City and Hackney primary care psychotherapy consultation service (PCPCS)

Our approach is to treat the whole person (including, taking into account biological, social, psychological and environmental / historical factors). We take particular interest in the less obvious and often unconscious aspects of thinking and behaviors which can influence the relationship to being helped.

Treatment

The service is focused on providing helpful interventions for complex difficulties to patients. Often we are not aware of why we behave in certain ways so we work with you to help you gain a deeper understanding of your situation. The aim is to improve your relationships and quality of life.

What we do:

• Your initial assessment consultation will take place at your local GP surgery. We always aim to see you in your GP surgery. If this is not possible we see you at another surgery in your borough. The assessments are usually over two separate appointments spaces out by a week or more. These are then followed up by the appropriate individual treatments.

• Individual treatments are usually in the form of brief psychotherapy or psychological therapy which lasts between 4 and 16 weeks depending on need and by agreement.

• We offer a range of individual and group-based talking therapies to adults aged 18 or over. Depending on your needs, we work with you either individually or in a group with 8 to 12 other people.

• We assess and offer some limited treatments to couples where one or both partners fits our referral criteria.

• We have joint consultations with patients, together with their GP or nurse specialist and one of our clinicians.

• We also offer Horticultural Group Therapy (known as the Community project) based in a local city garden space.

• We are able to offer some group and individual therapies in Turkish.  
  

We also provide education to professionals like GPs and their teams, in the form of monthly reflective group discussions.

Who we treat

• People who find that their difficulties cannot be adequately explained through medical assessment or treatment but continue to experience sadness, frustration, anger or other strong feelings.

• People who, after repeated medical help have not experienced any improvement.  

• People with ongoing depression and anxiety linked to childhood maltreatment, losses, abuse or difficulties in childhood and family life.

• People who have experienced physical and psychological difficulties rooted in oppression, cruelty, discrimination or alienation and isolation.

• We treat stress that is coupled with physical symptoms and related to trauma in past or present abusive relationships.

• People who have persistent physical pain and unexplained symptoms.

• Those impacted by the social and emotional effects of disability and living with long-term conditions.
  

We are an inclusive service and see people from a diverse variety of backgrounds. We welcome people from all Black, Asian and minority ethnic groups as well as LGBTQI+ people

Team

We are a skilled and experienced team of health professionals including Doctors, Nurses, Psychologists and Social Workers. Many of our staff are dual-trained in a range of Psychotherapy approaches.

Our approach is influenced by psychodynamic and psychoanalytic thinking applied in a practical everyday setting.