When choosing a therapist it is important to find out what approach they use as this will impact the overall cost. Many therapists still use a traditional approach: They focus on what your child cannot do, set targets and work directly with the child, teaching specific skills to 'plug the gaps'. Children typically attend successive 6-week blocks of therapy. Working in this way can be effective but often takes longer. Children can struggle to use the new 'skills' outside of therapy.
VERVE is an 'emerging skills' model: looking at what your child CAN do and how we help them build their skills through real life interactions. Sessions are longer - 60 - 90mins working with you and your child - but you will need fewer sessions overall.
"The VERVE sessions have given us as parents a really active part in helping him to develop his speech, which felt lacking in the traditional therapy delivered via school. We are seeing huge development in our son’s speech since undertaking VERVE, this is something school has also commented on, so we would have no hesitation in recommending VERVE to other parents, it is a natural, soft approach to SLT that has huge benefits... the child doesn’t even recognise that its therapy!"
A non-refundable £50 deposit is required to confirm your booking. Balance payment (£130) is required on the day of the consultation after the visit has been completed. Total £180
Parents often lose confidence when their child is struggling with communication and believe their child needs to be 'fixed' by an expert. VERVE therapy ensures parents soon feel calm, capable, valued - and vital - which you are!
Therapy sessions are charged at £90/h (in line with other local SLTs)
A therapy block = 4 sessions (1x 90min session, 3x 60min sessions) = £405 After the initial investment VERVE very quickly becomes cheaper - and more empowering! - than more traditional approaches. A review appointment every 4 - 6 weeks (if needed) is sufficient to maintain progress. We decide together when to discharge your child from my caseload.If a child has additional or more complex speech & language needs, parents often like to meet with me every 6-8 weeks over a longer period.
"The sessions are absolutely good value for money and we have taken a lot out of them."
"Consulting with Gillian proved to be an excellent investment of time and money."
"... it is therapy that we can be involved in (so much of what is offered elsewhere is via school, with little or no input from us...). VERVE has shown massive results in our son in a very short space of time, and has given us the opportunity to really see what progress is being made."
Please see my FAQs for more information about therapy.
In line with professional guidance, fees reflect not only time spent on face-to-face assessment and treatment, but also time spent on planning and preparation, record keeping, and resourcing, and my commitment to continuing professional development through ongoing reading and training which is also a requirement of the Health Care Professions Council. I aim to ensure my fees are fair, good value for money and competitive.
Clients using private health insurance are responsible for settling their invoice directly with me and then claiming from the company concerned. It is therefore advisable to check the level of your cover before agreeing to therapy.
As a parent you can refer your child to the local NHS SLT team. You do not need to ask your Health Visitor or GP to refer your child. If you are concerned about your child’s general development, you could contact your Health Visitor for advice.
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