How do I book an appointment, and how long is the wait?
You can request an appointment by emailing Dr. Sleyster through our Contact page. We’ll respond within two working days. As a first step, we offer a free 15-minute telephone consultation to learn more about your child’s needs and discuss the best way forward for your family. During this call, we’ll also outline current waiting times and the next steps.
Where do appointments take place?
Most assessments and therapy sessions are held at our consultation room in Lewes (near Brighton & Hove). There is limited free parking on site. In some cases, appointments can take place at your home, your child’s school, or at another agency involved in your child’s care—helping us provide flexible support for families across Sussex.
Consultation and supervision meetings generally take place at the Child Psychology Sussex meeting room.
For training courses commissioned by professional organisations, we usually use the agency’s own facilities for ease of access and cost efficiency. If this isn’t possible, Child Psychology Sussex can arrange a suitable venue at an additional cost.
What are the fees?
Fees vary depending on the type and complexity of the work and whether you use private health insurance. We are registered providers with Aviva, AXA, PPP, BUPA, CIGNA, Vitality Health, and WPA.
If you pay for the sessions yourself, the first appointment lasts 60-90 minutes and will cost £120-180.
Typical private fees:
· Initial assessment (60–90 mins): £120–£180
· Follow-up individual therapy sessions (50 mins): £100
· EMDR or family therapy meetings (60–90 mins): £120–£180
· School or other professionals’ meetings: £120/hour, plus £60/hour travel beyond 2 miles from Lewes.
We can provide a separate fee schedule for Consultations, Supervision, and Court Expert Witness work on request.
How can I check you are qualified to offer the service I want?
Dr Esmoreit Sleyster is a fully registered Clinical Psychologist with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) and a member of relevant professional bodies. The HCPC is the statutory regulator for practitioner psychologists in the UK. You can check her Practitioner Psychologist registration here.
What can I expect at the first assessment appointment?
We will do our best to make you comfortable and at ease. We’ll ask you to share background information and discuss your concerns, whether around counselling children with attachment issues, low self-esteem or anxiety counselling for children. We’ll also discuss your ideas about what has helped and hindered, and explain which of our services can help.
How many therapeutic sessions will we need?
The number of sessions really depends on your unique needs and what feels most helpful for you and your family. After the first assessment session, some families find just one follow-up session is enough, while others choose to continue with support over a longer period. On average, this might mean around 6–10 individual sessions and/or 7–10 family sessions.
We’ll work together to set a pace that suits you — whether that’s weekly, fortnightly, or monthly. Along the way, we’ll check in on progress and make adjustments as needed, so our sessions continue to support your goals.
Is the information we give you kept confidential?
Dr Sleyster is registered with the Information Commissioner’s Office and complies with GDPR and the Data Protection Act, and you will be sent a copy of Child Psychology Sussex’s GDPR policy before the sessions start. There are limits to confidentiality with all clients, and these are discussed before we begin our work together.
We appropriately involve parents and carers when we are seeing their child for individual sessions, but we also respect a child’s privacy. Written consent is required before any information is shared with others, except where there is a serious safeguarding concern.
Other professionals and organisations are only contacted at the expressed request or with the written consent of the individual or parent(s)/carer(s). We recommend that a copy of the reports provided by Child Psychology Sussex be sent to the family GP, as they will retain medical responsibility and are central in the professional network involved with the individual and family.
Do you offer therapy to adults in their own right?
Yes. While my main focus is working with children and young people, we also offer therapy to adults in their own right. This may be connected to issues that arise through supporting your child, but it can equally be for personal concerns that are entirely separate.
Our core focus is supporting the mental health of children and adolescents, and we frequently offer parenting advice to help you understand and support your child’s behaviours or communication.
What is the difference between a Psychiatrist and a Clinical Psychologist?
A Psychiatrist is a medically trained doctor who specialises in mental health. Psychiatrists diagnose mental health disorders and may prescribe medication, in addition to offering therapy or counselling, depending on their subsequent training.
Clinical Psychologists hold doctoral-level training, helping them to understand people by using research and theories on the mind and behaviour. They apply this knowledge to help people cope with and overcome mental health, emotional, social and behavioural difficulties. They do not prescribe medication, but use psychological approaches, such as cognitive-behavioural, systemic, psychodynamic, attachment theory and EMDR. Clinical Psychologists are trained to undertake assessments, therapeutic interventions with individuals or groups, consultations, training, supervision and research to support their patients and their families.