Articles from the PHC team
The questions people ask us before they book, answered properly — not in a paragraph, and not in a way that ends in "book a consultation to find out".
If you or someone else is in immediate danger, this page is not the right place — here is what to do.
What these are for
Most people who contact PHC have been thinking about it for a while, and most of them arrive with the same handful of questions. Whether they need a psychologist or a psychiatrist. What actually happens in a first session, and whether they will be asked to talk about things they are not ready to talk about. What it costs and why nobody publishes a figure. Whether what they say stays in the room. Whether a child's difficulty at school is worth having assessed at all.
These are not small questions and they are not idle ones. They are the questions that decide whether somebody picks up the phone, and answering them badly — or answering them with a sentence that ends in call us to find out — is one of the reasons people who need help do not get it.
So the articles here answer them at length, in plain words, and they tell you the parts that are inconvenient for us as well as the parts that are not. Each one is written to be useful on its own, whether or not you ever become a client of ours. Where the honest answer is that depends, the article says what it depends on, so you can work out your own answer rather than be told to ring somebody.
Each article names the clinician who checked it before it went up, with the date it was last reviewed. If any of it is out of date, that date is how you will know. Where an article was written by our clinical team rather than by one psychologist, it says so — we would rather tell you that than put a name on work a single person did not do.
Start here
Psychologist or psychiatrist — who do I need? The difference in training, in what each can prescribe, and in what happens in the room. The single most common wrong turn people take before booking, and it costs them an appointment.
What happens in a first session What a first appointment at PHC actually involves, minute by minute — how long it takes, what you will be asked, what you will not be asked, and what you are free to decline.
What therapy costs in Karachi, and why it varies What drives the price of a session or an assessment, why one figure would be wrong for most people, and the questions worth asking any practice before you pay anything.
Is therapy confidential? What confidentiality covers, the narrow and specific circumstances in which a psychologist is obliged to act, and how notes and session content are handled. Written plainly, including the limits.
Does my child need a psychological assessment? What makes an assessment worth considering, what it measures, what the written report contains, and what it is actually used for at school and at home.
More from the journal
Counselor Supervision & Mental Health Clinics in Pakistan Discover professional supervision for counselor development in Pakistan with PhD-led guidance at Psychological Help Centre in Karachi and online.
Finding a Psychologist in Karachi: What to Look For Looking for a psychologist in Karachi? Discover what makes a qualified clinical team, professional assessment, and structured therapy options.
Online Counseling Pakistan Clinical Psychologist Get expert online counseling in Pakistan from qualified clinical psychologists. PhD-led psychological help, therapy, and supervision.
Child Psychologist Karachi | Expert Care for Your Child Looking for a child psychologist in Karachi? Psychological Help Centre offers PhD-led child assessments and therapy. Call +92 333 3736938.
Evidence-Based Psychotherapy & Supervision in Pakistan Find qualified clinical psychologists in Pakistan. Psychological Help Centre provides PhD-led therapy, diagnostic assessments, and supervision.
Psychological Assessments in Pakistan: Process & Types Guide to psychological assessments in Pakistan. Learn about diagnostic, cognitive, and personality testing at Psychological Help Centre.
Stress Management Counseling Packages Karachi Explore tailored stress management counseling packages in Karachi. PhD-led therapy at Psychological Help Centre to regain mental clarity.
Clinical Supervision for Trainee Therapists in Pakistan Where can trainee therapists get certified clinical supervision in Pakistan? Find PhD-led supervision, therapy, and assessments at Psychological Help Centre.
Clinical Supervision Pakistan | Dr Tahira Yousaf Access clinical psychology clinical supervision in Pakistan with Dr Tahira Yousaf, PhD. In-person in Karachi & online across Pakistan.
PTSD and Trauma Therapy Center Karachi Find expert PTSD and trauma therapy in Karachi at Psychological Help Centre. PhD-led psychological assessments and evidence-based psychotherapy.
Book Appointment with Dr Tahira Yousaf Karachi Book an appointment with Dr Tahira Yousaf and her team of clinical psychologists at Psychological Help Centre in Karachi and online across Pakistan.
Navigating Mental Health Problems in Pakistan Understand mental health problems and find expert support in Karachi and online across Pakistan with the Psychological Help Centre.
Psychological Testing & IQ Assessment Karachi Price & Guide Understand psychological testing and IQ assessment options in Karachi. Explore PhD-led evaluations, process insights, and expert clinical care.
Marriage Counseling Clinic in Karachi Looking for a marriage counseling clinic in Karachi? Psychological Help Centre offers PhD-led couples therapy, assessments, and online sessions.
Online Therapy Services Across Pakistan | Expert Help Access expert online therapy services across Pakistan with Psychological Help Centre. PhD-led team offering psychotherapy, assessments and supervision.
What to Expect During a Psychological Assessment Process Learn what to expect during a psychological assessment process in Pakistan, from initial clinical intake interviews to formal testing and reports.
Therapy Options Available in Karachi: A Complete Guide Explore the therapy options available in Karachi, from individual counselling to clinical assessments, available in-person and online across Pakistan.
Not sure which of these is your question?
If you are trying to work out whether to come at all, read psychologist or psychiatrist first and what happens in a first session second. Between them they answer most of what stops people at the booking stage.
If you are worried about a child, start with does my child need a psychological assessment. It is written for the parent who is not sure whether they are overreacting, which is the position almost every parent is in when they first ask.
If the thing holding you back is money, or privacy, the articles on cost and on confidentiality deal with both directly and neither of them ends in a sales line.
And if your question is not here, ask it. Message us on WhatsApp or email [email protected] and a person will answer. We would rather answer a question than have somebody guess at it — and the questions we get asked most are how this list grows.
Where to go from here
If you already know roughly what you are dealing with, the conditions pages describe how each difficulty commonly presents and how PHC assesses and works with it. If you know you want an assessment, the assessments pages set out what each one measures, how long it takes and what the report contains. If you want to see who you would be seeing, every clinician's qualification, supervised hours and areas of practice are on the team page.
Speaking to someone starts here
PHC is appointment-only. Message or call and a real person answers — Monday to Saturday, 10am to 8pm PKT.
Not sure whether this is us? Contact us anyway. We will tell you directly whether we can help, and refer you elsewhere if we cannot.
Six details, and we can match you
- Name of the person who will attend
- Their age
- What is going on, in your own words
- Whether you would prefer a male or female psychologist
- Online, or in clinic in Karachi
- Whether the person attending is a minor or elderly
If someone else is paying, we will also ask for guardian or payer details. How an appointment is booked, and the terms that apply to it, are set out on the booking page.