Conditions We Treat

Cardinal Clinic is an independent mental health hospital in Windsor, Berkshire, treating adults across Berkshire, Surrey and West London. We provide assessment and treatment for a wide range of conditions, at every level of care from a single outpatient appointment to inpatient admission, under one consultant psychiatrist-led team.

Most people arrive here not knowing which category they fall into, and that is fine. You do not need a diagnosis to ask for an assessment. If you are not sure where to start, contact us and describe what has been happening, or refer yourself directly.

Choosing the right level of care

The question that matters more than the diagnosis is usually how much support you need and how quickly. Treatment centres differ enormously on this, and it is worth understanding the options before choosing one.

Outpatient care means attending appointments while continuing to live at home and, usually, to work. Most conditions are treated this way. It suits people who are struggling but functioning, and who have a reasonably stable home situation.

Day-patient care means attending the hospital during the day for a structured programme of therapy, then going home. It offers considerably more support than weekly outpatient appointments without the disruption of an admission, and it often works well as a step down from inpatient care or a step up when outpatient treatment is not holding.

Inpatient care means staying at the hospital. It is appropriate when symptoms are severe, when someone cannot function safely day to day, when medication needs close supervision, or when the home environment is making recovery impossible. See visiting information for what a stay involves.

Being able to move between these without changing clinicians matters more than it sounds. Recovery is rarely linear, and needing more support for a period is common rather than a sign of failure. At Cardinal all three levels are on one site with the same team, so a change in intensity does not mean starting over with new people and repeating your history.

How treatment starts

Every route begins with an assessment by a consultant psychiatrist. It is a conversation, not a test, and it covers what has been happening, how long for, what you have already tried, your physical health and medication, sleep, alcohol and substance use, and what your life looks like around all of it.

The output is a plan: what the working picture is, what treatment is recommended, at what level of care, and what the alternatives are. You are not committing to anything by being assessed, and it is entirely reasonable to have an assessment and then decide to do nothing yet.

You do not need a GP referral. See self-referral for how to begin and fees and finance for costs and insurance.

Conditions we assess and treat

Mood and anxiety

• [Depression](/treatments/depression): persistent low mood, loss of interest, hopelessness, and the physical symptoms that come with them.
• [Anxiety](/treatments/anxiety): generalised anxiety, panic, health anxiety and social anxiety, treated primarily with CBT.
• [Bipolar disorder](/treatments/bipolar): assessment, mood stabilisation, medication review and relapse prevention.
• [Phobias](/treatments/phobias): specific phobias, social phobia and agoraphobia, treated with graded exposure.
• [Stress](/treatments/stress) and [professional burnout](/treatments/burnout): exhaustion, loss of function and the point at which work stress becomes a clinical problem.
• [Adjustment disorders](/treatments/adjustment-disorders): difficulty coping after a significant life change.
• [Grief and loss](/treatments/grief-and-loss): where bereavement has become prolonged or complicated.

Trauma and obsessional conditions

• [PTSD and complex trauma](/treatments/ptsd): trauma-focused therapy and psychiatric care.
• [Obsessive compulsive disorder](/treatments/ocd): exposure and response prevention, the specific treatment for OCD.
• [Body dysmorphia](/treatments/body-dysmorphia): preoccupation with appearance that causes real distress.
• [Hoarding](/treatments/hoarding): assessment and structured treatment.

Addiction

• [Addiction](/treatments/addiction): alcohol and drug dependence, including detoxification where clinically appropriate, in a hospital setting with medical supervision.
• [Gambling addiction](/treatments/gambling-addiction) and [internet addiction](/treatments/internet-addiction): behavioural addictions, treated with the same seriousness as substance dependence.

Addiction is very often accompanied by depression, anxiety or trauma. Treating one and ignoring the other rarely holds, which is why assessment covers both.

Serious mental illness

• [Psychosis](/treatments/psychosis) and [schizophrenia](/treatments/schizophrenia): assessment, medication, monitoring and recovery-focused support.
• [Personality disorders](/treatments/personality-disorders): longer-term psychological treatment.
• [Self-harm](/treatments/self-harm): compassionate assessment and treatment of what sits underneath it.

Neurodevelopmental and other

• [ADHD in adults](/treatments/adhd): assessment, diagnosis and treatment.
• [Autism assessment](/treatments/autism): diagnostic assessment for adults.
• [Eating disorders](/treatments/eating-disorders): anorexia, bulimia and binge eating.
• [Perinatal mental health](/treatments/perinatal-mental-health): pregnancy and the first postnatal year.
• [Sleep disorders](/treatments/sleep-disorders): where sleep is the presenting problem rather than a symptom.
• [Anger management](/treatments/anger-management): where anger is damaging relationships, work or health.
• [Chronic pain](/treatments/chronic-pain): the psychological treatment of persistent pain.

If what you are dealing with is not on this list, it is still worth asking. The list reflects how we organise information, not the limits of what an assessment can consider.

What to look for in any treatment centre

This applies whether or not you choose us, and it is worth knowing before you commit.

• Who actually sees you. Ask whether assessment is by a consultant psychiatrist, and who delivers the therapy.
• Whether the levels of care connect. If a centre offers only one level, a change in your needs means changing provider mid-treatment.
• Regulation. Independent hospitals in England are registered with and inspected by the Care Quality Commission. Reports are public.
• What happens afterwards. Discharge planning and follow-up matter more to outcomes than the intensity of the treatment itself.
• Cost transparency. You should be able to find out what things cost before committing. Ours are on fees and finance.

Urgent situations

This page cannot assess risk. If you or someone else is in immediate danger, call 999 or go to your nearest emergency department. For urgent mental health support that is not life-threatening, call NHS 111 and choose the mental health option, or contact your GP. Samaritans can be reached free on 116 123, at any hour.

For situations that are serious but not emergencies, an urgent private assessment is often possible within days. It is worth asking rather than assuming a wait.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a diagnosis before I can be seen?

No. Most people are assessed precisely because they do not know what is wrong. Arriving with a clear diagnosis is the exception rather than the rule.

Do I need a GP referral?

No. You can refer yourself. See self-referral. With your consent we would normally keep your GP informed, which matters particularly where medication is involved.

Can I be treated for more than one thing at once?

Yes, and it is common. Anxiety with depression, addiction with trauma, ADHD with anxiety. Conditions are separated on this page for navigation, not because they arrive one at a time.

Where are you, and how far do people travel?

Windsor, Berkshire. Most patients come from Berkshire, Surrey and West London, though people travel further for inpatient care. See contact for directions.

Is treatment covered by insurance?

Often, though it depends on your policy and the treatment. Fees and finance covers how this works, including self-funding.

Who would I actually see?

Our consultants and therapists are listed on the clinical team page. You are welcome to look before deciding.

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If you are not sure which of these describes what you are going through, that is the normal starting point rather than an obstacle. Contact us and describe it in your own words.