All new referrals are seen for an assessment appointment, which usually lasts approximately 90 minutes. The purpose of this initial appointment is to determine whether treatment at the Rivers Centre is likely to be helpful, and clients are therefore encouraged to discuss the difficulties they are having. If treatment at the Rivers Centre is felt to be appropriate, clients will usually be offered a place on our education and skills-based Group Programme, called “Understanding and Managing Traumatic Stress”, which runs for 7 weeks.

Following completion of the Group Programme, clients are offered an individual appointment to consider the need for further treatment.  At this stage, further treatment is likely to involve a series of individual psychotherapy sessions with an experienced therapist. The number of sessions will be agreed on by client and therapist during the initial session, and will often be 8-12 sessions.