What should you tell a new psychologist about the last attempt?
Start with whatever you can recall. Which approach did the therapist use, if you know? How long did you stay? Did the therapist ask you to practise anything between sessions? When did you stop noticing any movement? A new psychologist cannot adjust a plan without the answers, and none of the questions needs clinical vocabulary. ‘We met weekly and nothing changed’ still tells a clinician something useful.
The clinic’s website gives no success rates, and no clinic can promise a different result. What the published process does offer is room to adjust.
Can a psychologist in Dubai change the approach?
At The Valens Clinic, yes. The FAQ page says a therapist may use more than one technique during therapy, based on the condition, your response and any new information as it emerges. The individual therapy page lists eight approaches its clinicians have training in: Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Narrative Exposure Therapy, trauma-focused therapies, EMDR, Emotion-Focused Therapy, Compassion-Focused Therapy and psychodynamic approaches.
A second attempt does not have to repeat the first. If one approach brought little change, the next clinician can start elsewhere or blend two. The flexibility deserves a test in any first meeting, because a psychologist’s quality shows in what they do when something stalls.
What happens at a first appointment if you have tried therapy before?
You meet one of the clinic’s mental health professionals, who assesses your needs and develops a personalised treatment plan. Based on your reason for visiting and the outcome of the assessment, the clinician schedules a follow-up, refers you to a colleague, or makes recommendations.
The referral option matters most to returning patients. If your history points to a different specialist, a first appointment can end with an introduction to a colleague. The FAQ page also says the clinic’s coordinator works with you to find the most suitable clinician for your schedule. Tell the coordinator you have been in therapy before, and say what you want to be different.
Should a psychiatrist be part of the conversation?
Sometimes. The clinic’s psychologist page says a psychologist provides therapy and psychological assessment but cannot prescribe medication, while a psychiatrist is a medical doctor who can. The page adds a note on teamwork: psychologists collaborate with psychiatrists when needed, and many insurance companies ask patients to see a psychiatrist before a referral to a therapist.
If your earlier therapy stalled, ask whether a psychiatric opinion would add anything. The clinic has psychiatrists and psychologists on its team, so the question costs little to raise.
How will you know the new approach is working?
Agree on goals before anything else. The individual therapy page lists goal setting and identifying behaviour changes among a therapist’s tasks, and its FAQ says a therapist reviews progress regularly. The clinic gives no fixed length for therapy, because duration varies with the concern and your response.
Ask your psychologist to name one or two goals in the early sessions and to say when you will review them together. Ask what you will practise between sessions, too. The FAQ page says homework in therapies such as CBT is as important as the session itself, so tell the psychologist honestly how earlier homework went.
Book a Conversation About a Different Approach
Every clinician at The Valens Clinic holds a licence from the Dubai Health Authority (DHA) or the Community Development Authority (CDA). See the nine individual therapy specialists on the individual therapy page and book an appointment there, or email info@thevalensclinic.ae.