A Consultant General Adult Psychiatrist trained first as a medical doctor, then completed postgraduate training in psychiatry, specialising in the mental health of working age adults.

No. Please contact your GP, 111, attend A&E or call 999 or a mental health crisis service as appropriate, if you require urgent help or are experiencing a crisis. We are unable to provide an immediate (duty), urgent or crisis service. ​We are able to provide scheduled non-emergency consultations only.

Click the button below to book your 90 minute consultation:Click the button below to book your 60 minute consultation:More Information can be found here:

Yes.  We offer an online service via videoconference, for patients situated anywhere in the UK, at the time of their consultation.

Dr Briffa recommends 90 minutes for your initial consultation, as experience shows that this is optimal for most people.  However, she is happy for you to choose a 90 minute or 60 minute initial consultation.​​To guide you in your decision, she would encourage you to think about the different issues you would like to discuss, consider their complexity, how difficult they may be for you to talk about and how long you would like to discuss them at an initial consultation?​​Whether you choose 90 or 60 minutes for your initial consultation, you are assured of Dr Briffa’s support, respect and efficiency.  Her aim is always to discuss your priorities, comprehensively assess you, discuss initial findings and your options for next steps.​Dr Briffa will then also provide a written opinion and recommendations to accurately reflect your discussion, and recommend follow up as appropriate.

Dr Briffa’s approach remains the same, just as she respects the choices made by all her patients.  Dr Briffa will make a recommendation after your initial consultation as to the duration of a follow up appointment, and a timeframe to consider until your next meeting.  However, Dr Briffa is happy for you to choose the duration of your follow up appointment.  Dr Briffa’s approach is always to discuss your priorities, comprehensively review you, discuss her findings and your options for next steps.  For some patients, 30 minutes is ample time, for others 90 minutes is not long enough.  To guide you, she would encourage you to think about the different issues you would like to discuss at your follow up meeting, considering their complexity, how difficult they may be to talk about and how long you would like to discuss them at a follow up consultation?Dr Briffa’s patients will tell you she works efficiently and effectively.  She will always do her best to use your time together as efficiently as possible.Dr Briffa will also provide written opinion and recommendations to accurately reflect your discussion. She will guide you, as to any recommended follow up.

Please bring photographic ID- in the form of a passport or driving licence.

We respectfully ask you to honour the time available for your appointment, to enable appointments to start on time for you and other patients. Unfortunately, we are unable to extend the time available for an appointment, at the time of an appointment. If you think you could benefit from a longer appointment, please contact us as soon as possible ahead of your appointment, so that we can check if we have availability for you.

Dr Briffa is very familiar with working with interpreters in person, over the telephone and online, having worked for a decade with a mental health service for asylum seekers, refugees and their families, for whom English was not their first language. She has also worked with interpreters, in her independent practice. She understands how to communicate effectively using an interpreter, to ensure accuracy of conveyed questions and answers, and ensure comfort for all parties.We are only able to work with qualified interpreters, who are able to verify their qualification and ID.  Please identify and book a qualified interpreter who is governed by a nationally recognised professional code of conduct and works online. Please do not use a family member, friend or anyone who has a conflict of interest with you, to interpret for you.Please provide booking and contact details for your interpreter, ahead of your consultation.We can share a video link, with your interpreter.

Letters: We will write to you as soon as possible after your consultation. We ask that you please allow up to 10 working days, but always endeavour to provide information to you, much sooner. Reports: The time required to complete formal reports will be stated in the quotation you have received.

We do not offer private prescriptions, as best practice determines that prescription medication is a service best provided by your GP, who has your full, up to date medical history. We are a specialist psychiatric service and are skilled to recommend appropriate medication options, for you to discuss with your GP. Your GP will be familiar with receiving medication recommendations from NHS and private specialists. After considering your medical history and other prescribed medications you may have, checking for any interactions, your GP is best placed to prescribe for you, if they are in agreement with Dr Briffa’s recommendations. Additionally, there will be no private prescription cost to you. As normal, if your GP prescribes on the basis of Dr Briffa’s recommendations, you would pay for an NHS prescription or indicate your relevant exemption, at your nominated pharmacy.

Beyond the initial assessment, Dr Briffa will manage your case carefully and collaboratively with you, meeting with you as often as you determine is helpful.  She will review and support you to understand your individualised options and then to try out specific interventions, when you are ready.  Many patients also find it extremely valuable to be able to have a specialist to check in with, and a space to share accountability without any judgement.  Many patients have accessed helpful NHS services but find they are unable to continue for as long as they need, due to finite resources.  Case management with Dr Briffa could be an excellent option to access continuity, and continue to work on your mental health recovery as often and for as long as you like.

We are unable to see individuals under the age of 18, and would encourage you to consider Child and Adolescent Mental Health services, to meet your needs.We are unable to see individuals with a diagnosed intellectual disability, and would encourage you to consider Intellectual Disability mental health services, to meet your needs. Dr Briffa will signpost patients who require assessment of intellectual disorders, specific learning issues, including reading, writing, arithmetic and motor co-ordination. They are often combined with psychiatric symptoms or neurodevelopmental features, and benefit from different specialisms. If you have significant concerns about your memory, your needs may best be met by an Old Age Psychiatrist. Often patients have concerns about their memory, and this can be related to mood states. Dr Briffa will be happy to meet and can tease out memory issues that may better be assessed by an Old Age Psychiatrist.

Dr Briffa integrates her therapeutic training and experience into all aspects of her specialist assessment and case management.  If you would benefit from formal therapy, Dr Briffa is skilled to recommend appropriate formal therapy options for your condition. We understand the complex and constantly evolving landscape of psychology, therapy, counselling, coaching, mentoring, self help and support options within and independent of the NHS, and will tailor recommendations to you.Dr Briffa has a postgraduate qualification in intermediate family and systemic practice and postgraduate training experience in a number of formal therapeutic modalities, including family therapy, Open Dialogue, combined therapy approaches for personality disorder, cognitive analytic therapy, psychodynamic and psychodynamic interpersonal psychotherapy, metacognitive therapy, Balint Group and psychological medicine.She brings her experience of these formal modalities together with keeping up to date, to make individualised therapy recommendations.  It can be challenging to work out how to select a therapy modality and therapist.  Dr Briffa will be delighted to help you.