at 4pm for young people to fit in with the School/College day.  
• Couples and families - Appointments are available during office hours (and on Saturdays by arrangement only).   We are also able to offer some evening appointment times for couples and families.  As these are with specialist therapists, if the times available on the booking system are difficult for you to attend, please email us at the Clinic and we may be able to offer you some alternatives.

What do I need to do before arriving for my appointment?

Please ensure that you have completed the Initial Interview form (Adult or 13+) and this has been sent to the Clinic.  Kindly note that in the present time all appointments are online using Zoom.us which you will need to download prior to the meeting.  Your therapist will contact you before the meeting to invite you in.  You will need to ensure you have a private space to talk and that the therapist will be asking questions about what is troubling you and some of the background to this.  Notes will be taken during the meeting but not for ongoing sessions.

What happens if I arrive late for my appointment?

Your appointment lasts for 30 minutes so if you are late then this will reduce the time with your therapist as we are unable to run over.  If you arrive more than 10 minutes late, we would need to reschedule the appointment for another day/time.

What if I require additional assistance?

Please advise us at the Clinic via email or a phone call if you require additional assistance for your appointment.  Disabled parking is available directly outside Rock West, 8 Western Street and at Rock East, 270 Eastern Road it is available outside no 248 Eastern Road or across the road in Lidl’s car park.

Where can I find further information?

Further information about the therapies and schemes on offer at the Clinic can be found on this website and these will also be discussed in the initial interview.

After your initial interview, you will then be referred on to an appropriate counsellor or therapist generally within 1-3 weeks. Please be aware this may be longer around holiday periods such as Christmas, Easter and the month of August. Contact is generally by e-mail so please remember to check your inbox and let the clinic know if you are able to come.

It is particularly important to make sure you know which clinic your appointment is scheduled for, as we cannot always guarantee that your first choice of venue can be accommodated.