Phase 01 · Assessment
Consultation & Clinical Direction
A clearer understanding of what is happening. A considered decision about what comes next.
When alcohol, drugs or compulsive patterns are becoming difficult to manage, it can be hard to know what kind of help is appropriate. CLAIREN offers a personally led clinical assessment to help you understand your situation and make an informed decision, without committing to further treatment.
Across three individual sessions with Sander Tubbergen, we consider your concerns in the context of your psychological history, relationships and professional life. You receive a personalised written Clinical Direction, time to discuss the findings, and a scheduled follow-up to help you consider your next steps.
- Format
- Three 75-minute sessions and a 30-minute follow-up
- Outcome
- A written Clinical Direction with prioritised recommendations
- Fee
- £1,450, with no obligation to continue treatment
Begin with a brief conversation about what has brought you here and whether Consultation is appropriate. There is no charge for this initial conversation.
Who it is for
You do not need to know the answer before you begin
You may still be meeting your responsibilities while becoming increasingly concerned about what it takes to keep going. Perhaps a pattern is affecting your relationships, becoming harder to control, or occupying more of your attention than you would like.
You may have tried therapy or treatment before and want to understand what remains unresolved. Or someone close to you may have raised concerns that you are not yet sure how to interpret.
Consultation provides space to examine those questions without assuming the conclusion. It is designed for executives, founders, business owners and senior professionals who want a considered assessment before deciding whether to seek treatment, change their current care or pursue further specialist advice.
Scope
An assessment that considers the whole situation
The purpose is not simply to record symptoms or decide whether a particular label applies. It is to develop a grounded understanding of the difficulties, what may be sustaining them and what would need to change.
The assessment is shaped by your concerns and may include:
Alcohol, drugs and compulsive patterns
How the behaviour has developed, the role it plays, attempts to change it and its consequences.
Emotional wellbeing
Relevant experiences of anxiety, low mood, stress, trauma or exhaustion.
Relationships and personal history
The experiences, expectations and relationships that may help explain the present situation.
Professional demands
The effects of workload, travel, responsibility and the boundaries between work and personal life.
Previous care and existing strengths
What has helped, what has not, and the people or resources that support you.
Safety and further assessment
Concerns that need prompt attention or medical, psychiatric or other specialist input.
Professional responsibilities are taken seriously, but they do not determine what care is clinically appropriate. Recommendations account for the realities of your life while being clear about any changes needed to make care workable.
The process
How Consultation works
You work with Sander throughout the consultation. Each stage has a clear purpose, with time to ask questions and reflect rather than simply complete an assessment.
An initial conversation
We discuss what is concerning you, what you hope to understand and whether this service is the right starting point. If another form of help is more appropriate, that is discussed before proceeding.
No charge
Preparation
A short questionnaire helps establish the background and the questions you most want answered. Relevant screening measures or previous records may be used where they would add something useful.
The first session
We explore the current concerns, their impact and any immediate risks or needs. We begin to identify the questions the assessment should resolve.
75 minutes
The second session
We look more closely at the psychological, relational and professional context, including previous attempts to change. We consider possible explanations and what different forms of help would involve.
75 minutes
The third session
We address outstanding questions and discuss the findings together. This includes the working formulation, the available options and your response to the recommendations.
75 minutes
Your written Clinical Direction
The findings and recommendations are brought together in a document prepared for you personally. It sets out what appears clear, what remains uncertain and what should happen next.
A scheduled follow-up
A 30-minute conversation, usually two to three weeks after the report, gives you time to review decisions, discuss barriers and clarify any agreed next steps.
30 minutes
The three assessment sessions each last 75 minutes. The written Clinical Direction is normally provided within 7–10 days of the first assessment session, subject to agreed scheduling and any essential external information; the follow-up takes place later.
What you receive
Your Clinical Direction
The written Clinical Direction is designed to be useful after the conversations have ended. It gives you a clear account of the findings and a practical basis for deciding what to do next.
Your written assessment and next steps
Answers to your main questions
What the assessment has clarified and which questions need further exploration.
A personalised formulation
A considered explanation of how your experiences, relationships, circumstances and patterns of coping may connect.
The available options
Appropriate forms of care, why they may help, and the practical commitments involved.
A prioritised action plan
What needs attention first, what can follow, and the next steps agreed with you.
The limits of the assessment
Areas of uncertainty and any further medical, psychiatric or other specialist assessment recommended.
The formulation is discussed with you, not simply presented as a verdict. There is room to question it, correct factual information and identify where an explanation does not fit your experience.
With your authorisation, the Clinical Direction can also be shared with a clinician involved in your care. Any remaining differences in understanding or unresolved questions are made clear.
Independence
A complete service, whether or not treatment follows
Consultation is not an admissions process. It is a standalone clinical service, and its value does not depend on your continuing with CLAIREN.
Recommendations may include treatment with CLAIREN, a different therapist or specialist, medical or psychiatric assessment, or a more appropriate treatment setting. Where appropriate, the recommendation may be that no further intervention is needed at present, with guidance about when to seek another review.
CLAIREN also provides ongoing treatment, and that is made explicit when options are discussed. There is no obligation to choose it; any further care requires a separate agreement.
Where ongoing support is appropriate, Continuity offers a less intensive arrangement with Sander. It is considered according to your needs, not as an automatic next step.
Where an onward referral is appropriate, the consultation includes an agreed professional handover within the coordination allowance described below. External appointments, availability and fees are confirmed separately.
Privacy
Personal attention, with clear privacy arrangements
Sander leads the assessment, discusses the findings with you and conducts the follow-up. Contact preferences are agreed at the outset, including how appointments, messages and documents should be handled.
Information is not routinely shared with an employer, colleague, partner or family member without your permission. Confidentiality and its limits are explained before the assessment, including circumstances involving safeguarding, serious risk or legal and professional obligations.
Where involving a partner or family member could be helpful, the purpose and information-sharing arrangements are discussed with you first. Their involvement is not a standard requirement.
Fee
Fee and what is included
Consultation & Clinical Direction
£1,450
Fixed fee
The fixed fee covers the assessment, written Clinical Direction and scheduled follow-up. The initial enquiry conversation is separate and provided without charge.
Included in the consultation
Preparation
Review of your questionnaire and relevant screening measures.
Individual sessions
Three 75-minute appointments with Sander, including discussion of the findings and recommendations.
Written Clinical Direction
Assessment summary, personalised formulation, options and prioritised action plan.
Follow-up
One 30-minute decision review, usually two to three weeks after the report.
Relevant records
Up to 30 minutes of review of agreed previous clinical information.
Partner or family input
Where appropriate and agreed, up to 30 minutes for a conversation with one person and associated notes.
Referral coordination
Up to 30 minutes for an agreed professional handover and checking its status.
If extensive records, additional meetings or more substantial coordination are needed, the scope and any additional fee are discussed before that work begins. These allowances are explained in the written agreement so you know what is included.
Medical and psychiatric consultations, tests and treatment by other providers are not included in the consultation fee. Any external fees or agreed travel and location costs are confirmed separately before you commit to them.
We can discuss suitability and answer questions before you decide whether to proceed. The fee and full terms are confirmed in writing.
Questions
Questions before you begin
Do I need to be certain that I have an addiction?
No. You may be concerned about a pattern without knowing how to understand it or whether treatment is needed. Clarifying the nature and extent of the difficulty is part of the assessment.
What if I have already had therapy or treatment?
Previous care can provide important context. Consultation can explore what helped, what did not and what may need a different approach, with relevant records reviewed by agreement.
If the question concerns a medical diagnosis or medication, an appropriately qualified specialist may be needed. The consultation will make that distinction rather than offer an opinion outside its scope.
Can a partner or family member contribute?
Yes, where it would be helpful and appropriate. Any involvement is agreed with you, including its purpose and how information will be used.
A brief contribution from one person can be included within the fee. More extensive family meetings or couples work would require a separate arrangement.
Are appointments online or in person?
Sessions can take place remotely or, where appropriate, at an agreed private location. Suitability, availability and any additional location or travel costs are discussed before booking.
Will I receive a diagnosis?
The consultation provides a psychological assessment, formulation and recommendations. It is not a medical examination or a guarantee of a formal diagnosis.
If a specific diagnostic question requires psychiatric, neurodevelopmental or another specialist assessment, that need will be explained. The Clinical Direction will distinguish the findings from matters that remain uncertain.
What if I do not want further treatment?
There is no obligation to continue with CLAIREN or another provider. You still receive the written Clinical Direction and the scheduled follow-up included in your consultation.
If the assessment identifies a concern that needs prompt attention, the reasons and recommended response will be explained clearly. The purpose is to support an informed decision, not to pressure you into buying treatment.
Can Consultation provide urgent or emergency care?
No. Consultation is a planned outpatient assessment, not an emergency service, medical detoxification service or source of continuous clinical cover.
If your situation requires urgent medical or psychiatric attention, the consultation should not delay that care. Enquiry messages are not continuously monitored.
Begin with a conversation
You do not need to arrive with a diagnosis or a decision about treatment. A brief conversation with Sander is an opportunity to explain what is concerning you, ask questions and consider whether Consultation is the right next step.
The initial conversation is provided without charge. Any next step is agreed with you before the consultation begins.
Consultation is not an emergency service. Enquiry messages are not continuously monitored.