Services provided

Family Therapy

Clinical Neuropsychology

Psychotherapy

Community Health Psychology

Other services available in the area:
Community Mental Health Recovery Teams

Family Therapy Service

What is a family?

Different cultures and different groups of individuals have very different notions of what ‘family’ means.  The Family Therapy Service takes ‘family’ to mean any group of people who define themselves as such, who care about and care for each other.

What is family therapy?

Family Therapists help family members find constructive ways to help each other.  They work in ways that acknowledge the contexts of people’s families and other relationships, sharing and respecting individuals’ different perspectives, beliefs, views and stories and exploring possible ways forward.

Family Therapists thus not only support change with individuals but also in their relationships in the family and beyond, so people and those important to them are supported in continued recovery.

Our Family Therapy team has particular experience and expertise in the following:

· All types of adult mental health
· Family relationships and changes in family life
· Couple relationships
· Supporting family members through separation, mediation and divorce
· Emotional disorders including anxiety, depression and grief following bereavement
· Anorexia, bulimia and other eating disorders
· Supporting family members in step-family life
· Domestic violence
· Self-harm
· Drug and alcohol misuse
· Supporting people post-trauma

How can family therapy help?

There is good evidence to show that this approach is particularly useful with many mental health problems (for example, psychotic disorders, major depression and bipolar disorder, relationship dysfunction, obsessive-compulsive disorder, eating disorders, marital conflict and distress).

Family Therapy may help in a variety of ways, for example by:

· Improving communication and understanding in family relationships, particularly at times of major change or stress.
· Reducing the sense of isolation felt by the person suffering from a mental health condition, as well as other involved family members
· Increasing levels of understanding and enabling family  members to lead as fulfilling a life as possible

The family therapy team of four qualified systemic and family psychotherapists provide assessment and therapy covering a wide range of mental health and relationship difficulties.  We also provide systemic supervision and consultation to other professionals within the Trust.

Location

The family therapy sessions are held at;
The Horizon Centre
Farnham Road Hospital
Guildford
Surrey  GU2 7LX
Tel:  01483 443603
Fax:  01483 443533

We will also see families at other venues when it is difficult for them to come to Guildford.

Days and times of clinics

Monday to Friday, 9am-5pm.

Length of therapy

On average families attend up to six sessions with a review, each lasting approximately 1-1/4 hours.

The Family Therapy team

Janice Armitage - Administrator
Lorna Atkins – Team Leader
Chandra O’Connor
Annette Lumsden
Hilary Waller

All our family therapists are qualified and highly experienced systemic and family psychotherapists.

How to refer to our service

The service can be accessed by completing a referral form (attached) or by sending a referral letter to the team leader.  To meet our criteria for assessment and treatment, the patient needs to have a mental health problem as well as be experiencing relationship difficulties.  Any mental health professional involved in the care and treatment of the patient can refer to us.  However, patients cannot self-refer.

It can be helpful to informally discuss a potential referral via a phone call before sending the referral to us.  This can often clarify whether the patient and their family are likely to be helped by attending our service or whether an alternative service might be more appropriate.

Please call us on 01483 443603. Our Team Leader is Chandra O'Connor although any team member will be happy to discuss a referral with you.

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 This service aims at increasing access to appropriate assessment of cognitive functioning, as well as supporting clinicians across the Trust in the assessment of cognitive functioning.

The service provides assessment of clients who are suspected to, or have, an organic impairment of the brain.  Clients who are seen may have had a head injury, or suffer from another condition which affects the brain, such as a neuro-psychiatric or neurological illness, or they may have developed a concern that their intellectual and/or memory functions are adversely affected.  They would be people of working age from 18 years upwards.

The service is provided by Practitioner (Clinical) Psychologiests registered with the Health Professions Council and chartered with the British Psychological Society who are also Full Member Practitioners of the Division of Neuropsychology within the British Psychological Society.

Further information on the training and qualifications required to practise as a Clinical Neuropsychologist can be found here.

Location / Contact Details

Main base
Specialist Psychology Service, Horizon Centre, Farnham Road Hospital, Farnham Road, Guildford, Surrey GU2 7LX
Tel: 01483 443704
Fax: 01483 443533

Satellite
Psychology Service, Abraham Cowley Unit, Holloway Hill, Lyne, Chertsey, Surrey KT16 0AE

Referrals

By letter from GP / Mental Health Professional / Consultant Neurologist

Staff

Dr Linda Monaci – Consultant Clinical Neuropsychologist
Dr Damian Dewhurst - Clinical Neuropsychologist
Wendy Wakefield – Administrator

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Psychotherapy Service

Individual Therapy

The relationship with the therapist is a crucial element in the therapy.  The therapist offers a confidential and private setting which facilitates a process where unconscious patterns of the person’s inner world are reflected in the relationship with the therapist.

Group Psychotherapy

Individuals benefit from being part of a group experience in which family and other difficulties in interpersonal relationships can be worked through using the relationships in the group.

Specialist Groups
A group for young adults aged 18-30. 
A group for people who have experienced childhood sexual abuse.

Individual and Group Therapy in combination
This will usually mean a period of individual therapy of 3 – 12 months, followed by group therapy.

Location / Contact Details

Psychotherapy Department, Mecial Centre, Farnham Road Hospital, Farnham Road, Guildford, Surrey GU2 7LX
Tel: 01483 443683
Fax: 01483 443533

Day, time of clinics

9am – 5pm
Monday to Friday

There are a limited number of appointments outside these times.

Length of Therapy

Individual therapy consists of weekly sessions (50 mins).   Length of therapy is tailored according to each individual situation, for up to two years.

Group therapy consists of weekly sessions (1 ½ hrs) for up to three years.

Specialists groups are open groups with patients staying for up to one year.

Referrals

Any health worker can refer, in practice usually the GP, Psychiatrist, or member of the Community Mental Health Team.

Usually people will have had some brief intervention, either in primary care or CMHTs, before being referred to more specialist psychotherapy.

Staffing

Dr Scott Ferris, Consultant Psychiatrist in Psychotherapy

Sarah Dewsbery, Adult Psychotherapist

Sharman Harding, Group Analyst

Anne Penington, Consultant Adult Psychotherapist

Kiki Jeffries, Adult Psychotherapist

Jenny Chapman, Administrator

WTE Clinicians – 3.00

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Community Health Psychology

The service provides for the psychological needs of adult patients and their carers whose emotional or mental health problems are either caused by a physical health problem, thought to be making it worse or making it hard to manage.

We aim to apply our psychological knowledge to help individuals, couples and families face the impact of a frightening diagnosis, an accident, or a long-term illness.

This service is mainly provided using Cognitive Behavioural Psychotherapy.

Location / Contact Details

Community Health Psychology, The Horizon Centre, Farnham Road Hospital, Farnham Road, Guildford GU2 7LX
Tel: 01483 443704
Fax: 01483 443533

Plus, Outreach Clinics at the Royal Surrey County Hospital

Day, time of clinic

9am – 5pm
Monday to Friday

Referrals

By GP, consultant or other health professional who is in contact with client.

Staffing

Katherine May – Consultant Clinical Psychologist / Head of Community Health Psychology
Wendy Wakefield – Administrator
Andrea Edeleanu – Consultant Clinical Psychologist
Jacqui Seaton – Clinical Psychologist
Lorraine Nanke – Chartered Clinical Health Psychologist
Helena Jones – Clinical Psychologist
Trainee Clinical Psychologist

WTE Clinicians – 2.10

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