Consultation & Assessment

Yes.  When you contact me to book a consultation, I will ask you to complete a referral form that provides me with background information about their needs. 

It is very helpful if you and your child's class teacher complete the forms together, although I understand that this is not always possible. 

The more information I have before the consultation, the more time can be spent in the session on problem solving instead of information gathering. 

The consultation will happen online over Zoom or Teams.  I will send you a Teams invite at least 48 hours before the consultation.  

If you wish your child's teacher to attend the consultation, you will need to discuss this with the school. You will need to forward the email invitation on to your child's class teacher.

The consultation will last 60 minutes.

Absolutely!  Consultations work best if you and your child's teacher are both able to attend. This means they can be actively involved in thinking through what support your child needs. 

When you receive your email invitation to your consultation, feel free to forward it on to your child's class teacher.  

Please let me know if your child's teacher is planning to attend.

I will already have an overview of your child's difficulties through the referral form you have completed. 

The consultation will start by me asking what you and your child's teacher want to get out of the consultation and what area you want to prioritise.  It is helpful if you have given this some thought before the consultation. 

Realistically, 60 minutes gives enough time to explore one area in depth.  Talking about lots of different issues can mean there is not enough time to understand any of them properly. 

Through questions and reflections, we will aim to get a shared understanding of why your child is experiencing difficulties in this area. 

The focus will then move on to problem solving and identifying possible next steps.  

Common topics for consultation include difficulties with emotional regulation, school anxiety, friendships, motivation, self-esteem, confidence and learning. 

The focus should be difficulties experienced at school, not home. 

60 minutes is enough time to explore one area in depth and to identify possible next steps related to this concern.  Focusing on lots of different areas of concern can mean there is not enough time to really understand what is going on with any of them. 

It is helpful if prior to the consultation you and your child's class teacher can identify one main area you want to explore in the consultation.  This is likely to be the area causing you, your child or your child's teacher the most concern. 

You or school staff are welcome to take your own notes during the consultation.

If you would like a written report of what is discussed during the consultation, this can be provided at additional cost. 

Consultation costs £150.  

A written report of the consultation can be provided at an additional cost. 

It can be a cost effective way of getting educational psychology input related to a specific area of need.