Frequently asked questions

Answer: The C&I Wellbeing team is made up of experienced NHS psychologists, CBT practitioners, and counsellors, from the Camden and Islington NHS Foundation Trust, who can bring their expertise to your workforce. They have a combined wealth of experience and expertise in helping adults with common mental health problems including stress, anxiety and depression as well as those with more severe and complex mental health difficulties. Our clinicians are trained in a range of evidence-based, therapeutic approaches and attend regular Continuing Professional Development events to keep abreast of the latest advances in the field.

Our NHS Trust is renowned for delivering internationally-recognised research that is supported by strong links to University College London, which is second only to Harvard in the number of academic citations for mental health.

Answer: No. Both our Mental Health Awareness Training for staff or managers can be offered as introductory courses lasting a half or whole day, with more in-depth courses over two days. We can also provide a one hour information session, if necessary. Click here for more information.

Answer: Many of our interactive workshops are offered in a half-day sitting, or full-day sitting if a more in-depth approach is preferred. Our Mindfulness-Based Resilience Training is a series of three half-day workshops. If you have particular requirements please get in touch to find out more.

Answer: If your organisation has a suitable space, we will usually suggest that we come to you. All we need is a laptop connection, a flip chart or white board and space for 15-20 people. If this is not possible, there are a range of locations that we use that we can discuss on request. There may be a small, extra charge in this case.

Answer: We do run some centralised workshops.  Please get in touch to discuss your particular needs as we do attempt to bring together small numbers of delegates from similar organisations.

Answer: Yes. We offer a range of bespoke workshops and training relating to mental health that can be tailored to your organisation’s needs. If you would like training on a topic that is not listed on our website, please get in touch to discuss this further.

Answer: Attending one of our interactive workshops will give participants an opportunity to learn some evidence-informed skills and techniques that they can use to help them manage a particular difficulty. However, in some cases individuals may need more time to discuss and make sense of their own unique circumstances and difficulties which would not be covered in a workshop. In this case, psychological therapy may be a better option, whilst often the two approaches are complementary.

Answer: There are a wide range of reasons why someone might choose to engage in psychological therapy. It may be that you have a particular problem that you would like to talk about, such as a stressful recent life event or a particular set of symptoms, such as anxiety or low mood that you want help with. Alternatively, you may want some space to think through a particular issue or pattern in your life that you have noticed. An assessment with one of our clinicians will give you the opportunity to discuss whether therapy might help with your particular needs and difficulties.

Answer: Psychiatrists are medical doctors who have completed a medical degree and gone on to complete a specialism in psychiatry. A key difference between psychiatrists and other mental health professionals is that they are able to prescribe medication. Clinical and Counselling Psychologists (collectively called Practitioner Psychologists) are doctoral level-trained clinicians who treat individuals experiencing mental health difficulties and emotional disorders such as depression and anxiety. They are typically trained in a range of evidence-based therapeutic approaches. Psychological Therapists is a term that the NHS commonly uses to describe Cognitive Behavioural Therapists – Cognitive Behavioural Therapists have undergone specialist training in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT).

Answer: Our clinicians operate from a number of locations in central London. Your preferences will be discussed with you when you get in touch.

Answer: Standard therapy appointments last 50 minutes and are usually held on the same day and at the same time, on a weekly basis. The number of sessions that you need will be discussed with you.

Answer: Your treatment records are kept strictly confidential within C&I Wellbeing and will not be shared. We adhere to strict NHS guidelines in line with the Data Protection Act and have a legal duty to keep your information confidential. However, there may be circumstances where information that you share indicates that you or someone else might be at risk of significant harm. In such cases, we must, by law, share that information. In the very unlikely event that this arises, we would make every attempt to discuss this with you beforehand.

It is standard practice for us to request your GP’s details in case we need to contact them. It is also normal practice for us to provide your GP with updates on your progress at the end of therapy. However, we will only do so if we do have your consent. Please discuss any concerns you may have about this with your individual practitioner.

Answer: If you need to contact your psychologist outside of sessions, you can email us at [email protected] or you are welcome to leave a voicemail on 020 3317 6466. Your psychologist will aim to get back to you within 48 hours.

Generally, we recommend that contact between sessions (by therapist or client) would primarily be for addressing practical issues such as re-arranging appointments. Wherever possible, more frequent or in-depth issues should be discussed during therapy sessions.

Answer: C&I Wellbeing is not an emergency service. In the event of a crisis or emergency, please contact your GP (out-of-hours dial 111), attend your local A&E department, or dial 999. Other useful numbers include the Samaritans on 116 123.