Consultation

Consultation with Dr Cassidy

When an individual contacts our clinic with the intention of seeking psychological services either for themselves or for a child or other family member, they will often initially be booked in for a consultation with Dr. Cassidy or with another appropriate member of staff. Some families already know exactly what they want (e.g., a dyslexia assessment or therapy following a bereavement), but if there is any question around what is the most appropriate type of support, you will be asked to fill in a comprehensive referral form. If it is clear from completing this form which service you need, we will book you in directly for that support. However, in other instances, there may be multiple possible avenues of enquiry and sometimes it is also necessary to review previous relevant assessment reports or letters from schools or other professionals you or your family member have attended in the past. We will only book you in for consultation if you need this consultation. Some families get the information they need from consultation and don’t require further supports. Other families may discover upon having consultation that there are several appropriate supports to follow up on. The aim of the consultation process is to find this information and decide how to proceed.

During a consultation session, the individual will be asked to speak about their areas of concern, or the aspects of their child’s/family member’s life that is causing them concern. Generally, though they might be the intended recipient of our psychological services, a child’s presence is not required at the initial consultation. However, depending on the child’s age and willingness, they may be asked to attend the consultation session and to speak with Dr Cassidy alone, or with the presence of their parent(s).

At the end of the consultation, a best course of action will be mutually agreed and decided upon. It may be decided that a course of focused psychotherapy is the best way forward, or that your child would benefit most from an assessment — the presenting issues and desired outcomes will dictate the chosen course.

Consultation sessions are 50 minutes in duration. The fee for a standard consultation session is €150 at this time, though this fee may change if you require longer consultations.