Private CAMHS and young people's services

There's no doubt that growing up can be an emotional rollercoaster for many young people, and it can be difficult for a parent or carer to identify when a child’s behaviour is related to a mental health condition, and when they may need specialist help and support.

CAMHS, short for child and adolescent mental health services, is a service that offers support and treatment to young people who are struggling with a range of mental health conditions. Another term used to describe a service that aids young people is CYPMHS, or children and young people's mental health services.

Specialist support for children and young people

Our exceptional young people’s wellbeing services at Priory are comprised of highly skilled child psychiatrists, psychologists, therapists and other mental health professionals, many of whom are published experts in their field.

Priory’s specialist team, coupled with our extensive national network of mental health hospitals and wellbeing centres, mean that we're extremely well-placed to deliver world class treatment, in a location that is convenient for you.

We offer fast assessment and treatment to children, young people and families, for those aged under 18.

A private alternative to CAMHS

All of the treatment provided as part of our private CAMHS offering is flexible, and can be tailored to each person’s specific needs and personal circumstances. We offer:

A range of treatment programmes that can be either scaled up or scaled down according to the intensity of the support that's needed. These include:

• Outpatient treatment programmes (typically 1 hour per week)
• Day care programmes
• Inpatient treatment programmes

Tried and tested therapy types including:

• Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT)
• Eye movement desensitisation and reprocessing (EMDR)
• Psychodynamic therapy
• Play therapy
• Dietetic input, supported meals, food exposure interventions and body image workshops for eating disorders in particular

Therapy delivered in a number of different formats including:

Our private CAMHS assessments

If you know a child who's struggling, our experts are here to help. We're able to offer a range of private CAMHS assessments, including attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and sensory assessments, as well as specialist educational assessments such as the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (WISC).

Our experts also offer evaluations for autism, as well as mental health conditions like depression, anxiety, and psychosis. Learn more about our autism assessments here.

Our private CAMHS assessments are possible without the need for a GP referral, without having to join a waiting list, and without having to pay for a psychiatric assessment as a first step to accessing our services.

If you’re worried about a child, it’s important to get in touch right away. You can call us using our CAMHS contact number, 0800 787 0484, or alternatively you can submit an online enquiry form and one of your team will be in touch shortly.

Why choose private CAMHS?

There are many reasons someone may choose a private healthcare service over a publicly funded service. Just some of these reasons include:

• Fast access to expert treatment
• Reduced waiting times
• Ability to receive care in a chosen facility
• Consistent care by the same team of healthcare professionals
• Positive rapport established with staff members

It’s important to remember that young people, parents and caregivers don’t have to struggle alone; expert psychiatric support for children and adolescents is available, and the most crucial first step is to seek specialist treatment.

Using a comprehensive range of evidence-based therapy programmes, and having leading experts in child and adolescent psychiatry, our exceptional young people’s services are dedicated to providing the best possible mental health support for children and young people.