How we work

The Maidstone Psychologists work through a short initial conversation, a structured assessment, and then regular one-to-one online sessions built around your goals. Everything happens by secure video call, with clear steps agreed between you and your psychologist before any therapeutic work begins.

How it works, step by step

Getting in touch

The process starts when you contact us and describe, in your own words, what you would like support with. This might be anxiety, low mood, stress, difficulties following a specific event, or something harder to name. There is no need to have a diagnosis or a referral letter ready. A psychologist reviews what you have shared and confirms whether our service is a good match for your situation, or points you towards a more appropriate source of support if it is not.

The initial assessment

The first proper session is an assessment. This is a longer, more structured conversation where your psychologist asks about your current difficulties, your history, and what you want to change. It is also your opportunity to ask questions about how sessions will run, what approach might suit you, and what to expect going forward. By the end of the assessment, you should have a shared understanding of the difficulty and a rough shape for the work ahead.

Ongoing sessions

After assessment, most people move into a series of regular sessions, usually on a weekly or fortnightly basis, each lasting around fifty minutes. Sessions build on one another. Your psychologist will check in on progress, adjust the approach where needed, and work with you to review whether the sessions are helping. The number of sessions varies from person to person, depending on what you are working on and how you respond to the approach used.

Between sessions

Depending on the approach being used, you might be asked to notice patterns in your thoughts or behaviour, try out a specific technique, or reflect on what came up in the last session. Your psychologist explains the reasoning behind anything they suggest, rather than setting tasks for their own sake. Many people find that the work done between sessions makes as much difference as the sessions themselves, because it gives you a chance to test ideas discussed in the room against everyday situations, from a stressful commute to a quiet moment at home to sit with something.

The approaches we draw on

Sessions are grounded in established psychological approaches, chosen to fit the difficulty you bring rather than applied as a single fixed method. Cognitive behavioural therapy, recommended by NICE for a range of anxiety and mood difficulties, is one option your psychologist may use, focusing on the links between thoughts, feelings and behaviour. Acceptance and commitment therapy, another approach with a growing evidence base, may be used where the goal is building a workable relationship with difficult thoughts and feelings rather than eliminating them. Your psychologist will explain which approach they are drawing on and why, and will adjust course if something is not working for you.

Working online

All sessions currently take place online, using video call software that allows you to speak face to face with your psychologist from home, or anywhere private with a stable connection. Before your first session, you will receive clear instructions on how to join, along with guidance on setting up a quiet, private space. We are clinical psychologists working online with adults across Maidstone and Kent.

Who this service is for

This service is for adults. If you are looking for support for a child or young person, this is not the right service for you. Beyond that, people come to us with a wide range of difficulties, from specific, recent problems to longer-standing patterns they want to understand better. Your psychologist will tell you honestly during assessment if your needs would be better met elsewhere, including where more intensive or specialist support is required.

Confidentiality and safeguarding

What you discuss in sessions is treated as confidential, in line with the professional and regulatory standards that govern clinical psychology practice in the UK. There are limits to confidentiality where there is a risk of serious harm to you or someone else, and your psychologist will explain these limits clearly before your first proper session so there are no surprises later.

Local to Maidstone and Kent

Although sessions are delivered online, the service is built around Maidstone and the surrounding areas, including Bearsted, Allington, Barming, Loose, Penenden Heath and Tovil. Maidstone East has direct Southeastern trains to London Victoria, and the town centre around Fremlin Walk and Week Street is part of daily life for many people who use this service. Working online means you can fit sessions around a working day in Maidstone, a commute from Maidstone East or Maidstone West, or a routine built around ME14, ME15 or ME16.