FAQs

No. You don’t need to arrive with an explanation ready. The psychologist will ask questions, and you can say if you are not ready to talk about something.

Friends and family can support you. Therapy is confidential and professional: a psychologist helps you look at what is going on, work out ways of coping, and work towards specific goals.

No. Sessions booked through New Ground are not for emergencies. If you are at immediate risk of harming yourself or someone else, go to the nearest emergency room. In immediate danger, call 911. The NCMH crisis line answers at any hour, free: 1553 from a landline, (02) 7989 8727 or 0917 899 8727.

The psychologist available through New Ground works with adults experiencing anxiety, stress, low mood, trauma-related concerns, major life changes, and difficulties at work or in relationships. New Ground is not the right place to book for crisis or emergency care, medication-only appointments, or anyone under 18. The limits are set out on the "is this for me" page.

A psychiatrist is a medical doctor and can prescribe medication. A psychologist provides assessment and therapy and cannot prescribe. Many people see both. The full comparison, including psychometricians and guidance counsellors, is on the “is this for me” page.

Sessions booked through New Ground are for adults aged 18 and over. If you’re asking on behalf of someone younger, write to us and we’ll suggest a suitable service.

A first session is 90 minutes to discuss what brought you to therapy, what you would like help with and what may be useful next. A follow-up is 50 minutes of therapy. Each session is booked separately, and there is no required number of sessions. Mental Health Testing & Certification is an assessment for a specific document: a certificate for a PRC board exam or a medicine programme, return-to-work documentation, or an ESA certificate. The initial consultation is booked online, and the assessment form is emailed to you beforehand. Prices are on the “Services & pricing” page.

You can raise your concerns, change direction or stop. Only one psychologist is available through New Ground at the moment, so finding a different one means a referral somewhere else.

Online sessions follow the same clinical process and last the same time: 90 minutes for a first session and 50 for a follow-up. You join by video from a private place where you can speak without being overheard, using a device and an internet connection that can hold a video call.

Online sessions, Manila time: Monday to Friday, 4:00 pm to 8:00 pm Saturday, 10:00 am to 8:00 pm Sessions are by appointment only. The times open for booking are shown when you book and depend on the psychologist’s availability. Service hours may change, with notice.

No. To book we ask for your name, email address and mobile number. Once therapy begins, the psychologist you book with also keeps the clinical records the profession requires, which the privacy notice sets out in full. You can save your details to your own device to make rebooking quicker; that’s stored on your phone or laptop, not with us.

Cancel at least 24 hours before your session for a full refund. If you cancel with less than 24 hours’ notice or miss your session without letting us know, you may be charged the full session fee. You can reschedule up to twice using the link in your confirmation email, provided you do so at least 24 hours before your session. For cancellations, a third reschedule, or any change within 24 hours, please contact us by WhatsApp or email.

No. We don’t bill HMOs or insurers directly, and we’re not accredited with any of them. If that changes, this page will say so.

That you have read how the service works: what it is and is not, what confidentiality covers and where it stops, the fees, and how to reschedule or cancel. Your psychologist will go through informed consent with you at the start of your first session, and you can ask anything or change your mind then.

Sessions are confidential. Neither New Ground nor your psychologist discloses that you are a client to your employer, insurer or family without your permission, except where the law or the profession requires it: an immediate risk to life, a child or vulnerable person at risk, or a court order. Your psychologist sets these out in the first session, and they are written down in the terms.

A stable internet connection, a device with a camera and microphone, and a quiet, private space. You may also be asked to complete questionnaires or provide background information before or during the assessment.

Results are usually available within one to two weeks, depending on the assessment and number of tests involved. Keep this lead time in mind if you need the certificate by a specific date.

The fee covers the mental health assessment, the consultation and issuing the certificate. If further sessions are clinically recommended or requested after the assessment, they are booked and charged separately at the usual session fee.

A certificate can recommend further sessions and still be issued. Where the assessment supports it, the certificate says what was found at the time and notes the recommendation. Any sessions after that are booked and paid for separately, at the usual session fee.