Frequently Asked Questions

FAQ 1 - What is the difference between a Psychiatrist and a Psychologist?
A Psychiatrist is a medically trained doctor who specialises in mental health and is qualified to prescribe medication. Some psychiatrists conduct therapy, but in the main, they treat mental illness with medication. We do not have Psychiatrists in PsychologyOnline, only Psychologists and Psychotherapists, and we do not prescribe medication. A Chartered Psychologist will have had at least eight years training, examinations and experience. Psychologists work one-to-one with the Client, looking into the causes and realities of problems, and focussing on the mental, emotional and physiological processes that affect human behaviour and functioning. The benefits of Psychology and Psychotherapy develop from the therapeutic relationship between the Client and therapist during a course of sessions.

FAQ 2 - What is a Psychotherapist?
A Psychotherapist will have had at least four years’ specialist training in a particular therapeutic treatment model, leading to accreditation with The United Kingdom Council of Psychotherapists (UKCP). All our Psychotherapists have also had extensive practical experience since accreditation, predominantly in the NHS. Psychotherapists also work one-to-one with the Client, exploring difficult emotions and experiences and helping the Client gain more capacity for choice, greater autonomy and self-determination. There are many overlaps with Psychology. Our Psychologists and Psychotherapists are also called ‘therapists’ and ‘practitioners’ on this Website. This is mainly for simplicity.

FAQ 3 - In layman’s terms, how does therapy help?
Psychologists listen to what is worrying, frightening or depressing you. They ask about previous and current aspects of your life. The dialog is often illuminating and may enable you to see the problem in a different way. Perhaps what you are doing (or not doing) is making things worse. Often people feel trapped or ‘stuck’, but often there are alternatives. These can be investigated and a better way forward can be considered. Between sessions you may be asked to do ‘homework’ which usually means thinking about things suggested by your therapist, and making notes. These are very helpful to keep focussed and would be discussed at your next session. The benefit of therapy comes from your work with the therapist, exploring and understanding the causes of the problem and then deciding, with professional help, how to improve the situation. After only a few sessions many people say they wish they had come years before. The number of sessions which might be appropriate would be discussed with your therapist following a Clinical Assessment. However, therapy may not be the best way for you, in which case we would suggest another route.

FAQ 4 - How confidential are the sessions that I have with the therapist?
Everything you tell us, including your name, address and GP, and everything that you discuss with your therapist, is totally confidential unless at any time your therapist feels that you are in danger of harming yourself or anyone else. In the unlikely event of this happening, your therapist would discuss it with you, but we do all have a professional duty to inform your GP. Apart from any requirements under English Law, there are no other circumstances in which confidentiality would be broken. Please see more about this and our Security measures on the Security and Confidentiality page of ‘About Us’.

FAQ 5 - What happens if I book a session, and my therapist is ill?
We will inform you as soon as we are aware that your therapist is ill. You could make another appointment using the payment already made, or have a full refund. If it is your first appointment, you could choose a different therapist.

FAQ 6 - What happens if I cannot attend my appointment?
If you cannot attend your appointment we will give you a full refund if you let us know more than 48 hours before you are due to attend. If you let us know between 48 and 24 hours before you are due to attend we will give you a 50% refund. If you inform us less than 24 hours beforehand we regret we will not be able to give you a refund as it is unlikely that we will be able to rebook your slot to someone else at such short notice.

FAQ 7 - What happens if there is a break in connection when I am talking to my therapist?
In the unlikely event that this happens, you would restart your session when you are able to reconnect. Unfortunately, we will not be able to make up the time lost with such eventualities.

FAQ 8 - What happens if I do not like my therapist?
We would be extremely surprised, but if you do not get on with your therapist, you can book sessions with someone else. It may be helpful to have a 15minute chat with the new therapist explaining the situation, and if you were agreeable, the therapists could exchange information so that you would not have to undergo a complete assessment again.

FAQ 9 - What times are Appointments available?
Our Psychologists individually fill in their Diaries, showing the time slots when they will be available to meet online. These slots remain available until booked, after which they are removed. Currently, the Appointment times range between 8.00am and 12midnight, 7 days a week, so evening and weekend sessions are possible. The ‘minimum notice’, i.e. the time between booking an Appointment and attending it, is 24 hours, but your choice is wider if you book sooner rather than later. The Diaries are accessible for you personally to make an Appointment to suit your convenience, and are confidential. They show the period from the current week to 10 weeks ahead. Please click the ‘Help Guide’ for more details.

FAQ 10 - There are a lot of different treatments available – how do I know what they are, and whether they are suitable for me?
Click on the categories which seem nearest to your difficulty and read the summaries. Some symptoms occur in more than one category, but if you choose the most likely one and select a Therapist for an initial 15 or 35-minute consultation he or she would listen to your concerns and advise accordingly. Most contacts start with a brief session like this and involve advice on what might be suitable. Alternatively, you could e-mail us with a description of your symptoms (see ‘Enquiries’) and we will advise you. Also, you may be interested in one of our ‘Book Shop’ publications, which are written by experts and easy to read. We also have a list of organisations that may be able to help. Please click the ‘Other Agencies’ link.