Mollie will be in touch.
Synapse is not an emergency or crisis service.
If someone’s life is at risk or they cannot be kept safe, call 999 or go to A&E.
If urgent mental health help is needed but the situation is not an emergency, use NHS 111 online or call 111 and select the mental health option.
Parents usually contact us because something in their child’s everyday life has become harder to manage. They may be withdrawing from school, friendships or family life, losing confidence, or struggling with routines and responsibility.
Understanding what is going on with your child can be difficult. Finding the right support, knowing where to look and being able to access it is another challenge.
You do not need to have all of that figured out before speaking to us. We will start by understanding what has been happening and help you work out the right next step.
Your first point of contact will be Mollie Royds, our Head of Client Experience and Care Management, who will be your dedicated Care Manager. Mollie helps families understand how Synapse works, talks through what has prompted the enquiry and guides you through each stage of the process. She will normally respond within one working day.
We handle every enquiry with care, discretion and respect for confidentiality.
Synapse helps young people reconnect with everyday life.
Your child will be matched with their own Coach, someone who works alongside them to understand what is getting in the way, build confidence and develop practical ways of managing life more independently.
The relationship matters. Every Coach has lived experience young people relate to, alongside their professional training. They are carefully selected for their ability to connect with teenagers and twenty-somethings, listen properly and provide consistent, reliable support.
Coaching is shaped around your child. The work may involve confidence, stress, routines, relationships, organisation, goals or simply getting life moving again. Sessions can take place online or in person, and the frequency of support is adapted to what will be most useful.
Behavioural Health Coaching combines an emotionally supportive relationship with practical guidance, within a clinically supervised framework grounded in established psychological principles.
Coaches are supervised by Thomas Watt-Pringle, Assistant Clinical Psychologist and Clinical Lead, within a qualified clinical psychology oversight framework. Dr Harriet Mellotte sits as supervising Clinical Psychologist.
For parents, the important point is that the support is personal, but it is not informal. Your child has a Coach they can get to know and trust, with a clinical team behind the relationship throughout. Where therapy is needed, we bring in a registered therapist from our network and coordinate the team, so you do not have to find one yourself.
The aim is to help your child build the skills, confidence and habits they need to manage everyday life with increasing independence.
You have already completed this step.
We have received the information you provided and will use it to understand the reason for your enquiry and arrange the next conversation. You do not need to submit anything again.
Mollie will speak with you about what has been happening for your child, what has prompted you to seek support and what you hope might change. The first conversation is at no charge, with no commitment.
This is a non-clinical conversation rather than a clinical assessment. It gives Mollie the chance to understand your situation properly and helps us decide whether a clinical assessment with Synapse is the right next step.
You can also use the conversation to ask questions about Synapse, the coaching model or anything you are unsure about.
If it makes sense to continue, the next stage is a clinical assessment with Thomas Watt-Pringle, Assistant Clinical Psychologist and Clinical Lead. This usually takes place within a week.
Thomas will take time to understand what is getting in the way for your child and whether Synapse coaching is likely to be a suitable and effective form of support. Your written report and personalised care plan follow three days later.
If we believe another form of support would be more appropriate, we will explain that clearly and help you understand the available next steps.
After the assessment, we agree what support your child needs. Every young person has a dedicated Synapse Coach and is overseen by our clinical team. When therapy is needed, we introduce a trusted therapist who is registered with a recognised professional body, DBS checked and insured. The therapist leads the therapy; your child’s Coach helps them use what they learn in everyday life. We coordinate the care, and all fees are agreed with you before support starts.
We carefully match your child with a Coach. We consider age, needs, interests, personality and the kind of person your child is likely to feel comfortable with.
This matters because teenagers and twenty-somethings tend to engage when they feel the person in front of them understands them and can work alongside them. The aim is to find someone your child can relate to and build a genuine, trusting relationship with.
Your child then meets the proposed Coach before coaching begins, and decides whether to go ahead.
If the match does not feel right, we would rather know early and reconsider than push ahead with a relationship that is unlikely to work.
Coaching can start seven days after the care plan. Sessions can take place in person, online or through a combination of the two.
The Coach works alongside your child on the areas of everyday life that are currently getting in the way. That may mean helping them get back into routines, manage stress, rebuild confidence, handle relationships differently or start taking more responsibility for their own life.
The care plan is reviewed weekly and changes as needs change, with clinical supervision throughout. Towards the end, a final clinical evaluation looks at what has changed and whether anything still needs attention. We agree next steps with the young person and, where appropriate, their parent or carer. The goal is progress and greater independence, not long-term reliance on support.
Clinical assessment and final clinical evaluation: £350.
Online coaching: £95 for a standard 50-minute session.
In-person coaching: £190 for a standard 90-minute session.
Where therapy is needed, therapy fees are agreed with you before therapy starts. We will explain the expected overall cost before you decide whether to proceed.
Privacy, discretion and confidentiality are taken seriously throughout the Synapse process.
We only ask for information that is needed to understand your child and provide appropriate support. Clinical information is kept securely and access is limited to authorised people. Coaches receive only the information they need to work safely and effectively with your child.
We will explain what information is being collected, why it is needed and who can see it.
As teenagers and young adults become more independent, confidentiality becomes increasingly important. Being a parent, carer, payer or referrer does not automatically give someone access to a young person’s clinical information. We will explain how this works clearly at the appropriate stage.
Mollie will be in touch to arrange your first conversation and guide you through the next stage.
If you need to contact her in the meantime:
mollie@synapsehealth.co.uk
0204 592 1268
