Bringing people together in a safe and supportive atmosphere can often help to improve communication and allow a better understanding of each other.
Therapy Services
IFT are open to referrals and have a waitlist. The wait to be seen is approximately 4 months. Please email us at therapy@ift.org.uk
At the Institute of Family Therapy we offer help to couples, families and other groups who are finding relationships problematic and would like the opportunity to explore and think about those issues together. Our definition of ‘family’ is wide and includes any group of people who feel they are in significant relationship with each other. This may include kinship relationships, friendship groups, fostering or adoption.
Bringing people together in a safe and supportive atmosphere can often help to improve communication and allow a better understanding of each other. Our focus is on how to move forward although sometimes it is important to think about past events and their impact on the present and future. IFT works alongside family members to create a way of working that fits for them. We use a team approach to ensure that clients have the benefit of a number of views and ideas. Families, couples and individuals are seen face to face by our clinical associates. They are senior trainees in their last years of training to become a family systemic therapist, having previously trained in another profession and / or experience working with families. The team is comprised of an experienced and highly trained supervisor and four or five clinical associates. In order to use the team to its full potential we work with a one way screen and video. This enables the other team members (usually 4) to observe the sessions from an adjoining room. Their ideas and comments will be shared with you and most clients find this very valuable. This will be fully explained to you before you come.
Common Questions we are Asked by People Seeking Therapy
Please telephone us so that we can take your referral. When you decide to refer, our Service Administrator will take down some basic information and also find out your availability. We currently have appointments Monday – Wednesday, late afternoon and evenings.
Many of our referrals are self referrals but GP’s and other professionals may also refer. Our clinical administrator will be pleased to discuss your referral and give more information about the way the therapists work. We think it is very important that you are able to make an informed decision about whether or not to make an appointment.
We are located at 1-4 Great Tower Street EC3R 5AA. Our number is 020 7391 9150. We have full disability access. The nearest tube stations are Monument and Tower Hill. The nearest Railway is Liverpool Street. There are several car parks nearby. The closest is Tower Hill which has disabled parking and is 4 minutes away from us.
Payment is on a sliding scale dependent of income. We do not ask any details of your financial affairs but ask you to decide what is appropriate to pay. Click here for the Fees Form
We hope that any concerns can be discussed with the therapist and that any problems can be resolved at an early informal stage. We welcome feedback from clients and would wish to do what we can to make the work more helpful. If issues remain unresolved the next step would be to speak with the Director of Training who is responsible for the clinical work of IFT. IFT has a complaints procedure and copies are available on request. It is also a member organisation of United Kingdom Council for Psychotherapy and clients have recourse to their complaints and appeals procedures.
IFT has a particular focus on working with more than one person. This often helps things to move forward at a faster pace. During ongoing family and couple therapy we sometimes suggest members of the family or couple attend one or two sessions on their own. IFT has a particular focus on working with more than one person. This often helps things to move forward at a faster pace. As we specialize in couple and family work, we only work with individuals for a maximum of 4 sessions and that is subject to our waiting list and clinical availability.
Confidentiality will be discussed with you by the therapist at the first session. Sessions are confidential and we do not usually communicate with anyone outside the IFT unless requested by the client. Occasionally we may feel that it would be useful for some information to be shared and we will discuss this with you. However, in the event of serious concern for the immediate safety of someone it might be necessary to consult another service. Wherever possible this would be discussed with you first. However, on rare occasions it might be necessary to proceed either without prior discussion or without the clients’ agreement. We are bound by our code of ethics regarding the safeguarding of vulnerable populations. All records are kept securely. Clients may have access to their own records. This access would be at IFT and under the supervision of a member of staff. Please see IFT Client Data Protection Policy
Following a discussion with one of our clinical administrators you will be allocated to a therapist who we hope meets your needs. You will have an opportunity to state any important preferences (for example you may prefer a male or female therapist or one with a particular cultural background. We cannot guarantee to meet your requests but we will try.
There are no age limits. We work across the whole range of relationships including families with young children and adolescents. Our therapists are skilled in communicating with children of different ages. We also work with adult families and older couples. Sometimes adult brothers and sisters find it helpful to have a forum to talk about relationships and family issues.
This will be discussed with the therapist at the initial session. Sometimes clients only come for a few sessions but in some situations it may be more helpful to meet for longer. Clients can end the therapy at any time and some clients return at a later date for some further discussion about issues. There is usually between 2-3 weeks between sessions.
Clinical Associates are in the final part of their advanced training in Family and Systemic Psychotherapy. They will already be qualified in another related profession and have extensive experience of working with families, couples and individuals in other settings (including the National Health Service). All Clinical Associates receive regular professional consultation and keep up to date with new thinking and developments in the field. Clinical Associates are under the direct supervision of a senior therapist.
Because Clinical Associates are in the final part of their advanced training, IFT is not able to take referrals from clients who are involved in court proceedings.
Yes.
The following are circumstances that mean we would need to signpost you to another service:
CURRENT COURT PROCEEDINGS
IFT does not currently have a court work service. We cannot offer you a therapeutic service if you are currently in court or have ongoing court proceedings that are unresolved. If you have a plan from court which everyone is agreeing to and working with well then please discuss your needs with us.
SOCIAL CARE & CHILD PROTECTION REFERRALS
IFT does not currently work to contribute to a child protection plan or write reports for local authorities or court. If as a family you have a history of domestic abuse or child protection concerns in the past that are having an impact on you now, then please discuss your needs with us. We do work with the impact of historic abuse and neglect once all the family are safe and not working within a social care context.
VIOLANCE & ABUSE
We do not work with families where there is domestic violence or abuse. We do work with the impact of historic violence and abuse on families once this is no longer present in the family for a considerable period of time that will allow therapeutic work effective.
SUBSTANCE MISUSE
We do not carry out therapeutic interventions directly addressing substance misuse in individuals, however we can work to understand the impact on families.
EATING DISORDERS
We do not carry out therapeutic interventions directly addressing eating disorder in individuals, however we can work to understand the impact on families.