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Gurleen Bhandari Psychodynamic Psychotherapist and Counsellor London E8Reduced-Rate Therapy Assessment Process:

Gurleen Bhandari (MBACP) – Head of the Reduced-Rate & Main Therapy Client Assessment Service

Hello, my name is Gurleen Bhandari, I am a fully qualified (MBACP registered) psychodynamic psychotherapist and counsellor.

I am also the main therapy assessment process coordinator for HQ Therapy’s Reduced-Rate Therapy and Counselling service, that is specifically designed to help those who are looking to get the help they need but are on a tight budget.

If you would like to start on your therapeutic journey, the first step is to sign up for an assessment so that I can allocate you to the most appropriate therapist for you and your presenting issues.

We have streamlined our reduced-rate therapy assessment process with both qualified therapists and advanced trainees (who are in their final year of study) to help people get therapy as quickly as possible with an appropriate therapist for your ongoing therapy sessions.

We aim to support you through the assessment process, which is the first step required, from an initial online meeting with a therapist, to learning more about why you are seeking therapy.

This initial online meeting will last approximately half an hour. If you are still unsure about booking an assessment at this stage, please get in touch with us HERE for help and advice.

So let’s get started. I’m sure some of you are wondering how to get help and what the process of talking to a therapist involves. Please be reassured that you have already taken the first step to find the right therapist so we have endeavoured to make it as easy as possible and streamlined the whole process, with the aim to get you into therapy as quickly as possible, so you can start your therapeutic journey straight away.

What is a client therapy assessment, how much does it cost and how do I book one?: A client therapy assessment provides you with a safe and confidential space to discuss the issues that have brought you to therapy and help you to decide whether counselling is right for you.

Counselling assessments are up to 30 minutes long and cost £19.50. All assessments take place over Cliniko. We ask that you be in a private space when taking the assessment call.

You can use your assessment to talk about the reasons you’re seeking therapy as well as practical matters. I will ascertain your preferences for therapy, be it online or face-to-face, or whether you have a gender preference for the therapist you work alongside. I will ask you questions about your current difficulties, the impact they are having on your life, and aspects of your personal history. You can identify your goals for therapy and ask any questions you may have.

A therapy assessment is a collaborative process. By developing an understanding of your difficulties, I am able to assess your needs and determine which therapist can best support you. Once we have determined your requirements I will recommend an appropriately qualified and experienced therapist. Find out more about choosing a therapist and therapy sessions here.

If I think a referral to another service is more appropriate, I will discuss this with you.

Assessments for all services happen online.

***Please note: We can also offer therapy sessions with clients who are residing abroad.***

When will my therapy sessions start and what will the rates be? Once the therapy assessment process has been completed we can begin to arrange your sessions with a qualified or advanced trainee therapist. Their prices range upwards from £40 per session.

If you are earning below 25k per annum, you can still opt to use our low-cost therapy services.

We ask that clients book their sessions in blocks of 4 (***Please note, sessions are weekly***), which can be extended as many times as you wish. This means the therapy can be as short-term or as long-term as you would like it to be.

Please note: Our assessment service happens online, once we have determined what your requirements are we will select a therapist that will work with your requests of face-to-face/online/or both options.

***Please note: If there are no assessment dates available on the booking calendar below please email us HERE and you will be added to the waiting list and contacted as soon as more dates become available.***


What happens now?: To get you started on your journey to getting the therapy you require we need you to click the ‘Select’ button above and choose an available time when you are free to have a consultation with the assessment counsellor and make a £19.50 payment for your initial reduced-rate therapy assessment process.

Once this is done you will receive an email confirming your booking and guiding you through the process:

  • There will be a client invitation link leading you to a form that will be used to gather some details about you. The process is very simple; all you need to do is put your answers into the form.
  • There will be an invitation link to join the assessment video call on the day and time you have chosen (a reminder email will be sent near the assessment date to alert you).
  • If you wish to cancel the appointment for any reason there will be information about this on this page too.
  • Upon completing the form, you will be set up for your initial assessment and on the road to finding the right therapist.

We look forward to meeting you.