Psychological Therapy & Support
Support that starts with understanding
Psychological therapy is part of everyday life at Passmores House, built into every residential detox and rehab stay, not something you need to ask for separately. Whether that’s group strategies for managing difficult emotions, or 1-1 therapy with our clinical psychologist, support is there from the moment you arrive.
If you need support right now
Passmores House is here to help, but if you’re in crisis or at immediate risk, please call 999, or NHS 111 (select the mental health option). You can also call the Samaritans free, any time, on 116 123.
How psychological support works here
Everyone at Passmores House has access to a twice-daily group programme, giving you practical strategies for managing your emotions, keeping to a routine, and preventing relapse. For people experiencing more significant psychological distress, 1-1 therapy is also available.
Our psychologist works in two ways: directly, through assessment and 1-1 therapy, and behind the scenes, making sure care across the whole service is psychologically informed. That means the support you get from your wider team, not just in therapy sessions, is shaped by psychological expertise too, led by Dr Laurie Higbed, Clinical Psychologist at Passmores House and Head of Psychology for Residential Services.
If you’re a professional exploring Passmores House for someone you support: psychological input runs through the whole service, not just individual therapy sessions, so you can be confident the wider team is working from a psychologically informed approach even before anyone reaches 1-1 therapy.
1-1 therapy: what to expect
Assessment
If 1-1 therapy looks like it could help, your keyworker will discuss your goals with the psychologist, who’ll offer you an assessment. This is where the psychologist gets to know your past, present and future, why you’d like support, your current and historic family, social and medical circumstances, and your goals. You’ll have the chance to ask questions and talk through different treatment options before deciding together whether therapy’s right for you.
Sessions
If you go ahead, you’ll agree a number of sessions with your psychologist. Sessions are typically weekly and last 50 minutes. If you’re staying with us for rehab, this is usually up to six sessions; if you’re here for detox only, you’ll likely have fewer, reflecting your shorter stay.
Approaches we use
There’s no single approach to psychological therapy. Your psychologist will offer whichever is best suited to what you’re experiencing, sometimes drawing on more than one, including cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), dialectical behaviour therapy (DBT), compassion-focused therapy (CFT) and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT).
Therapy at Passmores House is collaborative
Your therapist won’t tell you what to do, they’ll work with you to find a way forward. Psychological therapy doesn’t offer magic solutions: it can be hard work, and progress can be slow and emotionally challenging. Your therapist may ask you to try new things outside of sessions too, which is often an important part of the process.
Not the right time? That’s OK
Sometimes it isn’t the right time to talk things through or try something new, and that’s completely OK. What you feel able to cope with is the most important thing, and it can change over time. If now doesn’t feel right, therapy is something you can come back to later in your stay, or your keyworker can help you find support in your community once you leave Passmores House.
Prefer to talk it through differently?
Psychology isn’t the only talking therapy on offer. Counselling can be particularly helpful if you’re adjusting to change or want to understand patterns you fall into. Talk to your keyworker about which is likely to suit you best.
What can psychological therapy help with?
Sometimes it isn’t the right time to talk things through or try something new, and that’s completely OK. What you feel able to cope with is the most important thing, and it can change over time. If now doesn’t feel right, therapy is something you can come back to later in your stay, or your keyworker can help you find support in your community once you leave Passmores House.
- Anxiety and low mood
- Processing difficult or traumatic experiences
- Understanding patterns in relationships and behaviour
- Building self-esteem and self-worth
- Managing anger and emotional regulation
- Grief and loss
Thinking about a referral?
If you’re a professional considering Passmores House for someone you support, psychological therapy is included as standard, there’s nothing extra to arrange.
You’re welcome to ask what psychological support might look like for a specific referral when you get in touch, and we can talk it through together at the point of referral or assessment.
Already staying with us? Speak to your keyworker, they’re the best place to start.