Does The Meanwhile Family Therapy Service only work with families?
We are flexible and work with families, couples and individuals providing there are relationships and substance misuse issues.
How long will the therapy last and how frequent will appointments be?
This will be discussed with your therapist at the initial session. Sometimes clients only come for a few sessions but in some situations it may be more helpful to meet for longer. Clients can end the therapy at any time and some clients return at a later date for some further discussion about their issues. There are usually two to three weeks between sessions.
Are there any age limits?
There are no age limits. We work across the whole range of relationships including families with young children and adolescents. We also work with adult families and older couples. Sometimes adult brothers and sisters find it helpful to have a forum to talk about relationships and family issues.
Will there be a choice of therapist?
Following a meeting with you we will allocate a therapist who we hope meets your needs. You will have an opportunity to state any important preferences, for example you may prefer a male or female therapist, or one with a particular cultural background. We cannot guarantee to meet your requests but we will try.
Which qualifications do therapists have?
Our therapists are either UKCP or BACP members or in the final part of their advanced training in Family and Systemic Psychotherapy. Some are also qualified in another related profession and have extensive experience of working with families, couples and individuals in other settings including the National Health Service. All therapists receive regular professional consultation and keep up to date with new thinking and developments in the field. Those who are in the final year of training are under the direct supervision of a senior therapist.
Will the sessions be confidential?
Confidentiality will be discussed with you at your first session. Sessions are confidential and we do not usually discuss them with anyone outside The Meanwhile Family Therapy Service unless requested by the client. Occasionally we may feel that it would be useful for some information to be shared and we will discuss this with you. It is only in the event of serious concern for the immediate safety of someone that we might override this rule, although wherever possible this would be discussed with you first. All records are kept securely. Clients may have access to their own records and the videos of the sessions. This access would be at The Meanwhile Family Therapy Service and under the supervision of a member of staff.
What happens if I am not happy with the service?
We hope that you can discuss any concerns with your therapist and that we are able to resolve any problems you may have. We welcome feedback from clients in order to enhance our service. Should your therapist be unable to respond to your concerns, the next step would be to contact the service manager, who is responsible for the clinical work of the service. The Meanwhile Family Therapy Service has a complaints procedure, which is available in a separate brochure.
What is the cost of the service?
The service is free to all users and funded by the local authorities.
If you have any other questions please contact us. We appreciate that seeking therapy and counselling is often a big step and we want to be as helpful as possible. If we think that The Meanwhile Family Therapy Service is not the best place to access the help you need then we will try to direct you to more appropriate help.