Why Seek Private Consultation and Treatment?

 Seeking an opinion or therapy from a private practitioner psychologist offers the benefit of comprehensive, psychological care with excellent clinical expertise and less  constraints (e.g. long waiting lists, limited sessions, or access to only one therapeutic approach). 

Practitioner psychologists work with people of all ages, individuals, couples, groups, families, professionals and organisations. Here at Four Oaks Psychology, our clinical and counselling psychologists specialise in the treatment of clients aged 16 and over. All of our fully qualified psychologists are trained to doctoral level and are registered mental health professionals with the Health and Care Professionals Council. 

Doctorate level training is required to legally practice as a practitioner psychologist, conferring the title 'doctor'.  This training is exceptionally broad, across the life span and training psychologists must succeed in numerous competency based assessments (both within clinical settings and university) in order to gain qualification. By law practitioner psychologists are registered and regulated by the Health and Care Professionals Council and are required to participate in regular training and professional development activities to maintain their registration. 

You can therefore be confident that with us, you are choosing your treatment from a highly skilled, fully qualified professional in psychological assessment, consultation and psychotherapy. 

Practitioner psychologists treat using scientific evidence-based psychotherapies. Evidence based psychological therapy is recommended by the National Institute of Clinical Excellence as a first-line treatment for mental health in preference to, or in conjunction with, pharmacological treatment. Practitioner psychologists in the United Kingdom do not prescribe medications to treat mental health conditions. 

Due to the broad nature of their training, a practitioner psychologist is an ideal clinician to seek initial consultation and psychological opinion. In the NHS practitioner psychologists often work in a consultative manner and are referred the most complex cases due to these skills. This can save you time and money in the long run, ensuring you are either offered an appropriate therapy to meet your needs, or signposted to somewhere appropriate without needing to disclose your difficulties time and time again.

All practitioner psychologists must train in at least two core evidence-based models of psychotherapy, but often train in many more. This can be advantageous in ensuring that you receive an integrated, flexible approach that is appropriate to your needs. It may also reduce the chance of you needing to change therapist mid-treatment. It can also be particularly helpful if you have received a model of therapy previously that hasn't worked. 

 The ethos of Four Oaks Psychology is to help individuals heal, energise, and become aware of their inner strengths. You do not need to have a diagnosed mental health condition to benefit from therapy. Psychological therapy is suitable for everyone and anyone and ultimately aims to help you thrive in life, no matter your past.

We promise to be there for you every step of your journey. Our goal is to help you grow from your struggles, heal from your pain, and move forward to where you want to be in your life. We achieve this by providing a neutral safe space for individuals, families and couples, listening to your concerns, and customising an evidence-based, clinically informed treatment plan, tailored to your needs.