Frequently Asked Questions

The Dr Julian platform is a Medical Device in relation to the assessments that you are requested to undertake as part of your therapy. As a consequence we are registered with.The Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) as Class 1 Medical Device under reference 2020052001181139.

Windows and Apple Laptop / desktop computers have built in accessibility features which can be used to change the screen size and / or screen display to help users, please see the below links for support in using these features.Apple Accessibility‍Windows Accessibility

Yes Dr Julian meets the NHS’s strict regulations for its governance and data security. We are compliant with the NHS Data Protection Toolkit with organisational code (ODS): DVF

If you have any issues or questions please email info@dr-julian.com and a member of our team will be in touch.

Dr Julian is an innovative mental health and wellbeing platform that aims to increase accessibility to mental healthcare in the UK. We connect you to mental healthcare professionals, including psychotherapists/counsellors/ psychologists, by secure video/audio/text link from your computer/ tablet or phone. Our platform lets you book appointments with a variety of therapists and filter who you would like to see via language/therapy type/issue/date and time.

Dr Julian may be the right solution for you if you would like to improve the quality of your life. If you have issues that are interfering with your happiness or creating barriers to achieving your goals we are here to help. We have therapists who can treat a wide range of conditions such as depression, anxiety, stress, addiction, bereavement, obsessions and compulsions, eating, sleeping, anger, grief, self-esteem, family management, trauma, psychosis post-traumatic stress and many more.We have healthcare professionals who can help in the specialist areas of psychosexual and relationship issues, LGBT matters, body dysmorphic disorder, mental health issues with diabetes/ chronic conditions such as medically unexplained symptoms, pain and many others.

If you are in an emergency or severe crisis situation - You should call 999 or your crisis team if you have one. You are undergoing an acute psychosis. You have a severe mental illness and you are going through a flare up of this that is being managed by specialist teams outside of Dr Julian.

We currently offer our service via conventional internet or through a smart phone using 4G. Using conventional internet, you can access Dr Julian Platform via a free web app app.dr-julian.com. This can be used on all computers/ tablets and phones. The best way to access it is via Google Chrome. You can have appointments, and do assessments and appointment bookings via this link.You can use the Dr Julian smart phone app for your appointment but you’ll need to access the Dr Julian web platform app.dr-julian.com to do your assessments and book your appointments. These downloadable apps are used for the appointment if using a phone/tablet for your appointment. PLEASE NOTE the web app will not work for your appointment on a phone/tablet so you will need to use the downloadable apps from the:
• Google Play Store  
• Apple App Store
to have your appointment.

Appointments can be undertaken on most Laptops, Desktop computers, smartphones and tablets with a Webcam and Microphone. If connecting using WiFi to ensure you have the best possible experience, we recommend that you check you have a good internet connection. You can test your internet speed by clicking here.

The recommended minimum internet speeds are as follows :
Download: 3.5mbps
Upload 1.5mbps
‍
If your Speed test shows slower speeds than this, we recommend checking that no other devices (Eg. TV’s, Tablets, Laptops and other media devices) are using your internet connection. This will ensure you have the full available speed for your appointment.It is also a good idea to check that your device is not downloading any files during the appointment, this can include but is not limited to Windows updates, Movie or Music downloads or streaming for example Netflix and YouTube. If your internet speed does not meet our platforms minimum requirement it will be necessary to conduct your appointment using another source. If this is the case, please notify your therapist using the “Send Message” button from the therapist profile on the website as soon as you can before the appointment and they will arrange it for you. If connecting using a Mobile Phone network you will need a minimum of 3 bars signal strength.

A few minutes before your appointment time please log into your web app (if using a computer), android or apple app (if using phone or tablet). If on the android or apple apps a push notification will come through which you must click to enter into the call when your therapist phones you.If using the web app on a laptop/computer via your browser a notification will come through when your therapist rings. Alternatively a green phone symbol will appear on your dashboard under the my appointments section. You can click this when it appears which will allow you to enter the appointment with your therapist. If you have any issues connecting please contact your therapist via their email/ message me button on their profile.

Our Free Assessments use standard and validated questionnaires used within the NHS for assessing Depression, Anxiety and other conditions such as Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.These questionnaires assess the severity of these conditions. If you use our Web App and register for a secure free account you will be able to store these assessment results and track your condition over time

Appointments on the Dr Julian platform normally scheduled for one hour. This includes a minimum of 50 minutes of talking time with your healthcare professional and 10 minutes for the professional to record the notes from your appointment. We may at times have appointments of different durations such as 30 minutes, with pro-rata talking time, but the length of the appointment and price will always be visible when you book an appointment.

If you are referred via the NHS or your Company your Appointments are free and provided for you.If you are paying privately appointments cost either £60 or £100/ hour session. The cost depends on the level of experience and qualifications of the therapists.As a general guide £60 appointments are with post diploma/masters level therapists who have at least 2 years clinical experience and £100 appointments are with post doctorate level clinical psychologists or highly specialist psychotherapists. In general using Dr Julian you are getting better value as many therapists charge a higher rate for their own private practices.

When you book an appointment you will be asked to provide your card payment details however your payment will not normally be taken until the therapist has confirmed the appointment with you. The only exception is when your payment card provider does not permit delayed processing.

All our therapists are trained to deal with the most common issues. On our Web App we are able to match you to the most appropriate therapist for your issue. You do this by using the filters. You can filter by language, therapy type and issue you need help with as well as date and time. When clicking on a therapist you can read their biography and qualifications before booking any appointments. The biography will also outline their specialisms, experience and any particular areas of expertise.

We recommend, if you are not sure about selecting the right therapist for you, that you message your chosen therapist before booking an appointment by clicking the “message” button on their profile. On the iOS app we are unable to match you using filters and you can only read the therapists biography and select a date for the therapists that are available on that date.

If you are still uncertain about selecting the right therapist we can assist you in selecting a suitable therapist for your needs. We offer a 30 minute appointment for £40 with one of our most experienced therapists who will explore your needs and suggest three therapists that meet your requirements from which to choose. Please email us if you require this help to info@dr-julian.com.

‍You can find a lot of information about the different issues and therapies available on our website. If you have a special requirement that is not covered please email info@dr-julian.com and we will endeavour to assist you.

If there are no time slots or particular therapists available with whom you would like to have an appointment, please message your chosen therapist by clicking the “message” button on the therapist’s profile. You will then be able to arrange a convenient time for both of you following which the therapist will upload that availability which you will then need to book. This feature is not available on the iOS Apple app.

Dr Julian takes your privacy extremely seriously and we have a detailed, privacy notice and cookie policy that complies with the Data protection Act 2018 and explains how we handle your data and your rights in relation to it. You can find these documents on our website. We do not record any of your appointments.We use SSL end-to-end encryption for your security. We do not keep any of your payment card details on our systems. If you choose to create an account you will choose a secure password to access it. We are registered with the Data Protection Office (ICO) reference number: ZA201584.

We accept all major debit and credit cards including American Express, Visa and MasterCard. Your sensitive card details are encrypted using SSL (secure sockets layer technology) before transmission to our secure payment service provider Stripe. Your card details will never be stored on our servers.

For one hour appointments your therapist is committing an hour to you. This allows for no less than 50 minutes of contact time (providing you start your appointment on time) and 10 minutes of admin and note writing time for your therapist. Notes form an important part of your medical record for future appointments. If for whatever reason your contact time exceeds 50 minutes you will not be charged but it cannot exceed 60 minutes. For appointments that are 30 minutes this would break down to no less than 25 minutes of contact time and 5 minutes of note writing/ administration time.

If you want to book a further appointment with your therapist you can agree a date and time for a future appointment with them during your appointment. They will then update their availability on the web app to make that time available to you and at the end of your appointment you MUST book and pay for that time slot immediately to secure it. You may book multiple appointment slots at the same time on the Web App by selecting several appointments before proceeding to payment.

We recommend booking your next appointment in the last 5 minutes of your current appointment so that your therapist can upload a suitable time slot and you can then book this to prevent someone else booking. To do this all you need to do is to open a new tab on your browser and log into the platform again (obviously leaving open the session with your therapist) to allow you to book another appointment whilst in your current appointment

The frequency of sessions will depend on the therapy you choose to receive as well as your personal needs. Your therapist will discuss with you how often they believe you should have a session in order to provide maximum benefit. In NHS IAPT services and for CBT it is recommended to have a session once a week.

The number of sessions you have will depend on your personal situation and the type of therapy you choose to receive. Your therapist will discuss this with you. Many people will need between six and eight sessions for a course of CBT therapy. Other therapies may require fewer or more sessions. You can end your course of therapy whenever you feel it is necessary, but it is strongly encouraged that you discuss your wish to end your therapy sessions with your therapist first so you can bring matters to a satisfactory closure.

We do not record any therapy sessions. They are strictly confidential between you and your therapist. Notes will however be recorded about your session by your professional and details of text appointments will be stored in your account so you can access them at any time.

All the information that is discussed in an appointment with Dr Julian is completely confidential between you and your therapist. Each therapist abides by their professional bodies ethical and confidentiality code. In exceptional circumstances a therapist may need to share some information where there is a legal requirement to do so or with another professional, such as your GP, for example or if there is a serious risk of harm to yourself or to others. Your information will normally only be shared with your permission.

Your therapist will make clinical notes of your appointment. If you were to book an appointment with a different therapist then your clinical notes will be made available to your new therapist to assist with your on-going treatment. If your treatment has been paid for directly or indirectly by the NHS then your clinical notes and other information will be shared with them.

Your notes may be reviewed confidentially by select qualified Dr Julian professionals for auditing and quality evaluation purposes.For further information please read our Privacy Notice which you can find on our website.

If your treatment has been paid for by your employer we will NOT share any information with them including the fact that you have had an appointment unless you have requested that we do so.

Therapy is suitable for and can be beneficial to anyone who is in need of talking to someone. People who need therapy come from a wide range of situations and backgrounds, and they have a wide variety of issues.

No problem is too small for therapy. If you are feeling stressed out, have a challenge you would like help with overcoming, or if you just want to have a chat with someone and get something off your chest, then therapy could be right for you.

Video online therapy has been proven to work just as well, and in some cases better, than traditional, face-to-face therapy. Large review articles such as ‘Usefulness of telephsychiatry: A critical evaluation of videoconferencing-based approaches. Charkrabarti (2015)’ have shown equivalent clinical effectiveness in over 200 trials at the highest levels of medical evidence. Patient satisfaction was frequently reported as higher in the online therapy groups.

With traditional therapy from organisations like the NHS, a therapist is allocated to you or you are assigned to a long waiting list. When you use Dr Julian, either as a private, NHS or corporate patient you have the freedom to choose from a wide range of specialists who can see you quickly and without the need to add the stresses of travel and parking.

Perhaps more importantly you can have your appointment in the comfort of a location of your choosing including your home. You can also continue to have your therapy whilst travelling on business or whilst on holiday. You can also have your therapy session at any time of the day including evenings and weekends (subject to your therapist's availability) – perfect for those with a busy work schedule.

Finding the right therapist and the correct type of therapy to match your needs is the most important element when choosing a therapy service. Depending on your individual needs, we have a wide variety of therapists offering multiple therapy types. Please see our therapies page for more information. You can filter our therapists by your needs including language, therapy type, issue you need help with and date/time. This helps you to find the right therapist for your needs.

Not all therapies are the same, but they do have similarities. All therapies should make you feel that you are supported and help you to make sense of your individual circumstances. By the end of any therapy, you should feel that you are better equipped to cope with the future.

Each type of therapy is designed to help a different set of needs, so therapies will differ from each other in certain ways. Psychodynamic therapy concentrates on talking about your past, whereas other therapies may choose to focus on the present or even the future. Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) often involves ‘homework’ for you to do. Some therapies, like mindfulness therapy, are more spiritual.

Please see the therapies page on our web site for more information.

There are currently no statistics available on how many people receive therapy in the UK. However, it is clear that a growing number of people are seeking therapy. Research shows that 1 in 4 British adults will suffer with a mental health problem at some stage in their life, so it is increasingly common to experience some sort of difficulty that can be helped by therapy.In the past year more than 1.4 Million people have been referred for counselling by the NHS alone.

We have a strict recruitment policy for our therapists. Every therapist is carefully selected and interviewed by Dr Julian. They are all highly experienced with a minimum of 2 years clinical experience and they must provide evidence of counselling therapy or psychotherapy qualifications to diploma level or higher for masters and doctorate level therapists. They must also have up-to-date professional indemnity insurance and an up to date CRB check. All our therapists also have either had or are having online training.

If you are paying for your appointment and did not find the right therapist first time, we will offer you the opportunity to book a reduced price session with another therapist at the same price level. Email us at info@dr-julian.com with the details of your first session within 7 days of your initial appointment and we will refund you 25% of the second appointments price if it is booked within 14 days of your original appointment. The refund will be made after the second appointment has been completed.

If you feel you have a complaint about the way your therapist is working with you, we would recommend in the first instance that you try to resolve it with the therapist themselves. If that doesn't work then the next stage would be for you to contact our Director of Psychotherapy Services at psychotherapydirector@dr-julian.com and send a short summary of the problem. The Director of Psychotherapy Services will meet with you online in an attempt to resolve the issue. Failing that, the last resort is for you to contact the Professional Membership body of your therapist and make a formal complaint at that level. All our therapists are members of a Professional Membership Body and this information is included within their profile.

Our service can be used from wherever you are in the world, the exception being, if you are a USA or Canadian citizen where, due to their laws, we are unable to work with clients located in those jurisdictions.The system will automatically update for the time zone you are in and match this with the therapists time zone.

How old do you need to be to have therapy with Dr Julian? We currently only offer our service to those of 13 years of age or older. If under 18 a therapist with appropriate qualifications in Children and Young People must be selected (to filter for these please select it in the "Issues” filter) or the appointment will not be confirmed.

You do not need to open an account and register with Dr Julian until such time as you are ready to book an appointment. When you are ready to book the Website will guide you through the simple process once you have selected your Therapist and appointment date/time.

If you wish to open an account in order to store any assessments you wish to take on a regular basis for monitoring purposes then you can do so at no cost. Please click on the Login/Register button and follow the Register tab instructions.

Please click the relevant Link below:
• Desktop or Laptop Computer
• Apple iOS iPhone or iPad
• Android Phone

Yes, 30 minutes before your appointment is due to start you will receive a reminder email together with instructions on how to have your appointment.

In the unfortunate event that your Therapist has to cancel an appointment you will be notified as soon as possible by email. Your appointment record will be updated on the dashboard of your personal Dr Julian account to show the cancellation within “My Appointments”. Your account will be credited with an appointment credit that allows you to book another appointment with the same therapist but only by using the Dr Julian website.If you require a refund, please email us at info@dr-julian.com.

In the unusual event that one of our Therapists is unable to confirm an appointment you will be notified by an email from Dr Julian together with an explanation from the Therapist. This could be for a number of reasons but probably because the Therapist does not believe they are the most suitable person to help you with your condition.

Once we are aware of the situation we will endeavour to find somebody appropriate to help you. If you do not hear from us within 48 hours, please email us at info@dr-julian.com. As we do not take payment until an appointment has been confirmed by our Therapists you should not have been charged. However, if you have been charged you will be issued a full refund.

This is only available when using the Dr Julian website or the Dr Julian Android appointment app. Text appointments enable you to chat directly with your Therapist in writing for the duration of your appointment time, a copy of the chat transcript will then be saved in your ‘My Text appointments and Messages’ section of your dashboard.

This will be similar to using text messaging on your mobile device with your Therapist providing instant responses exclusively with you. Our Therapists do not conduct multiple text appointments at the same time so you will have their full attention.

In order to be able to have Video and Audio appointments you will be required to have a working Webcam and Microphone on your device. For the best possible experience please ensure you are using the latest version of one of the following internet browsers on your device.Google Chrome - Download Now Internet Explorer - Download Now Microsoft Edge - Download Now Mozilla Firefox - Download Now Safari - Download Now.

When having your appointment on a Computer. When you are logged in to the website, using the menu in the top left-hand corner of your dashboard click on the ‘My Appointments” page. In the top right-hand corner of the Appointments calendar you will see a button called “Test camera”. Click on this and it will enable you to check that both camera and microphone are working.

To ensure your appointment goes as smoothly as possible, there are a few things you need to do to prepare. We have created a checklist below to help you get ready for your session.

1. If you would like to prepare some notes on what you would like to discuss during the session, this can help some people.
2. Before your first appointment, please make sure you have completed your registration and provide any additional information requested under your personal profiles.
3. You will need to have a good Internet connection, WIFI or 4G (3G may cause interruption in the video link). Please see FAQ “What Technology do I need to connect to Dr Julian?” for more information.
4. If you get cut off for whatever reason and are using the Apple iOS App your therapist will call you back as soon as they can so please remain logged into the app. If using the web site remain logged in to your account and the therapist will call you back or if it is an internet issue you will be reconnected automatically when it resolves itself.
5. Many people find using earphones or a headset makes it easier to hear and more private, so you may wish to have these to hand.
6. Ensure that you are logged into the Dr Julian platform or mobile app on your Laptop/Desktop/iPhone/ iPad/ iPod touch several minutes before your appointment start time (we recommend 10 minutes).
7. If using the Apple iOS app you will need to allow the Dr Julian app to to send push notifications to your device and enable the app to access to the camera and microphone. If you have an iPhone or similar device you can do this in “Settings” > “Dr Julian” > “Notifications” > “Allow Notifications”.
8. If using a phone/ tablet please secure or rest your iPhone/iPad/iPod against something in an upright portrait mode so you don’t get tired holding it steady during the session. Please also make sure it is approximately one arm's length away so you and your therapist can see each other clearly.
9. Your therapist will contact you at your appointment start time by calling you through the Dr Julian platform, however, it is possible there may be a few minutes delay so please remain online.

In the event that you or your Therapist lose internet connectivity during your appointment, please remain logged in and on the appointment screen and your Therapist will re-join once the connection is restored. Alternatively, you can end the appointment and remain logged in and your Therapist will continue to call you back for the duration of your appointment.

When you request an appointment with a therapist it will be provisionally booked, and you will receive email confirmation. The therapist will then confirm the appointment, as soon as possible but in any case, within 24 hours. This will then be confirmed by an email which will provide further information about what you must do immediately prior to having your appointment.

All our therapists are trained to deal with the most common issues. On our Web App we are able to match you to the most appropriate therapist for your issue. You do this by using the filters. You can filter by language, therapy type and issue you need help with as well as date and time.When clicking on a therapist you can read their biography and qualifications before booking any appointments. The biography will also outline their specialisms, experience and any particular areas of expertise.

We recommend, if you are not sure about selecting the right therapist for you, that you message your chosen therapist before booking an appointment by using the “Send Message” button on their profile. On the Apple iOS app we are unable to match you using filters and you can only read the therapists biography and select a date for the therapists that are available on that date.If you are still uncertain about selecting the right therapist we can assist you in selecting a suitable therapist for your needs.

We offer a 30 minute appointment for £40 with one of our most experienced therapists who will explore your needs and suggest three therapists that meet your requirements from which to choose. Please email us if you require this help to info@dr-julian.comYou can find a lot of information about all the different issues we treat and the therapies available on our website. If you have a special requirement that is not covered please email info@dr-julian.com and we will endeavour to assist you.

Online therapy can be equally if not more effective than traditional face to face therapy. There are extensive clinical trials which have proven its effectiveness.

A Meta-Analysis of over 200 Randomised trials

Usefulness of tele psychiatry: A critical evaluation of videoconferencing-based approaches’ Chakrabarti S. (2015)

Concluded:

“Evidence indicates that videoconferencing-based tele psychiatry and therapy is no less effective than traditional face-to-face treatment”

“Treatment of depression delivered by videoconferencing is equivalent to face-to-face treatment on symptom reduction”

“In several instances video conferencing treatment has actually turned out to be superior to face-to-face treatment on depression outcomes”

“CBT may be particularly well suited to videoconferencing, because it is usually brief, more structured and less dependent on the therapeutic relationship”

“75-100% of the users reported considerable satisfaction with tele-psychiatric care”


Other trials include

Hulsbosch, A., et al.(2016). Videoconferencing in a mental health service in The Netherlands: A randomized controlled trial on patient satisfaction and clinical outcomes for outpatients with severe mental illness. Journal of Telemedicine and Telecare

Carlbring, P., Andersson, G., Cuijpers, P., Riper, H., & Hedman-Lagerlöf, E. (2018). Internet-based vs. face-to-face cognitive behavior therapy for psychiatric and somatic disorders: An updated systematic review and meta-analysis. Cognitive Behaviour Therapy, 47(1), 1-18. doi:10.1080/16506073.2017.1401115

Pslylyk-Colwell, E., Argaez, C. (2018). Telehealth for the assessment and treatment of depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, and anxiety disorder

An independent evaluation and health economic analysis performed by the Kent Surrey and Sussex Academic Health Science Network has shown therapy with Dr Julian to be more effective then equivalent face to face NHS services with a:

-9.3% Increase in Reliable Recovery Rate
-17.3% Increase in Reliable Improvement Rate
-50% Fewer Dropouts
-50% Reduction in Did Not Attend Rates
- 1/3 Cheaper than equivalent NHS appointments
- NHS gets £2.83 back from every £1 spent

The Dr Julian Platform saves all your information to its secure database hosted on Amazons Web Services (AWS) in London (EU) In-line with best GDPR practices.

Your data is transmitted via our secure API which is encrypted end to end. The Dr Julian platform also utilises a “Secure Socket Layer” (SSL Certificate) using RSA encryption.

The Dr Julian platform and mobile applications use only one notification which is used to notify you when your Therapist calls you to begin your appointment. You can manage your notification preferences to avoid the notifications appearing on your device when using one of the Mobile apps by following the following guides:

iOS: https://support.apple.com/en-gb/guide/iphone/iph7c3d96bab/ios

Android: https://support.google.com/android/answer/9079661?hl=en-GB

If you disable notifications you will need to be logged in to the Dr Julian platform or mobile applications in order to be able to join your appointment when your therapist calls you.

The Dr Julian platform will only display the notification if you are logged in to the Dr Julian platform using a laptop or desktop computer and have it open on your screen.

We have procedures in place to deal with any suspected data security breach. We will notify you and any applicable regulator of a suspected data breach where we are legally required to do so. We have clear policies for our staff on how to identify and respond to any breach and a separate Data Security Policy. We have insurance cover in relation to any breach.

Dr Julian does NOT share or sell any information with/to third parties. Details of who does have access to your information in relation to your treatment and management of our relationship is fully detailed in our Privacy Policy: https://dr-julian.com/privacy-cookie-policy/

On occasion we may use fully anonymised information for research purposes. It will NOT be possible to identify you from this information. If you would prefer that we did not use your anonymised information then please email us at info@dr-julian.com to that effect.

We retain your clinical record by reference to the IGA Records Management Code of Practice for Health and Social Care guidance for managing health records https://digital.nhs.uk/information-governance-alliance and to support our legal obligations to be accountable for your care. When the retention period detailed in the guidance expires we will delete all record of your relationship with us from our servers where it is securely stored.

The content/advice is reviewed and updated as required at least annually by appropriately qualified members of the Dr Julian team. This includes the scoring and content of the assessments which you may complete as part of your treatment. We also update the content in response to any new developments relating to information we make available to you.

These assessments have been fully validated in clinical trials. They are used extensively across the world for providing guidance in the diagnosis of the conditions and their severity. They are used within all NHS Mental Health Trusts as a standard requirement for completion by patients suffering from mental health conditions.

These assessments have been fully validated in clinical trials. They are the standard assessments which patients with specific issues are required to complete in the NHS. They provide additional information that assists your therapist in delivering your therapy.

We are always working to make our website and web applications as accessible and usable as possible and our development team use the W3C, WCAG 2.0 and 2.1 principles in developing our website and web applications.

We welcome user feedback and continuously seek to improve the performance of Dr Julian as a result of user experience. Following on from recent feedback we have incorporated the additional assessments which your therapist may ask you to complete within the Apps themselves and improved the reminders to complete assessments before an appointment. Please write to us at Julian@dr-julian.com with your suggestions.

Yes, this can be found on our website: https://dr-julian.com/accessibilitystatement