Who is this for?
If you have concerns about your own mental health or that of a loved one, an Assessment and Treatment Plan appointment is the right approach.
Some people come to see me who know they have a problem such as anxiety or depression.
Others have broader questions:
“Why do I feel or behave differently to other people?”
or
“Could I be neurodiverse?”
Seeking help
This could be the first time you have spoken to anyone about these problems or perhaps you have had assessments with other providers before.
Often, people come to me having experienced care that felt generic, unhelpful or, at worst; invalidating or judgmental. I am aware of the issues individuals can face when seeking help and I do this work because I genuinely care about supporting my patients to thrive.
You wouldn’t come to see me if there was not a need to do so, and am pragmatic in my approach to treatment.
By the end of our meeting, we will have decided on how to move forward positively, creating a robust plan of action that can be implemented quickly. This may include medication options, lifestyle strategies and therapeutic techniques to support you holistically.
What to expect
Please note, it is advised that all assessments are conducted in person in our Shrewsbury Office. However, if this is not possible, there is an online option.
**Appointment type
** These services are booked as adult or u18
Mental Health Assessment and treatment plan – IN PERSON or ONLINE
ADHD Assessment – IN PERSON and ONLINE
The appointment is an opportunity for you to explain the difficulties you or your child is having in a safe and supportive space.
Most people feel apprehensive about the idea of sitting with a stranger talking about their feelings and life experiences. You and I are fellow humans: capable of experiencing a full range of emotions, behaviours, and experiences. Therefore, please be assured that there will be no judgement, only understanding and collaboration.
If you are a parent, it is often incredibly painful and anxiety-provoking to wonder whether you are doing the ‘right thing’ for your child in difficulty. All parents who bring their children to me are loving, caring, conscientious ‘good enough’ parents. As a parent myself, I understand when you tell me about the times that you “don’t know what to do” or, have acted in ways that you now see did not help.
If it is helpful, we will be able to think together about strategies to manage the extra challenges of supporting a child with additional needs.
We will explore the influencing factors: Some of which will be to do with ‘you’, such as genetics and life experiences. A lot of which will be to do with the world around you— for example; culture, education and relationships.
I will conclude with a diagnosis if it is an appropriate and helpful way to understand the symptoms you, or your child is experiencing.
I will always give you a ‘formulation’: An explanation of how these problems have arisen, what maintains them and how they could be managed or treated.
These will be provided to you in a written report.
Medication
If we decide that medicine is going to be part of your treatment plan, I can prescribe that on a private prescription, or in some cases recommend that your GP prescribes the medicine. The cost of the medication itself if on a private prescription will be payable to the pharmacy who supplies it
If medication is prescribed by me, then it is mandatory for you to attend the agreed follow-up appointments, to monitor and stabilise the dose you are on. You can usually expect 1–3 follow-up appointments spaced between 3 weeks and two months apart, and then you will need to be seen every 6 months (child) and every 12 months (adult).
How many appointments will there be?
Some people opt to have an assessment simply to gain more understanding of their symptoms and/or a diagnosis. This may result in a ‘one-off’ assessment, with no further appointments.
In most cases, people will opt for further appointments. These appointments usually take the form of:
• Follow-up appointments to monitor medication or discuss the formulation
• Top up assessments to fully assess neurodiversity, or on the rare occasion it has not been possible to complete the full assessment and treatment plan in the initial appointment.
• Time-limited therapy
These appointments will be additionally chargeable, but I will keep the number required as low as possible within the bounds of providing safe and effective care.
I hope to meet you and support your journey to better health and wellbeing.
You will receive a comprehensive report covering all aspects of our conversation. This will provide a record of your history, and also contain a ‘formulation’ which is an explanation as to why you are experiencing difficulty. This report will be useful to you in your journey to understand and manage your challenges, and is also an ‘official document’ which provides evidence to outside agencies of your mental health condition. When I assess children, I can provide additional school guidance as appropriate.
Contact Me
I offer appointments in Shrewsbury, Shropshire and online. Please complete the contact form and I’ll be in touch.