Harley Street Private Psychologist

Posted on: 23rd September 2015

What is clinical psychology?

Clinical psychology is an area of psychology that involves assessing and treating people with a wide range of mental and behavioural health problems. Clinical psychologists work with people of all ages and backgrounds to diagnose and treat any issues that are affecting a person’s emotional well-being and causing problems in their daily lives.

Children, young adults, adults and older adults can all benefit from working with a clinical psychologist. Clinical psychology treatments can help with a wide range of illnesses and conditions, such as:

• Anxiety
• Depression
• Eating disorders
• Social problems
• Phobias
• Addictions
• Child developmental and behavioural issues
• Relationship problems 
• Difficulty adjusting to physical illnesses
• Learning disabilities

Clinical psychologists are very experienced mental health professionals with a doctorate in clinical psychology. It usually takes between six and nine years for a person to qualify as a clinical psychologist. Most clinical psychologists become specialists in a particular area, such as eating disorders or addictions.

Unlike psychiatrists, clinical psychologists are not medical doctors so they do not prescribe medication. Instead, clinical psychologists focus on helping people change the way they think, feel and behave and the ways in which these factors impact their relationships. Many clinical psychologists work as psychotherapists, using talk therapy to help people process their thoughts and emotions and develop new strategies to handle challenges in their lives.

psychology is the study of  mind and behavoiur

Why would I see a private psychologist? 

People come from all over the world to see us at our psychology clinic in London. There are many reasons why you may want to see a private psychologist. Perhaps you are looking for coping strategies to help you manage a stressful life situation, want help developing confidence and social skills or would like support overcoming a specific phobia.

There are several benefits to booking an appointment with a private psychologist. Firstly, private therapy tends to be very fast – you will usually be offered an appointment within a week or so after enquiring. If you are struggling with your situation and need immediate help or if you simply do not want to wait for months on a waiting list, private psychology may be a good option for you. 

Another benefit of private psychology is that you can self-refer and do not have to talk to multiple people as part of a potentially lengthy referral process before accessing a psychologist. At the Blue Tree Clinic, you can refer yourself or a family member for therapy with one of our private psychologists.

Seeing a private psychologist can also offer you increased privacy. Although therapy sessions are always confidential, sometimes people seeking therapy through the NHS are required to go to a group introduction session with other members of their local community. And, although your medical record is kept private, booking therapy through the NHS does go on your medical record, whereas, seeing a private psychologist does not.

When you book an appointment with a private psychologist, if you’d like to, you can choose the type of therapy you want to try. In contrast, when you access therapy through the NHS, you will not have the option to choose the type of therapy you receive. Therapy types in the NHS tend to be the most short-term and cost-effective options. At the Blue Tree Clinic, we offer an extensive range of psychotherapy types and treatments.

What does a clinical psychologist do?

Clinical psychologists assess a client’s condition by asking them questions. In some cases, such as if the client is a child, a clinical psychologist may also use observation and psychological ‘tests’ to help them make a diagnosis. They will then discuss treatment options with the client and design a treatment plan to help them overcome their challenges.

Compared to other types of psychology and counselling, clinical psychologists often work with people with more severe behavioural and mental health conditions. Their extensive training and experience make them well-suited to helping people who are experiencing complex challenges.

As well as working one-to-one with clients, clinical psychologists are often also heavily involved in condu

Benefits of clinical psychology

One of the main benefits of clinical psychology is the level of experience the professionals have. Clinical psychologists are trained in using multiple assessment tools to help them accurately diagnose a wide range of mental health conditions. Their extensive training also gives them the ability to offer you many different evidence-based treatment options, including talk therapy and other clinically proven methods.

Clinical psychology empowers you by giving you the problem-solving skills you need to cope with the challenges you face in your everyday life. A clinical psychologist can offer you insight into your diagnosis, help you get a better understanding of your symptoms and teach you about why you feel and behave the way that you do.

Clinical psychology can also give you the tools you need to manage your symptoms, overcome challenges and reduce the negative feelings that are causing you problems. Your clinical psychologist will create a treatment plan that is tailored specifically to you, which you can use to help you build resilience and cope better in times of stress.

Long-term, clinical psychology is designed to help clients successfully manage their challenges, even without the ongoing support of a psychologist. Clinical psychology will teach you how to be more confident and resilient so that you feel capable of overcoming problems independently.

Clinical psychology at The Blue Tree Clinic

The private clinical psychologists at our London clinic have extensive experience in addressing and relieving a diverse range of mental health issues. Our team of clinical psychologists are specialists in anxiety disorders, eating disorders, sexual identity issues, body image-related difficulties and complex family relationships. They have training and experience working with both adults and young people to help them overcome mental and physical health conditions.

At the Blue Tree Clinic, we pride ourselves on putting patients at ease and helping them understand not only what we do, but also how and why. 

When you meet with one of our clinical psychologists, they will create a tailored treatment plan for you personally. Your clinical psychologist will work with you to come up with a customised approach that will give you the skills you need to deal with the specific challenges you are facing.

The private clinical psychologists at our clinic also offer many different types of therapy, including:

• Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT)
• Narrative exposure therapy
• Eye movement desensitisation and reprocessing 
• Compassion-focused therapy
• Acceptance and commitment therapy
• Rational emotional behavioural therapy
• Systemic therapy 
• Cognitive analytic therapy

They also have experience using mindfulness techniques and psychodynamic approaches.