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Clinical health psychology service (Waltham Forest)

The Waltham Forest Clinical Health Psychology Service, based at Jane Atkinson Health and Wellbeing Centre, offers psychological assessment and treatment to adults who are experiencing psychological and emotional distress or trauma in relation to their physical health condition and health care. Where appropriate, patients are signposted to alternative services and case consultation / link working offered to colleagues.

What we do

We provide psychological assessment and evidence-based talking therapies to explore and alleviate a range of psychological and emotional difficulties or trauma related to physical health conditions and treatment such as:

  • Adjustment, change and uncertainty
  • Living with and beyond a health condition
  • Coping with a terminal or palliative prognosis
  • Low mood, anxiety, panic attacks and / or PTSD
  • Medically unexplained symptoms and / or health anxieties
  • Body image concerns

Once a referral has been accepted, patients are invited for an initial assessment consultation to share their difficulties that they would like help with. This will be an opportunity to discuss whether talking therapy at our service is the most helpful intervention for them at this time and agree upon a therapy contract or be signposted to alternative services and support.

We work with individuals, carers and families where appropriate, and interpreters will be provided for non-English speakers.

If it is not possible to accept a referral, we can offer case consultations / link working to our colleagues.

Referrals

We welcome referrals from GPs and health care professionals via Single Point of Access using their referral form.

How to contact us

Waltham Forest Clinical Health Psychology Service

Jane Atkinson Health and Wellbeing Centre,
714 Forest Road,
London,
E17 3HP

Tel: 0300 555 1268
Email: Wfchps@nelft.nhs.uk
Opening times: Monday – Friday, 9am – 5pm

Eligibility criteria

Adults aged 18 and over living in Waltham Forest who are:

  • experiencing psychological and emotional distress or trauma in relation to their diagnosis and health care
  • presenting with medically unexplained symptoms and / or health anxieties
  • presenting with risk and additional mental health complexity such as psychosis or personality disorders will be considered on case-by-case basis

Exclusion criteria

Please find the exclusion criteria below including suggestions for signposting to more appropriate services:

  • Adults who require intensive multidisciplinary pain management to be referred to Bart’s pain management programme
  • Adults who are oncology inpatients at Whipps Cross Hospital to be referred for psychological therapy via Bart’s; Waltham Forest Community Oncology patients can be referred to Waltham Forest CHPS
  • Adults who require multidisciplinary input including home visits and care towards end-of-life to be referred to Waltham Forest’s Integrated Care Service (ICS)
  • Adults who require assessment and / or rehabilitation of cognitive, emotional and behavioural difficulties in response to a brain injury or neurological disease to be referred to their local neuropsychology service or national service at UCLH
  • Adults with eating disorders to be referred to their local eating disorder service; for those with BMI below 15, please refer to MARSIPAN guidance at https://www.marsipan.org.uk
  • Adults with ongoing addictions to be referred to their local drug and alcohol service and triaged into Waltham Forest CHPS on a case-by-case basis where those who have maintained a period of abstinence for a minimum of one year from long term substance abuse will be considered.

Patient testimonials

"Very professional and beneficial."

"I am very happy."