communicating confidence
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
General
By far the easiest way to contact me is through the Contact Form on this website.
Alternatively, you can phone me on 01642 351221. However, I am often not immediately available by telephone. While I am usually in my office between 9 am and 5 pm, Monday to Friday, I probably will not answer the phone when I am with a client. When I am unavailable, my telephone is answered by an answering machine that I monitor frequently. I will make every effort to return your call on the same day you make it, with the exception of weekends and holidays.
Speech Therapy Services
How do I know my speech therapist is registered?
In the UK, anyone advertising themselves as – or in any way claiming to be – a speech therapist/speech and language therapist must be registered with the Health Professions Council. Do not, therefore, enter into a contract with anyone claiming to be a speech therapist/speech and language therapist who is not registered. You can check that a practitioner is registered by using the HPC portal.
Speech therapy (including voice therapy and stammering therapy) is a
therapy and not a treatment. This
mean that the interventions are more like the sorts of things teachers and other
educators do.
Because I offer therapy this means there are no instant
cures. As I will only see you or your child for a short time each week it
is important that the exercises provided are carried out regularly throughout
the rest of the week. In the case of a child this means that parents or carers
must be committed to carrying out this work.
Because of the nature of certain communication difficulties it may be that
advice is all that is required at a particular
point. That is to say, not all communication difficulties will require me to
work directly with you or your child.
As many of the skills I attempt to teach will be new, there may be a need for
breaks from active therapy to allow you or your
child to firm up what has been learnt. For example, I may see you for a series
of sessions, after which you would not come to see me again for a few weeks.
Then, after an agreed time, I would see you again to review progress and, if
necessary, begin another series of sessions.
How can I pay for therapy services?
The contract for providing therapy services is between you
and Dr Graham Williamson. This means that you (not your insurance company) are responsible for full payment of my fees. Fees for initial consultations are payable immediately, either by cash or cheque. Thereafter, you will be invoiced directly at the end of each calendar month. Payment can be made by cash, cheque, bank transfer or by credit card online.
If you wish to claim back any money paid to Dr Graham Williamson from a medical insurer, you are advised to check with them the level of your cover and the exact allowances to which you are entitled under the terms and conditions of your particular policy, before you commence therapy. You need to satisfy yourself that your medical insurer will recognise Dr Graham Williamson and the speech therapy services I deliver for benefits. [Please note: medical insurance rarely covers speech therapy for children unless it is required following surgery, e.g. insertion of grommets.]
Can I see a private speech therapist whilst seeing an NHS therapist?
Yes, but it is important that both speech therapists are aware of the other's involvement. Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists' guidelines recommend that private practitioners advise the appropriate NHS speech therapy service of their involvement with an individual client. This is so that appropriate liaison between the two can take place.
I'm not from the Tees Valley and Darlington area. Where can I find help?
There are many speech therapists throughout the UK who specialise in voice and speech disorders. There are fewer who work in the field of corporate speech and language therapy. Your local NHS speech therapy department can give you details of available services. You can find your local Primary Care Trust through an online Directory. For private speech therapy, contact one of the independent associations or, again, your local NHS speech therapy service. All the links you need to do this can be found here: How to Find a Speech Therapist in the UK
