Priory Connect is our market-leading online therapy service, which allows you to carry out therapy appointments remotely over the internet. It removes the need to travel to a treatment centre and creates minimal impact on your schedule, as you can book appointments at a time most convenient to you. It also opens up the option of treatment with Priory if you don’t live close to one of our treatment locations.

Priory Connect allows you to go through the process of booking and paying for appointments online, all within the ConnectMyHealth app. This also includes choosing your own therapist, so you have complete control at every stage. You can book, pay for and join appointments through either the website or the app, depending on whether you’re using a mobile / tablet device. Priory Connect also allows you to access your profile and progress at any time.

Your online therapy with Priory Connect will be delivered by one of our highly-qualified Priory therapists. You’ll be able to select the specialist you want to deliver your treatment, using the information provided in their profile. You can read more about our specialists here.

Priory Connect provides effective treatment for a wide range of mental health conditions, including but not limited to:

• Depression
• Stress
• Anxiety
• Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) 
• Eating disorders
• Alcohol addiction
• Drug addiction

If you’ve started receiving online therapy with us, you’re able to change your therapist if you feel like this is something that’s right for you. However, we do ask that you go through a few steps when it comes to working with your therapist, before making a final decision.

Step one - learn about your therapist

Prior to starting online therapy with us, we would advise that you review your chosen therapist’s online biography in our specialists section, and feel free to contact them directly with any initial queries. We want you to feel happy and comfortable with your decision and encourage you to take your time with this to make sure you’ve selected a therapist that feels like the right fit for you.

Step two - understand that your first session will be a ‘getting to know you’ session

It’s important to recognise that your first therapy session will be an assessment session, where your therapist will explore your current mental state and the difficulties you’re facing. It’s a chance for you and your therapist to get to know each other a bit better and for you to feel comfortable around them. Therefore, you don’t need to be concerned if you haven’t started working through therapy techniques straightaway – this will come in time and will be even more effective because you’ve started building a therapeutic relationship with your therapist.

Talk to your therapist about your concerns

Before changing therapists, we would encourage you to share any concerns that you have with your current therapist. This means you’ll have the chance to work through these concerns together in your sessions before making any final decisions. This is important because sometimes the concerns or issues you’re experiencing are related to the emotional challenges you’re going through. Talking these through can be an effective part of your therapy, empowering you to move forwards with your current therapist in a positive way.

If, for whatever reason, you don’t feel able to talk to your therapist about your concerns, you can speak to a manager instead. They’ll be able to help you manage the situation in the best way. In order to be put in touch with a manager, you can email us at prioryconnecthelp@priorygroup.com, giving a brief description of your concerns, and we’ll get back to you.

Your therapy, your choice

Ultimately, we do like to do what we can to minimise the need for patients to change therapists. We have your best interests at heart and through experience, we know that disruptions to therapy can be detrimental to your recovery and wellbeing. In addition, as outlined above, talking about your concerns with your therapist can actually lead to a better and more effective therapeutic relationship, empowering you to face your psychological issues and move forwards. Other times, it’s simply a case of ‘finding your feet’ in therapy and giving yourself and your therapist the chance to connect.

Having said that, you’re the one going through therapy and therefore, it’s completely your choice. If you’ve gone through the above steps and still feel that you would like to change therapist, this is absolutely something that we can accommodate – just get in touch with us. Although you don’t have to give a reason or participate in your next therapy session, we would ask that you let your therapist know that you’re planning to change therapist. This is courteous, best practice and something that we encourage.

There are a few instances where Priory Connect wouldn’t be suitable. These include:

• If you’re under 18
• If you’re classed as high-risk or require emergency attention
• If you need a consultant diagnosis
• If you need to be prescribed medication
• If you require detoxification before starting addiction treatment
• If your condition is better suited to an inpatient (residential) programme

In you fall under these criteria, you would firstly need a separate assessment with a Consultant Psychiatrist. For further information, and to discuss your needs further, call us today on 0800 422 0405.

Online therapy, also known as remote therapy, video therapy or digital therapy, essentially refers to therapy that is provided over the internet, via your mobile phone or tablet. The process of delivering the therapeutic treatment remains the same, except that you don’t need to go anywhere to attend a physical location in person.

In short, yes – online therapy has been shown to be just as effective as face-to-face therapy, with patients reporting high satisfaction with their experiences. You can read more about the benefits of online therapy

The main difference with online therapy is that you speak to your therapist over a video or audio call, rather than in person. Otherwise, sessions are carried out in the same way as face-to-face appointments.

Our therapists can provide a whole range of evidence-based therapy techniques, which will be recommended for you based on the issues you’re facing. These include:

• Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT)
• CBT for eating disorders (CBT-E)
• Trauma-focused CBT (TF-CBT)
• Dialectical behaviour therapy (DBT)
• Mindfulness
• Person centred therapy (PCT)
• Gestalt therapy
• Cognitive analytic therapy (CAT)
• Schema therapy

Each therapy session costs £124, which can be paid through the Connect My Health app when booking your appointments.

You can make your payments through the Connect My Health app, in the payments section when booking your appointments.

These are the steps to take if you want to access Priory Connect through the app:

• Search for the Connect My Health app in your app store
• Download the Connect My Health app
• Set up your new account
• Select the Priory Connect option
• Follow the instructions on the screen to select your therapist, book your first therapy session and make your payment

You can also watch our Priory Connect video to help guide you through the set up process.

Yes, your personal details and treatment information will be completely confidential to your therapist. All data we keep in the app is stored in line with data protection requirements.

If you’re more comfortable with your camera off during online therapy, our specialists will be more than happy to conduct an audio-only appointment. You can also carry out your therapy over telephone if you prefer.

You can access the support section of the Connect My Health app.