Frequently asked questions

Psychoanalytic psychotherapy is offered for mental health issues such as recurrent anxiety and depression, past and recent trauma, self-harm, and relationship difficulties.

For emotional wellbeing, Manuela Surgeon utilises a range of holistic treatment approaches, including aromatherapy and aromapressure to alleviate your emotional and/or physical pain, resulting in emotional wellbeing by creating a balance in your body and mind.

Attending a course of psychotherapy can be helpful when you are experiencing mental health difficulties. You do not need to be diagnosed with a mental illness diagnosis or to be in a psychological crisis.

You may experience the following symptoms and presentations:

• anxiety
• panic attacks and phobias
• feeling overwhelmed and that you can’t cope with everyday events
• feelings of depression, sadness, grief or emptiness
• extreme mood swings
• obsessive behaviours
• problems dealing with stress or recovering from stressful events
• self-esteem issues
• coping with the effects of past and recent abuse
• difficulty making or sustaining relationships, or repeatedly becoming involved in unsatisfying or destructive relationships
• sexual problems
• difficulties coming to terms with losses such as bereavement, divorce or unemployment
• eating disorders
• self-harm behaviours

If you are experiencing daily intense anxious feeling or fears, perhaps accompanied by physical symptoms such as restlessness, difficulty concentrating, nausea, stomach upset, rapid heartbeat or breathing difficulties, then psychotherapy could help you.

You may experience depressive symptoms, such as usually feeling sad or irritable, a lack of energy, constantly being tired or feeling worthless. You may also experience feelings of intense guilt or shame and be preoccupied with thoughts of death and dying.

Some of my clients have a history of past and recent trauma, self-harm and difficulties in relationships which is stopping them from having a fulfilling and contented life.

Attending a course of psychoanalytic psychotherapy reduces my clients’ psychological issues, making them feel empowered and in control of their actions. My clients have learned strategies to manage stressful life events, resulting in feeling content and enjoying life again. They also have the ability to recover effectively from illness, change or misfortune.

Manuela Surgeon is registered with the UK Council for Psychotherapy (UKCP).

Manuela Surgeon offers a free 15-minute telephone consultation prior to you booking an appointment.

MTS Psychological Health offers both one-off therapeutic consultations and on-going treatment programmes. Please contact Manuela for further information.

Manuela Surgeon is a recognised provider of AXA, Aviva, Cigna and WPA private medical insurance companies. Please note that you have to liaise with your private medical insurance company for authorisation of funding for psychotherapy consultations prior to arranging an appointment for a therapeutic consultation with MTS Psychological Health.

For clients without private medical insurance, the initial therapeutic consultation is for 60 minutes. Follow-on consultations are for 50 minutes.

In most cases individual sessions are scheduled once weekly.

Yes, MTS Psychological Health offers therapeutic interventions via video platforms such as Zoom.

It is normal to feel some anxiety when attending your initial therapeutic consultation. The therapeutic space is tailored to explore the reasons for your referral in a confidential and safe way, as well as giving an overview of psychoanalytic psychotherapy.

Manuela Surgeon will listen to your thoughts and feelings in a non-judgemental way and ask questions to help you view your experiences from different angles. She won’t offer any advice, but will help you to establish coping strategies by building on your existing psychological strengths. You may experience intense thoughts and feelings and distress, which is part of the therapeutic process.

Manuela will offer psychological support, resulting in you being able to cope with these thoughts and feelings in a safe and confidential space. The session also provides an opportunity to establish whether you feel able to work with Manuela therapeutically and vice versa.

Towards the end of the consultation, time is allocated to discuss a way forward for you in therapy. It is important to note that there is no commitment to engage in a course of psychotherapy unless you wish to do so.

Therapeutic consultations are confidential and Manuela Surgeon would need your consent if aspects of the treatment were to be shared with, for example, your private medical insurance company or your GP.

In cases where you present a danger to yourself and others, Manuela Surgeon would discuss with you a way forward to keep yourself and others safe.

If a client wants to stop attending a course of psychotherapy, this can be discussed during the consultation to establish the reasons for this and look at possible alternative arrangements.

Clients without private medical insurance can pay via my website.

Alternatively, by agreement, an invoice can be emailed to you a day before your appointment – although payment must be received prior to attending the session.

Credit and debit card payments and bank transfers are accepted.

For the therapeutic process to be consistent, Manuela Surgeon will agree with you a weekly time slot. The cancellation policy is discussed with you and is outlined in the therapy agreement. If an appointment needs to be cancelled, the full fee will be payable for the missed appointment unless the appointment can be filled with another client. Subject to availability, an alternative appointment will usually be offered within the same week.

During the client’s holiday periods, sessions are at full fee rate. There is no fee payable for sessions during the therapist’s holiday period. The therapist will inform the client in advance of forthcoming holiday periods.

There is parking behind the Heswall Hills Counselling Centre in Heswall. At the Grosvenor Street Physiotherapy Health and Wellbeing Clinic in Mold, there is parking close by, including at Tesco and a short stay pay and display car park.

Yes, there are disabled facilities at all clinics.

The client has the right to be treated with due care and professionalism, before, during and after therapy.  As a Registered Member of the UK Council for Psychotherapy (UKCP) and Accredited Member of the Hallam Institute of Psychotherapy, Manuela Surgeon’s practice is regulated by UKCP Ethical Principles and subject to formal codes of conduct and complaints procedures.

Copies of these documents may be obtained by contacting UKCP on 020 7014 9955 or via the UKCP website.

The following sources of help and information might be of use:

NHS;

Where to get urgent help for mental health;

Samaritans;

Mind charity;

Men talking to Men;

Mental Health Foundation;

A -Z list of organisations for mental health – compiled by the Sandy Health Centre.

If you need help urgently for a psychological crisis, please contact Samaritans on 116 123, go to your nearest A&E department for emergency psychiatric support, or contact your GP surgery.