FAQ
How do I book an appointment?
Please contact 0207 118 0696 or email info@mindof.uk to secure your appointment.
Do you provide video consultations?
Yes our clinic is set up to provide secure video consultations. On booking your appointment you will be sent a confirmation email with a secure link to access your video consultation. We recommend finding a private quiet place at home for the video consultation and using headphones during the consultation to ensure privacy. Please note that for some types of assessment a video consultation may not be possible and a face to face appointment will be advised in these circumstances.
What does an assessment with the Psychiatrist involve?
The doctor will usually meet with the parent /carer(s) and the child or young person together for the first appointment, and time permitting, will also see the child/young person alone. Following this, depending on the patient's individual needs, the doctor may advise a further appointment to meet with the parent/carer(s) without their child present or to meet with the child /young person individually.
Some parent/carer(s) prefer to meet with the doctor for the first appointment alone, without the young person present, and this is also fine, please just state this preference when booking the first appointment.
Often, the doctor will also need to contact the child’s school to gather more information to help complete the assessment and both parents and teachers may be asked to fill in some questionnaires.
During the assessment the concerns will be discussed and on completion a recommended treatment plan and report will be provided. In some instances, for example where ADHD or Autism are being considered, additional specialised assessments may be recommended.
The first appointment lasts up to 90minutes and follow ups last up to 50minutes. These are conducted via face to face review in clinic or secure video consultation. Telephone consultations can also be arranged.
What should I say to my child about why we are going to see the Dr or therapist?
You may well want to explain to your child what sort of person you are taking them to see. We suggest you can say that you are taking them to a doctor/therapist who meets with children and young people to see if there is anything they can do to support them at home or in school. The doctor/therapist will ask them some questions, a bit about the things they like doing, what they are doing well in and anything else that they may be finding difficult. It is not a test or exam. There won’t be an operation or any injections.
Is there anything I should bring with?
Please provide a copy of the referral from the GP/other professional in advance of the appointment.
If you have any professional reports from other specialists, or school reports, that you wish to be reviewed by the doctor, please bring them with you on the day or send them prior to the appointment to info@mindof.uk and the doctor/therapist will review these reports during the assessment process.
What kind of treatments are provided?
The clinician will tailor your treatment package to your individual needs. This may include psychiatric reviews, cognitive behavioural therapy, psychology, family therapy, prescribed medication or referral to other multidisciplinary professionals. Our psychiatrists are authorised to provide private prescriptions including for ADHD medications. We work closely with a team of psychologists, family therapists and other professionals and if a referral is required we will arrange this.
What is CBT (Cognitive Behavioural Therapy)?
CBT is a talking therapy that can help you manage your difficulties by changing the way you think and behave. Dr. Fiertag and the psychology associates are qualified CBT therapists and offer CBT for a range of conditions including depression, anxiety, low self esteem and OCD.
What does Psychology involve?
The psychologist will initially meet with the young person together with their parent(s) or carers, although if preferred the psychologist can meet with the young person or parent(s)/carer(s) separately. The format of the therapy going forwards will depend on the specific needs of the young person. Some therapy will involve individual sessions with the young person, some will involved parent(s) sessions and others will involve a combination of the above with some sessions for the child/adolescent and parent together for part/all of the session. Together the psychologist, young person and parent(s)/carer(s) will decide on the best approach, likely treatment length and goals. The length and frequency of sessions will be tailored to the young person’s individual needs. Typically sessions will occur on a weekly basis for a time limited period e.g. two to three months although length varies depending on the young persons specific needs. Sessions will be 50 minutes face to face in clinic or via video consultation.
Our psychologists are trained in CBT as well as other psychological therapies. Please see the team page for specific details about the different psychological therapies that our different psychologists offer.
What does Psychotherapy involve?
Our psychotherapists offer brief, (approximately 8-12 sessions, one each week) medium and longer term psychotherapy (ranging from weekly sessions for 6 months to a year) using creative, arts and play approaches to help the child or young person understand their feelings and behaviour. This might include play, movement, painting, clay and puppet work or some may prefer to just use talking to express themselves.
For the first appointment, the psychotherapist will meet with the child/adolescent together with the parents/carers and then with the child separately. The therapist will work with the patient to create a formulation and set out joint goals of what will be worked on together. Sessions last 50 minutes and usually are weekly.
What does Family Therapy involve?
Family therapy within this clinic works towards bringing people together around their child in a safe and supportive environment where we can work towards improving communication, building on strengths and allowing a better understanding of each other and the presenting issues. During family therapy sessions everyone works together to find ways for the whole family to do things differently, so that problems can be overcome - even if it seems that the problem might just be with one person. This might be the whole family, child and parent, or parent/carer. Though the focus is on how to move forward, sometimes that can include thinking about past events and their impact on the present and future. For some families it is more a preventative measure where problems can be addressed early on, for others it is about support with intense and complex issues.
The length of treatment and the frequency of sessions will depend on the young person and their families particular needs and preferences. Sessions last 50 minutes.
Where is the clinic based?
Golders Hill Health Centre in North West London near Hampstead and Golders Hill Park. The full address is 151 North End Road, London NW11 7HB. It is close to Golders Green tube station (12 minute walk) and buses 210 and 268. There is also limited free parking available in at the back of the clinic and on-street parking on North End Road and surrounding areas (please check the road signs).
How long do sessions last?
Psychiatry first appointments usually last up to 75 - 90 minutes for new patient assessments and 30-45 minutes for follow ups. Therapy appointments last 50 minutes.
Can I have a telephone consultations prior to first appointment?
We recommend that you ask the practice secretarial team on 0207 118 0696 any questions you may have regarding the location, directions, prices and format of the sessions. If you have any further queries that the secretary is unable to answer prior to your first appointment then feel free to email info@mindof.uk and someone will get back to you.
We recommend that you discuss the detail of your concerns face to face at the consultation, as these conversations tend to be most beneficial when discussed in person. If you have an urgent clinical query before your appointment date we advise you to see your GP for advice. For the regular patients who are receiving ongoing care, the doctor/therapist will arrange any necessary phone calls with you directly.
Can I have an email consultation instead of a phone or face to face consultation?
In view of our recently updated practice guidance, adherence to safe medical practice and GDPR compliance, regrettably the doctors/therapists can not provide detailed clinical advice over email. We recommend that if you have a clinical query about your care, that you book in a face to face consultation, or a phone consultation. Please note, some queries can not be addressed appropriately over the phone and a face to face consultation may be advised.
Do you provide emergency care /out of hours /crisis care?
We are an outpatient service and we provide care to patients who require treatment on an outpatient basis only. Our clinicians are able to treat patients who require weekly, monthly or annual appointments. If you require more intensive support we recommend you see your GP for a referral to your local crisis team. We do not provide out of hours or emergency care, therefore if you are in an emergency please attend your local A and E.
I have a disability, can I access your service?
Yes, if you have a condition that you feel may impact your access to our service please contact us on 0207 118 0696 and we will make reasonable adjustments to enable your appointment to proceed and for any treatment to be provided in an individualised accessible format.
How can I be referred?
We accept referrals from GP’s, paediatricians, schools, mental health charities and other professionals such as psychologists, psychotherapists. If you would like to self refer, please see your GP and request they send a referral letter. Following the assessment completion, the doctor or therapist will write back to the referrer and GP to explain the outcome and recommended plan.
Do I need to provide a referral Letter?
Yes please wherever possible, although self referrals are accepted the GP will be need to be informed by the doctor/therapist of the assessment. This is for various reasons such as: Health insurance companies normally require it, the doctor often needs professional information about a child's health and development, and may need to ask the other GP/another doctor to carry out further treatment. In the U.K. healthcare system, the GP. holds the overall view of a patient's health, and it is important that they are aware of the assessment so they can continue to support the patient appropriately.
What conditions do you treat?
Our psychiatrists and therapists work with young people with emotional (e.g. anxiety, depression, bereavement, losses, trauma), behavioural (e.g. challenging behaviour, anger) and neurodevelopment conditions (e.g. ADHD and autism) and other conditions. Please note that we do not treat Anorexia Nervosa, Bulimia or patients at high risk of suicide who require urgent intensive crisis support. At the time of booking you will be sent an appointment booking form so that we can check we are the appropriate clinic to support you before confirming the booking.
Will I receive an assessment report?
Yes you will be provided with an assessment report on completion of the assessment and this is included in the consultation fee. This includes the information from the consultations, and where relevant, any post consultation liaison with school/other professionals and analyses of questionnaires. The report will include a summary of the findings and recommendations based on the clinician's professional opinion. Reports will be provided as soon as possible and usually within four weeks for most appointments. However we recommend you discuss with your individual doctor/therapist to establish the exact timescale for your report. The doctors provide a patient copy of the report and send a copy to the referrer and/or General Practitioner. If relevant the doctor/therapist can also provide a copy or an abbreviated letter to school. Any additional reports may incur an additional charge.
Will the fees be covered by my Health Insurance?
Please note that we require payment at the time of booking, if you are seeking cover from your insurer, make sure that they are happy to cover our prepayment policy and for them to reimburse you directly and not MindOf, as we do not deal directly with insurers. You would be seeking reimbursement using a MindOf receipt.
What are the fees?
Initial assessment fees are payable at the time of booking to confirm the appointment. Follow up appointments are payable 72 hours in advance of the appointment (excluding weekends) and a member of the administration team will contact to you arrange payment. The consultation fees include an initial assessment report and school letter if relevant. However additional reports and private prescriptions/medications will incur an additional fee. Please note that completed assessment appointments and reports are non-refundable.
For further information relating to fees please see https://www.mindof.co.uk/fees-information or contact 0207 118 0696.
Cancellation Policy
Unfortunately we are not able to see all patients as promptly as we would like to due to the large numbers of referrals. If you are unable to make your new patient appointment please provide at least 7 working days notice and if you are unable to attend your follow up please provide 3 working days notice so that there is time to arrange for someone from the waiting list to be seen. If not sufficient notice is provided to be able to offer the slot to someone else, then the full consultation fee will be charged. For all other cancellations there is a non refundable £200 for new patient psychiatry appointment cancellations and non refundable £100 fee for all other appointment type cancellations, to cover the non refundable administrative costs incurred during the booking process. Please allow for 28 days to receive your refund.
Feedback
We are always looking to maintain and improve high quality standards of care and value any feedback relating to your experience of the practice as a whole. If you would like to leave feedback please complete the form available at www.mindof.uk/feedback.
Complaint
If for any reason you are dissatisfied with the care provided by your doctor/therapist and wish to make a complaint, please contact us on info@mindof.uk to request details of the complaints procedure. We adhere to the ISCAS Code (Independent Sector Complaints Adjudication Service) Code https://iscas.cedr.com
