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FAQs
I have never been to a psychologist or talked to
anyone about my problem before. How do I start?
Anxiety and embarrassment often results in people not discussing
psychological problems. Jon Boakes Associates works with individuals
in a way which allows them to discuss their concerns comfortably and
to work together on finding solutions. Ask yourself what you have to
lose if you were to give it a try? Find a way to make the first
contact. Is the service confidential?
Jon Boakes Associates maintains the highest standards of privacy and
confidentiality at all times, adhering to the British Psychological
Society code of conduct. In the rare circumstance where
confidentiality needs to be broken, this would only happen following
discussion with the client. Confidentiality may only be broken to
protect a person, including the client, from danger or abuse.
Do I need to be referred to your service?
We do not require a GP referral. In some instances, you may want your
GP informed about your treatment and occasionally we may contact the
GP with your consent to ensure continuity and consistency of care.
Do you have other clinics in Dorset?
Currently we see clients at our practice address in Lower Parkstone,
Poole. The clinic is readily accessible from both Poole and
Bournemouth. In the near future we will be holding a clinic in
Dorchester and Southampton. Details will be confirmed shortly.
For psycho-legal assessments and consultancy projects we cover
Southern England. Please contact us and we can advise further.
What treatments do you provide?
We provide a range of evidenced based psychological interventions
including Cognitive Behaviour Therapy and also Schema Focused Therapy.
Where appropriate we will draw upon a range of other psychological
theories to incorporate into treatment. I have
difficulty getting time off work do you have clinics outside of 9-5
office hours?
We recognise not everybody is able to attend an appointment during
normal office hours. We therefore run an evening and Saturday clinic.
Do you have a waiting list?
We do not operate a waiting list and our aim is to offer a mutually
convenient appointment within 10 days. How many
treatments will it take to solve my problem?
The number of visits required is unique to each individual and the
specific concerns brought to the consultation. We will ask you
questions and develop a thorough understanding of the problem which
brought you to treatment. Based on these findings, we will discuss
with you a personalised treatment plan. In some cases an improvement
can be achieved after the assessment itself, whilst in others, a
longer period of contact is required before problems are resolved.
We are flexible with regard to the frequency of treatment sessions
which may occur on a weekly or fortnightly basis.
How long is a treatment session?
The initial assessment session lasts 60 minutes, subsequent treatment
sessions are of 50 minutes duration. I had
counselling in the past which just focused on my childhood but didn't
change the way I was feeling in the present.
In contrast to counselling, the therapy we offer is more focused and
structured and the psychologist will be more active in the session. We
believe it is important for our clients to have a clear psychological
understanding of their difficulty, an understanding of how these
difficulties relate to the past, but more importantly how these
difficulties are maintained in the present. By only having this
understanding can one really consider ways of change. Early life
experiences are important in the origin of many problems, and where
appropriate we may focus on these experiences. I am
concerned about a partner / family member but they are unwilling to
attend an appointment can I do. What can I do?
This is a common situation. We are happy to meet the friend/family
member to have a preliminary discussion about the psychological
issues; provide information about available resources, the nature of
the difficulty and discuss potential ways in which they could help. |
