Brief Strategic Therapy (Medico-Legal) Clinics
Specialist brief psychological therapy for Medico-legal cases & litigation.

The Brief Strategic Therapy (Medico-Legal) Clinics were established with the sole purpose of providing a professional service directly to legal firms for the benefit of their clients. Therapy is tailored to the client’s needs and is delivered in 3 to 5 consultations.

We recognise that individuals who have experienced personal injury and are engaged in legal processes may develop various anxiety based problems as a direct response to such experiences.  These problems can impact upon their lives and ability to function post incident and during the process of ongoing litigation. The psychological wellbeing of these individuals forms an important aspect of their claim and its successful conclusion.

Legal firms, therefore, should have the facility to recommend rapid, psychological treatment, where appropriate, either as part of a client’s claim and case management, or in response to the diagnosis and report of a Medico Legal Consultant.

Our clinics offer rapid and professional treatment to clients who are experiencing various anxiety disorders and depression as a direct result of suffering personal injury or trauma. This treatment can be of benefit to clients both during and on completion of legal proceedings.

Our clinics provide excellent facilities and enable our consultants to undertake assessments and therapy in a relaxed and professional environment. Our consultants offer rapid and professional treatment to clients who are experiencing various anxiety disorders and depression as a direct result of suffering personal injury or trauma. This treatment can be of benefit to clients both during and on completion of legal proceedings.

Presenting Issues for which we can provide specialist treatment:

• Trauma, post traumatic stress, and protracted stress responses
• Mood disorders and anxiety related depression
• Panic disorder
• Phobic responses
• Stress and Anxiety
• Behavioural issues
  

Service features:

• Urgent appointments, usually within 2 weeks
• Rapid treatment in 3-5 ninety minute consultations
• Shortest possible treatment duration
• Treatment outline and progress reports

General 3-phase treatment out line:

Our therapeutic approach is tailored to each individual’s need. It includes the brief psychological treatment of anxiety based disorders, such as post-traumatic stress, panic and depression. A successful outcome cannot ethically be guaranteed, as it is dependent on multiple factors including the nature of the complaint, the individual’s motivation for treatment and the legal process itself. However, most individuals will make some improvement during the therapeutic process, which follows three main phases that are delivered over 3-5 sessions.

1. Positive priming and psycho-education.

This initial phase of treatment involves specific assessment of the patient’s problem and its subsequent ongoing development. This is followed by specific strategies that educate the patient with regards to understanding the nature of their specific anxiety and aims to normalise their responses within an appropriate context. Also where appropriate to aid with their motivation and self cofidence to engage in the ongoing legal process.

2. Accessing and resynthesis of state dependent memory and learned behaviour

This phase of therapy aims to address the biological and state dependent nature of the client's symptoms and anxiety. A variety of therapeutic approaches directed at overcoming avoidance behaviour, which is often a contributing factor in anxiety disorders, are utilised. Secondly, a range of rapid resynthesis strategies are then employed where the therapeutic objective is to interrupt the symptom expression and to reassociate underlying symptomatic memory with more appropriate information needed for adaptation and processing of trauma and anxiety.

3. Future incubation and facilitation of new adaptive behaviour

This final phase of therapy involves many relaxation based approaches together with internal contemplation and utilises the client’s ongoing experience in order to potentiate and facilitate new adaptive behaviour. This process helps to enhance self confidence and reduce generalised anxiety. The therapeutic aim of future incubation is to associate all previous therapeutic gains and improvements with the patient’s perceived future leading to the development of a more positive expectation, enhanced motivation, self esteme and amplification of ongoing beneficial psychological change.

Main Clinic Location

Cyncoed Consulting rooms, Cardiff , Wales

Mr Andy McCann
Andy is a leading Brief Strategic Therapist. He is an internationally published author with Jessica Kingsley Publishers, London (specialists in Social and Behavioural Science). His work has been acclaimed in the UK national press and medical journals and he was nominated for the prestigious Glen Dimplex Writers’ Award, 2006 (non-fiction category). He has also been commissioned to contribute a series of wellbeing pieces in the Times (Educational Supplement) and is regularly engaged in an advisory capacity to national organisations on behavioural problems and appears in the national media.

Andy is an elected Fellow of the Royal Society of Medicine and is a member of the Vocational Rehabilitation Association. 

Andy runs clinics at Cyncoed Consulting Rooms, Cardiff where he specialises in stress management and is used as an expert in Medico Legal cases.

Depending on the situation Brief Strategic Therapists may be involved with other professionals when they are doing medico-legal work. These may include: solicitors, psychologists, psychiatrists, medical staff, occupational therapists, or educational staff.