CONFIDENTIALITY
All discussions with Doctors, Counsellor, CPN or any other therapist are totally confidential, no details are entered in the medical record other than that the session took place. Nothing that is discussed in a counselling session will ever be divulged to a third person including the Doctors. The only exception is if Gill feels that the client needs further medical input or is a significant suicide risk then this will be passed on to the referring Doctor. However the details of the discussions are never passed on. All people receiving counselling even if they know Gill outside of the surgery can be assured of total confidentiality.
Community Psychiatric Nurses.
The Community psychiatric nurses or CPN's as they are universally known are attached to the department of psychiatry at the hospital. In our part of Cheshire we come under the Chester South Team headed by Dr Halstead Consultant Psychiatrist. The hospital based team and CPN's primarily deal with the more serious or complex mental health problems that fall outside of the scope of the practice counsellor. They also follow up people who have been admitted to one of the psychiatric wards at the hospital. When a referral is made by a Doctor the case is discussed at the team meeting where it is decided who is the most appropriate person to see the patient first, CPN, or psychiatrist.
The CPN attached to our practice is Peter Wilson though some of his colleagues are involved as well (particularly where the patient particularly wants to see a female CPN. ) Peter sees people either in their own home or in the surgery whichever the person prefers. Discussions are of course totally confidential
We are extremely fortunate in our practice to have the services of Mrs. Gill Ardern a highly trained counsellor and psychological therapist.
Gill can help with a wide range of psychological problems including help with managing depression, anxiety, "Life Crises" Poor self esteem, phobias, victims of personal or sexual abuse, survivors of child sexual abuse, anger management, eating disorders and many other problems. She also runs group therapy sessions for suitable people and occasional groups for assertiveness training.
A referral for counselling can only be made by one of the Doctors who needs to decide if a person has a problem that can be dealt with by the in house service or a more severe mental health problem requiring referral on to the hospital or community based psychiatric team.
Gill sees each client for an initial assessment session when she will gain an outline of the problem and what the person hopes to achieve from counselling. If she feels she can help then the client will be offered a series of usually weekly sessions usually for six to eight weeks. If Gill does not feel that she can help then she will tell the client this at the assessment session and the matter is taken no further.
It is always difficult to consult a Doctor about any sort of mental health problem. No matter how minor the difficulty, it is hard to admit to ourselves that we may have a problem with some of our innermost feelings, and to then have to discuss it, is difficult for most people. Let's face it, the "British Man, (Basic Model)" does not really "do" talking about feelings. "British Woman" is not usually a whole lot better !! Even the "British Man" deluxe, and GLS models are rather tongue tied and it is not until we get as far as the "European" or "Latin" edition that there much conversation about emotions to be found. Joking aside, these are not easy things to talk about, but a skilled listener can make things a lot easier.
Skilful listening and helping the person to find their own solutions to their problems may be all that is needed by a large proportion of those who present with emotional problems. For these, a skilled counsellor can make a tremendous difference to their lives. For those whose problems are more than emotional, more " medicalised" help and drug therapy may be needed. However in all but the most dire psychiatric problems, drug treatment should never be regarded as the first line of treatment. Particularly for the less serious problems, the answer to people's problems should not be to see a Doctor and get a pill for it. Pills do not change peoples lives. Lives can only be changed by those living them.
Mental Health Services
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More Serious Mental Health Problems.
People suffering from more serious and longer lasting mental health problems are referreed to and looked after by one of the consultant psychiatrists.
Based at the new Bowmere Hospital ( At the Countess of Chester Site) MAP the six consultants each look after one part of the area covered by The Chester and Wirrall Partnership Trust. Dr Ravi is the consultant for our area around Farndon.
