FAQs
Who will see my e mails?
Only your mentor will see your mails.
The exceptions are your first query, which will be responded to by one of the mentors but may be dealt with by another, who will become your mentor.
For quality control purposes, Dr Kennedy will randomly examine some e mails between mentor and client to ensure quality standards are being adhered to.
For supervision purposes, your mentor’s supervisor may see selected sessions to provide feed back for your mentor to maintain and improve their performance.
Wouldn't it be better if we met?
It is more usual to meet face to face but of course then anonymity could not be provided. GreenWood’s service is ahead of its time in using e mail exchange, our experience is that it is very effective.
As well as anonymity, there are other advantages, for example people find it easier to disclose embarrassing material because there is no body language or facial feed back from the mentor. We find we receive greater disclosure and develop a close professional relationship with our clients.
The mental effort required to organize information into an e mail format is most likely to be helpful in itself, since writing requires the brain to move outside emotional turmoil and formulate the writing.
How sure can I be our exchanges are secure?
You will see from our Anonymity page that we offer the highest level of encryption possible.
GreenWood’s e mails and yours to us go via our server based site. A server based site is more secure than a web based site..
We store all client files at the server so that no hard copy or disks can be lost, stolen or overseen. In this sense we offer greater security than most traditional data handling and storage systems.
We operate a ‘screen’ at the server so that your mentor cannot see your e mail address, just your log in ID. This means that even if your address gives some clues to your identity, GreenWood’s psychologists will not see it.
Why should your advice make any difference when I have tried so many things already?
Firstly, we do not often give advice! We offer analysis (formulation) of the factors maintaining your problem or lack of progress. Then we construct ‘homework’ or structured tasks which you need to do to achieve the changes you want. We interact with you in this way, reviewing progress as we go. All our formulations and change techniques are based on cognitive behavioural theory and practice, which has the best and most extensive scientific evidence base. For more information, visit What to Expect.
Are there any problems you can’t tackle?
Yes. Serious mental health problems, suicidality, physical aggression to others, criminal behaviour. We try to suggest appropriate ways to get help if we can.
Do you ever not succeed?
We regard the work we do as a partnership between the mentor and the client.
Very occasionally the goals aimed for are not achieved. Provided the mentor has done the homework agreed and kept in touch, lack of change is most often down to the environment (work or home) being unable to change in response. In this case, the client might need to consider a change of environment.
Sometimes, the client experiences very significant life events, such as loss of a spouse, during GreenWood’s mentoring, so that work needs to cease for a while as priorities are rearranged.
