At 'A Forward Step' we provide psychological therapies, working with adults, children and families. 

Making the decision to seek support from a professional is the first step towards an improvement in one's emotional and mental well-being.  

Other clients we work with have established difficulties or diagnoses in the areas detailed below (please note examples are provided, rather than an exhaustive list).  Clients may be new to therapy, be accessing on-going support, or have approached 'A Forward Step' following outpatient/ inpatient care elsewhere, or following a relapse in their mental health difficulties.

Mood difficulties, for example low mood, Depression, Postnatal Depression, anger difficulties.

Anxiety difficulties, for example worrying, social anxiety, Generalised Anxiety Disorder, panic, phobias, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder.

Often people refer to a cognitive assessment as an 'IQ test', as the assessment provides results in terms of the 'Intelligence Quotient' (IQ) that an individual achieves in different areas.

Adults sometimes request cognitive assessments when they wish to clarify their IQ, or as a means to evaluate their current strengths and difficulties such as with regard to their memory.  Individuals have also requested such a cognitive assessment to gain a 'baseline measure' of their abilities, due to dementia being common in their families.

More formally, a cognitive assessment is conducted for diagnostic purposes.  At 'A Forward Step' we use the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale - Fourth UK Edition (WAIS-IV) and Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children - Fifth UK Edition (WISC-V) to diagnose Learning Disability in adults and children respectively.  These tools are the most appropriate materials available to psychologists and psychiatrists for diagnostic purposes. 

The assessment itself is usually completed during a single session with a psychologist.

At 'A Forward Step', individuals who experience difficulties that interfere with their daily functioning, particularly with regard to interpersonal relationships, may wish to pursue a diagnostic assessment for Personality Disorder.  

Such an assessment is not a routine part of an individual's care, and suitability for such an assessment must be carefully considered.  Individuals contacting 'A Forward Step' specifically to request a diagnostic investigation will need to meet with a psychologist to discuss their previous mental health care and reasons for wishing to undertake the assessment. 

Assessments (as described below) are highly detailed and specialist, and usually require several appointments in order to complete them.  The assessment can only be conducted by a qualified psychologist or psychiatrist who has undertaken additional specialist training.  Following assessment, a detailed diagnostic report is produced, which includes recommendations and sign-posting to clinical services where appropriate.   The report is provided in approximately 4 weeks of completion of the assessment sessions.  

International Personality Disorder Examination (IPDE):  This is considered the gold standard means of assessing Personality Disorder.  The IPDE is administered as a semi-structured clinical interview, and assesses the sub-types of Personality Disorder as described in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorder 5th Edition (DSM-5).

Psychopathy Checklist—revised (PCL-R): This is the only psychological assessment tool available to assess the presence of Psychopathy in individuals.  The PCL-R is administered as a semi-structured clinical interview, and indicates a dimensional score, or a categorical diagnosis, of Psychopathy for clinical or legal purposes.