Transitions Psychology

We support adults who have features of, or a diagnosis of, personality disorder, and have spent significant amounts of time receiving inpatient care. This is usually for periods lasting longer than a year in total in the past two years.

We provide highly specialist, sometimes intensive, psychological treatment to support people with their long term recovery, so they can live as independently as possible.

In addition, we offer consultation and support to their families and support networks.

Our therapeutic approach is trauma-informed, humanistic, non-judgmental and compassionate. We see people as experts of their own thoughts, feelings, and behaviours and aim to empower them to take responsibility for their engagement and treatment.

We aim to provide a safe and empathic environment in which to support them to make meaningful changes to their lives and enable long term recovery.

Our team covers all of Essex and is currently made up of 5.5 practitioner psychologists and one systemic family therapist.

Assessments

We provide individualised, specialised psychological consultation, assessment and intervention.

Assessments can be carried out by a single clinician, but will often involve a qualified clinician and an assistant psychologist (psychology graduate), apprentice clinical associate in psychology (masters degree level apprentice) or trainee clinical psychologist (completing a doctorate in clinical or counselling psychology). This is to enable a thorough assessment and also supports staff with their practical learning under supervision.

Treatment

The psychologist therapist carrying out the assessment will work with the individual to create a psychological care plan tailored to their needs.

This may include short term support or regular psychological therapy at a community base or at one of our wards.

All treatments will be evidence-based, individualised, and have clear, mutually agreed, goals. (We can’t address all issues that contribute to a person being in distress, but we collaborate with our patients regarding what priorities will be.)

The team takes a non-judgmental stance and hopes to provide a safe and empathic environment. We see service users as people who are also experts of their own thoughts, feelings, and behaviours. We aim to work alongside service users collaboratively, carrying out psychological interventions/therapy ‘with’ them rather than ‘to’ them.

We will consider referrals for people who meet the following criteria:

• They have been referred by a mental health professional,
• Are aged 18 years and older,
• Have a history of developmental trauma,
• Have high level risk factors,
• Have received psychiatric inpatient care for one year or more or have a pattern of repeat admissions to psychiatric inpatient care,
• Have received treatment as usual (individual or group) in the community, but not having been able to benefit significantly,
• Meet the diagnostic criteria for Personality Disorder,
• Must have a care-coordinator, with whom they have an established and active working relationship.