How we work

How online sessions work

Online psychology sessions with us run over video call, booked directly without a referral letter or a waiting list to join first. You choose a time that fits your week, log in from wherever you have a private space and a stable connection, and the session runs much as an in-person appointment would, just through a screen instead of a shared room.

Getting started

Getting started begins with an initial conversation, where a psychologist asks about what’s brought you to therapy now, what you’ve tried before, and what you’d like to be different. There’s no test to pass, just a chance to check that online work suits you and that we’re a reasonable fit for what you need. You’ll be asked some background questions, including anything relevant to your safety and wellbeing, because that shapes how sessions are planned from the start.

From there, we agree what regular sessions will look like: how often, roughly how many, and what you’re working towards. Some people know exactly what they want to address; others arrive with a general sense that something isn’t working and need help naming it. Both are a reasonable starting point.

What a session involves

A typical session lasts around fifty minutes and takes place over video, with a small amount of time at the start to settle in and check how the week has been. The middle of the session is where the main work happens, following whatever approach has been agreed, and the closing minutes are used to note down anything to carry forward, whether that’s a piece of reflection, a specific exercise, or simply a plan for what to bring next time.

Because sessions happen wherever you are, some preparation on your side makes a difference: a room with a door that closes, headphones if your space isn’t fully private, and a few minutes either side of the call to arrive and to leave the material of the session behind before you go back to your day.

The approaches we draw on

We draw on established, evidence-based approaches rather than a single fixed method, choosing what fits the person and the difficulty in front of us. Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) is recommended by NICE for a range of common difficulties, including anxiety and depression, and forms part of what we offer. Depending on what you bring, a psychologist may also draw on other structured, research-supported approaches suited to the specific issue, always explaining the reasoning behind the approach, so you understand why a particular way of working has been chosen.

This work is for adults. Sessions are built around adult experience, adult decision-making and adult pace, so the questions asked and the pacing used reflect that throughout.

How often you’ll meet

How often you meet depends on what’s being worked through. Weekly sessions are common in the earlier stages, giving momentum while things are being unpacked and understood. As things settle, some people move to fortnightly or less frequent check-ins, using sessions to maintain progress rather than build it from scratch each time. This is reviewed together as the work goes on, since needs shift over time.

Confidentiality and safeguarding

Confidentiality sits underneath all of this. What’s discussed in sessions stays between you and your psychologist, within the professional and legal limits that apply to any clinical practice, such as a risk to your safety or that of someone else. These limits are explained clearly before sessions begin, so there are no surprises about where the boundaries sit.

Reviewing progress

Progress gets reviewed at agreed points rather than left unspoken. This might mean talking directly about what’s shifted, what hasn’t, and whether the current approach still makes sense, or it might mean revisiting the goals set out at the start to see if they still hold. If something isn’t working, that’s raised and addressed, rather than continued out of habit.

Ending sessions

Ending sessions is planned rather than abrupt. As you approach what feels like a natural close, sessions are used to consolidate what’s been learned and to think about what happens once regular appointments stop, so the work holds up once it isn’t being actively supported week to week.

We work with adults across Greenwich and the surrounding area, including Blackheath, Charlton, Deptford, Lewisham, New Cross and Maze Hill, with the Cutty Sark and Greenwich DLR and Greenwich and Maze Hill stations putting most of south east London within easy reach, even though every session takes place online. In short, we are clinical psychologists for Greenwich and south east London, working online with adults. We will update this site as the practice develops.