Repose Psychology
Assessment and therapy for children, adolescents & young adults.
Diagnostic assessment for Autism Spectrum Disorder (5-18yrs)
A local practice based in Caversham and working with families from Reading, Henley, South Oxfordshire and further afield.
Our Services
Individual Therapy
We see young people for individual therapy. This involves them coming to see a psychologist on a regular basis, usually weekly for a 50 minute session. Together we explore their current difficulties and work on understanding and making positive change. Parents are always involved in the initial assessment, and then the young person and therapist will negotiate how to keep parents involved via regular review. Sometimes young people want to be seen with their parents, and this can be helpful too, particularly for certain types of difficulty . We work flexibly, and are always guided by what the young person thinks will work best. Confidentiality is important for young people, and we always discuss this (and the limits of) at our first meeting.
Parent Consultation
We can meet with parents to think about their understanding and support of their child, either as a one off or an ongoing intervention. For younger children, it may be more effective to work with parents to affect change. For example, some evidence based interventions for anxiety in younger children are delivered through parents. Sometimes older children may be reluctant to be seen by a psychologist, but they may be happy that their parents are accessing support.
Family Therapy
Working with young people we understand that what affects one person in a family, also affects everyone else. Family therapy is an approach that involves all (or some) members of a family coming together to explore their understanding of one another, and find solutions to life’s challenges together. Our family therapist can work with the whole family unit, or see parents or a young person alone. Sometimes she might suggest both. Family therapy can be a short term commitment, lasting just a few sessions or a longer term process. It is usually scheduled as a fortnightly commitment. If you’d like to learn more about family therapy this leaflet from AFT is useful.
Autism Spectrum Disorder Assessment
We work carefully, and according to NICE guidance to assess for autism. Our assessment process involves the following:
-
An initial screening appointment when we explore your reasons for considering an assessment. We screen for mental health difficulties, and help you think about whether a full assessment is indicated. Sometimes we may recommend an alternative course of action.
-
A face to face appointment with the young person/child where we use the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS)
-
A parent interview conducted online, where we explore in detail your child/young person's developmental history. This is in depth and so takes two hours to complete. Sometimes we use the Autism Diagnostic Interview - Revised (ADI -R).
-
Liaison with school to gather information about how your child/young person presents. For some younger children we will also arrange to go into school to observe them in class and the playground.
-
A final feedback appointment, where we summarise our findings and come to a conclusions about whether a diagnosis is appropriate or not.
-
Following this we send you a comprehensive report, detailing all of the above and summarising our recommendations.
Supervision
We offer supervision to HCPC registered clinical psychologists and to CBT therapists who are either accredited with the BABCP, or working towards this.
Training
We can provide training on a range of topics related to mental health and neurodiversity.
Our Team
Our Approach
Some of the ways we work and the values that are important to us
Cognitive Behaviour Therapy
CBT is an evidence based treatment, and first line intervention for many difficulties including anxiety disorders, obsessive compulsive disorders, depression and trauma. A basic premise of CBT is that it's not what happens to us that is important, but the meaning we place upon it. Furthermore sometimes the ways we instinctively manage difficulties might help us initially, but also might have unintended consequences and in the longer term contribute to keeping our distress going. CBT is an active, goal driven therapy, that requires a commitment to experimenting with different ways of being.
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy
At times we can get hooked with our thoughts and feelings and pulled away from doing the things that matter to us. When this happens a lot, we can feel disconnected from the things that are important to us, and sometimes the ways we have of managing these thoughts and feelings can become a problem in themselves (we can feel overwhelmed and stuck and caught up in a struggle with our thoughts and feelings). Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) is a model that aims to increase our flexibility in thinking (psychological flexibility), to develop skills to enable us to unhook from our thoughts and feelings and enable us to reconnect with what’s important to us.
Neuro-positivity
We believe that being autistic represents a different way of meeting and perceiving the world, and that this brings with it many strengths. Indeed many consider autism to be an identity and not a disorder.
We try hard to strike a balance between describing a young person according to their particularly profile of abilities, as well as working within a diagnostic framework and making our reports acceptable for local authorities and other agencies.
Autism & Girls
Autism is under reported in girls and women. The reasons for this are complicated, but include that girls present with a different profile to boys, and can be incredibly good at masking their difficulties. Many of the standardised assessment tools used in diagnostic clinics are excellent at identifying young people with a typical ASD profile (often boys) but less good at picking up the girl profile. When assessing girls we need to be more flexible in our approach, be curious about potential masking and camouflaging of difficulties, and to rely less on standardised tools and more on our clinical judgement.
Family Therapy
Working with young people we understand that what affects one person in a family, also affects everyone else. Family therapy is an approach that involves all (or some) members of a family coming together to explore their understanding of one another, and find solutions to life’s challenges together. Our family therapist can work with the whole family unit, or see parents or a young person alone. Sometimes she might suggest both. Family therapy can be a short term commitment, lasting just a few sessions or a longer term process. It is usually scheduled as a fortnightly commitment. If you’d like to learn more about family therapy this leaflet from AFT is useful.
Fees
Clinical Psychology Clinic
Initial psychology assessment (90 minute appointment, to include brief report) - £280
Individual session with clinical psychologist (50 minute appointment) - £135
ASD Assessment Clinic:
Initial screening appointment - £135
Comprehensive assessment - £2100
Family Therapy Clinic
Initial assessment (90 minutes appointment, to include brief report) - £280
Family therapy session - £135
CBT Clinic
Initial assessment (90 minutes appointment, to include brief report) - £230
Individual session with CBT therapist - £110
We accept the following insurance providers for therapy
(please contact us to discuss if your health insurance is with another company):
Bupa, Aviva, WPA, Cigna