Parent Advice

Your consultation will be with one of our psychologists, all of whom are Chartered Psychologists with the Psychological Society of Ireland and are highly experienced in working with parents and children. 

The consultation will last up to a maximum of 40 minutes.

The psychologist provides personalised advice and guidance on a wide range of issues in relation to children and adolescents including, general behaviour, anxiety/worry, feeding, sleeping, toileting, socialisation/relationships, school & learning, communication, mood, development, concentration & attention, screen-time & social media, autism, intellectual disability, parenting, divorce/separation, bereavement, sensory issues, etc. 

No, consultations are for parents and caregivers only.  Children are not to be present during the consultation 

Many issues in children (e.g., behaviour problems, feeding issues, sleeping, toileting, anxiety, etc.) are addressed by psychologists working primarily through the parents and caregivers, rather than directly with the child.  The psychologist will be able to advise you if the issue of concern to you is something that can be addressed by working with you or if it needs direct work with your child.

If you think your child might need an assessment or counselling/psychotherapy, you can discuss your concerns with the psychologist and they can advise you on whether they feel an assessment or counselling/psychotherapy is warranted.  If the psychologist feels that you child would benefit from an assessment or counselling/psychotherapy, they can advise you on whether we can provide this service for your child and if we can’t, the psychologist can advise you on how best to access alternative appropriate service and/or professionals.

Yes, in fact parents regularly book follow-up consultations to work through and review advice given at previous consultations.

Yes, both you and your partner can sit in on the consultation.  In fact, it is often beneficial to have both parents/caregivers present for a consultation, as the information covered is usually relevant to both of them.

After making your booking, you will be provided with an opportunity to complete an optional pre-consultation questionnaire, where you can provide additional information about your child and the issues of concern to you.   This information will be read by the psychologist in advance of your consultation and will help them to get a better understanding of your child, and allow them to focus specifically on the issues of importance to you.  If you have reports/letters/etc. that you would like the psychologist to have read in advance of your consultation, please email them to info@accesspsychology.ie at least 24 hours before you consultation.  Please ensure to include the date and time of your booking in the email. 

You can discuss any number of children during your consultation 

You can book a consultation by clicking “Book a consultation” above.

Yes, consultations that have been booked may be rescheduled free of charge up to 24 hours before the consultation using the link in the conformation email you received when you booked the consultation.

Yes, consultations that have been booked may be cancelled for a full refund up to 48 hours before the consultation time. Consultations that are cancelled within 48 hours of the consolation time and non-attendance at consultations are subject to a fee of €50. To cancel your consultation, please click on the link in your confirmation email. 

In order to allow timely access to the service, consultations cannot be booked more than three weeks in advance of the date of the consultation 

Consultations are available at different times between 8am and 8pm Monday to Sunday. Consultations are in high demand and so available consultation slots book up quickly 

It is not possible to book face-to-face consultations.  All consultations are undertaken via Zoom or telephone 

For a Zoom consultation you need a computer with an internet connection and working webcam, microphone and speakers. It is advisable that you test all your equipment in advance of the consultation.

You can access Zoom through your web browser without the need for installing any additional software or creating a Zoom account.

You can use your mobile phone for the consultation by downloading the Zoom app from the App Store or the Google Play Store.

At the time of your consultation, click on the Zoom consultation link that will have been emailed to you. You will then be taken to a virtual waiting room and the psychologist will start the consultation when they are ready. If you have never used Zoom before, it is strongly advised that you do a Zoom meeting test by going to https://zoom.us/test 

Yes, you can arrange to have your consultation over the phone.  When booking the consultation, you will be given the option of having the consultation over the phone, rather than by Zoom.

Yes, consultations are completely confidential and private 

Yes, you are free to record your Zoom consultation. Often a lot of information is covered in the consultation and parents find it beneficial to be able to play back the consultation to review the information covered.  It can also be beneficial to play back the consultation for a partner/spouse, who wasn’t present during the consultation.

No, we do not record your Zoom consultation but you are free to do so.

During the consultation, the psychologist may take notes which will form part of your electronic health record (EHR). If you complete the pre-consultation questionnaire or provide Access Psychology with any other documentation, this will also form part of your EHR.  The EHR is stored securely and confidentially in line with GDPR legislation 

You have a right to a copy of your electronic health record (EHR) to verify its accuracy or to ask for it to be supplemented, deleted, updated or corrected. If you would like a copy of your EHR, please email info@accesspsychology.ie requesting same. and a copy will be provided to you within 30 days