Most people arrive with the same handful of questions, and several of them are ones people feel awkward asking on the phone. They are answered here plainly. If yours is not covered, the free 30-minute consultation is the place to ask it — there is no charge and no obligation.
Getting started
What happens on the free 30-minute consultation?
We talk. You describe what is going on, and I ask enough questions to understand the pattern underneath it. By the end of the call you will know whether I think this approach fits your situation, roughly how many sessions it is likely to take, and what it will cost. If I do not think I am the right person, I will say so and point you somewhere more useful. There is no charge and no pressure to book.
Do I need a referral or a diagnosis?
No. You can contact me directly. There is no waiting list, no referral form, and no diagnosis required. If I think you need medical input alongside the therapeutic work — which is sometimes the case, particularly with alcohol or prescription medication — I will tell you on the call.
Do I have to admit I am an addict?
No. This is not a twelve-step practice and you are not asked to take on a label. Plenty of the people I see would not use the word “addiction” about themselves at all — they describe a habit that has stopped being a choice. That is enough to work with.
How quickly can I be seen?
Usually within days rather than weeks. Availability is at 1 Harley Street Monday to Friday 9:00am–7:00pm, Saturday 10:00am–4:00pm, and Sunday by appointment.
How the work is done
What actually happens in a session?
The first part of any programme is understanding what the behaviour is doing for you — what it regulates, what it avoids, what it costs. From there I draw on hypnotherapy, NLP, EMDR and PSY-Tap, chosen against what your assessment shows rather than applied as a fixed sequence. Sessions are one-to-one and conversational. You will not be asked to perform, confess, or share anything in a group.
What is hypnotherapy actually like? Will I lose control?
No. Clinical hypnosis is closer to absorbed concentration — the state you are in when a film pulls you in and you stop noticing the room — than to sleep or unconsciousness. You remain aware throughout, you can speak, and you can stop at any point. Nothing happens without your cooperation, and you cannot be made to do or say anything you do not want to.
Why hypnotherapy rather than talking therapy alone?
Because most people already understand their problem intellectually and still cannot stop. The decision to reach for something is made below conscious thought, faster than deliberation. Working at that level is what hypnotherapy is for. It is used alongside the talking work here, not instead of it.
How many sessions will I need?
It depends on what the assessment shows, so I give you a realistic range on the free call rather than a number invented in advance. This is multi-session work rather than a single appointment, and aftercare is included.
Will you make me stop everything immediately?
The goal is agreed with you, not imposed. For some people that is abstinence; for others it is regaining control. What matters is that the goal is honest and achievable for your circumstances. If your situation makes sudden cessation medically unsafe — alcohol and benzodiazepines being the clearest examples — we will involve your GP rather than press ahead.
Privacy and discretion
Is this confidential?
Yes. What you discuss stays between us. The exceptions are narrow and standard for any therapist: a serious and immediate risk of harm to you or someone else, a legal requirement or court order, or a safeguarding concern about a child or vulnerable adult. Wherever it is safe to do so, you would be told before anything was disclosed. The full detail is in the Privacy Policy.
Will my employer, my GP or my insurer find out?
Not from me. Nothing is reported to your employer, your GP or an insurer without your explicit written consent. Because this is a private practice, nothing enters your NHS record unless you choose to tell your GP yourself.
I am well known in my field. How discreet is this really?
A significant part of the practice is people whose professional lives make discretion the deciding factor. Appointments are one-to-one at a private Harley Street address with no shared waiting room dynamic, no group work, and no reception announcement. Online sessions are available if being seen entering a building is the concern.
Practical questions
Can we work online?
Yes. Sessions run by video call across the UK and internationally, and hypnotherapy works perfectly well this way. You need a private space and a stable connection. Many clients mix the two — starting in person and continuing online, or the reverse when travel gets in the way.
What does it cost?
Fees depend on the programme your assessment points to, so the whole cost is set out on the free call before you commit to anything. There are no add-on charges afterwards: the fee covers the consultation, the sessions themselves, and the aftercare.
Do you accept private health insurance?
[CONFIRM — the configuration sheet has this field blank. Either state which insurers you work with, or say plainly that fees are self-funded. Leaving it unanswered costs enquiries.]
What is your cancellation policy?
Appointments need at least 48 hours’ notice to change or cancel, and the change is only confirmed once you have written confirmation back from me. Less than 48 hours’ notice, or an unconfirmed change, is charged in full. The full terms are on the Terms and Conditions page.
Results and afterwards
Will this work for me?
I cannot promise you a result, and you should be wary of anyone in this field who does. What I can tell you is that the approach is designed to address the driver underneath the behaviour rather than only the behaviour itself, and that the free consultation exists precisely so you can judge the fit before spending anything. If I do not think it will help you, I will tell you.
I have tried therapy before and it did not work. Why would this be different?
That is a fair question and worth putting to me directly on the call. Often what was missing was not effort but level — insight-based work that never reached the automatic response, or a programme that treated the substance as the problem rather than as the solution you had found to something else. Whether that is what happened for you is exactly what the consultation is for.
What happens when the sessions end?
Aftercare is included rather than sold separately, and support for family members or a partner can form part of the work. The intention is that you leave with tools you can use on your own, not a dependence on appointments.
What if I slip?
It is treated as information, not failure. A lapse tells us something about a trigger the work has not yet reached, which is useful. Relapse prevention is built into the programme rather than bolted on at the end.
Still deciding?
Ring 07825 599340 or email stuart@harleystreetaddictionspecialist.co.uk for a free 30-minute consultation. You are not committing to anything by asking.
If you need urgent help this is not a crisis service. Contact your GP, call 111, or call the Samaritans free at any hour on 116 123. In an emergency call 999.
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