Adult ADHD assessment: what happens and how to prepare
What an adult ADHD assessment may cover, including childhood history, work, education, relationships and what happens next.
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50 guides and tools
Autism assessment: what happens and how to prepare
What adult and child autism assessments may involve, what information can be useful, and what happens after the result.
Can I ask to change therapist?
How to raise a poor therapeutic fit, ask what alternatives exist and distinguish an uncomfortable topic from a relationship that is not working.
Can I ask to join a therapy cancellation list?
What to ask a mental-health or therapy service about cancellations, short-notice appointments and flexible appointment formats while you wait.
Can you have private therapy while waiting for NHS help?
Things to consider if you are thinking about paying for private therapy while an NHS mental-health referral or waiting-list place is still active.
Coping with work while waiting for mental-health care
Practical ways to make work more manageable while you are waiting for mental-health support, including what you can ask your employer or GP.
Discharged from a mental-health service but still not better: what next?
Questions to ask after discharge, how to understand the follow-up plan and where to go if you still need mental-health support.
Get ready for your appointment
Prepare private notes for a mental-health, therapy, ADHD, autism or medication-review appointment. No account; notes stay in your browser unless you copy or print them.
How long is the mental-health waiting list?
Why mental-health waiting times vary, what NHS waiting-time figures do and do not tell you, and how to get a useful estimate for your own referral.
How to access mental-health services in the UK
An overview of GP referrals, self-referral, urgent routes and specialist services, with links for all four UK nations.
How to chase a mental-health referral without starting again
A practical UK guide to checking whether a mental-health referral was received, finding the right service and asking for a clear update without losing your place.
How to cope with anxiety while waiting for therapy
A practical guide to managing anxious days while you are waiting for therapy, an assessment or another mental-health appointment.
How to prepare for a mental-health assessment
A calm, practical guide to what to write down and what you may be asked at a mental-health assessment or talking-therapy appointment.
How to prepare for a mental-health medication review
A practical checklist for discussing effects, side effects, adherence and questions at a medication review without changing treatment on your own.
How to raise a concern about a long mental-health wait
How to raise a concern or make an NHS complaint about communication, delays or problems with mental-health care in England, including PALS and advocacy.
How to support a partner on a mental-health waiting list
Practical ways to help without becoming their clinician, plus appointment support, boundaries and what to do if the situation becomes urgent.
How to support someone waiting for mental-health care
Practical ways to listen, help with appointments, set sustainable boundaries and respond to an immediate safety risk.
I don't agree with my mental-health diagnosis — what can I do?
Questions to ask if a diagnosis does not make sense to you, information you can add, and how to discuss the next step without simply disengaging from care.
I feel uncomfortable with my therapist — what can I do?
How to think about discomfort in therapy, raise concerns, discuss boundaries and ask about alternatives if the therapeutic relationship is not working.
I forgot to tell them something at my mental-health appointment
What to do if you remember an important symptom, event, medication or question after a mental-health assessment or therapy appointment.
I had my assessment — why am I on another waiting list?
Why assessment and treatment can be separate stages, what to ask the service now, and how to make sure you know who to contact while waiting.
Make sense of your mental-health waiting list.
A free private planner to organise your mental-health referral, questions, changes and next steps while you wait for care.
Mental health, work and fit notes while you wait
How to prepare for a conversation about work, what to record, and why workplace adjustments and fit-note decisions need to be individual.
Mental-health help at night and weekends
A practical UK plan for difficult nights and weekends, including NHS 111, listening services and emergency help.
Missed a mental-health appointment? What to do next
A practical guide to what to do after missing or needing to cancel a mental-health appointment, including how to contact the service and protect your referral.
Moving from CAMHS to adult mental-health services
What transition can involve, when planning should begin, and useful questions for young people and families.
No response after a mental-health referral: what to do
What to check if you have heard nothing after an NHS mental-health referral, who to contact, what to ask and when to seek help sooner.
Questions to ask while you are on a mental-health waiting list
A short list of useful questions to ask the service holding your mental-health referral so you know what you are waiting for and what happens next.
Reasonable adjustments for a mental-health appointment
Examples of adjustments that may make NHS mental-health appointments more accessible, plus a simple way to ask for them.
Right to Choose for mental health and ADHD: a practical England guide
What NHS patient choice can mean for a first mental-health or ADHD assessment referral in England, and the questions to ask before switching provider.
Self-help while waiting for therapy: what is worth trying?
How to use self-help resources while waiting for therapy without treating them as a replacement for professional care.
Sleep problems while waiting for mental-health care
What to try when sleep is getting worse while you wait for mental-health support, and when to ask for more help.
Starting therapy: what to expect in the first few sessions
What may happen when treatment actually begins, how goals and boundaries are discussed, and what to do if you are unsure about the process.
Supporting a child or young person while waiting for mental-health care
A practical guide for parents and carers while a child waits for CAMHS or other mental-health support.
Therapy types explained in plain English
A practical introduction to common talking-therapy approaches and the questions worth asking before treatment starts.
Waiting for an ADHD assessment: what can I do now?
Practical steps while waiting for an ADHD assessment, including checking the referral, gathering useful history and asking about support.
Waiting for an autism assessment: what can I do now?
Practical steps while waiting for an autism assessment, including referral checks, useful records and support that may not require a diagnosis.
Waiting longer than expected for therapy: what to do
How to check a therapy referral, ask for an updated waiting-time estimate, find interim support and report worsening symptoms.
What happens after a GP mental-health referral?
A plain-English guide to what may happen after a GP refers you for mental-health care, including triage, assessment, waiting lists and next steps.
What happens after a mental-health assessment?
What may happen after an NHS mental-health assessment, including care plans, treatment options, waiting, discharge or referral to another service.
What if I freeze or cannot explain myself at a mental-health appointment?
Practical ways to prepare if anxiety, overwhelm or communication difficulties make it hard to speak in a mental-health appointment.
What is confidential in therapy — and when can information be shared?
What confidentiality usually means in NHS mental-health care, useful questions to ask, and why there are limited exceptions.
What should I bring to a mental-health appointment?
A simple checklist of useful notes, medication information, documents and questions to take to a mental-health appointment.
What to do if a mental-health referral is rejected
Practical next steps after a mental-health referral is declined, redirected or closed, including what to ask the service and your GP.
What to do if your mental health gets worse while you wait
Clear UK steps for updating your referral, asking for reassessment and getting urgent help when your mental health worsens on a waiting list.
What to do while waiting for therapy
Practical things you can do while waiting for therapy or mental-health treatment in the UK, without turning the wait into another full-time job.
What to say to your GP about your mental health
A simple way to explain mental-health symptoms, their impact and the help you need when speaking to a GP.
What will they ask at a mental-health assessment?
Common topics in a mental-health assessment, why they are asked, and how to prepare if you find questions difficult.
Where are you right now?
Choose where you are in the mental-health referral, waiting, assessment or treatment process and find the most useful next steps.
Your first therapy appointment: what to expect and what to take
A calm guide to preparing for a first therapy or talking-therapy appointment, including what you may be asked and what you can write down beforehand.