The Questions People Ask
Before They Come In
Everything people most often want to know before contacting a mental health clinic: first appointments, therapy, psychiatry, children’s services, assessments, confidentiality, fees and insurance, answered plainly in one place. Search it, or browse by category; if your question is not here, ask us and we will answer it directly.
68 answers
Getting Started
How do I book a first appointment?
You can book an appointment online or call the clinic directly. Once you have made your request, a member of our referral team will contact you to arrange the appointment and answer anything you want to ask before you come in.
Do I need a referral from a doctor?
Usually not. You can contact us directly. Some services or insurance plans do require a referral or pre-authorisation, and the team will tell you whether that applies when you book.
What happens at the first appointment?
The first appointment is an initial assessment and typically lasts about an hour. The clinician asks about the reasons that brought you in, and where relevant about development, school progress, general health and family history, so the right care plan can be discussed with you.
How soon can I be seen?
Availability depends on the clinician and the service, and an assessment usually takes longer to arrange than a first consultation. Tell the team when you book if the situation feels urgent, and they will advise you on the earliest suitable option.
Can I choose my clinician?
Yes. You can ask for a specific clinician. The team page introduces everyone, with their specialisms and languages, or you can describe what you need and let the referral team suggest who fits best.
Who does Camali Clinic see?
Children, adolescents and adults. The team covers psychiatry, psychology, speech and language therapy and occupational therapy, so different kinds of concern can be seen within one clinic.
Can I book on behalf of someone else?
Yes. Parents book for children as a matter of course, and adults often book for a parent or a partner. An adult attending by their own consent has to want to come, so tell the team the situation and they will advise on the best way to start.
What should I bring to the first appointment?
Emirates ID, your insurance card if you have one, and any previous reports or letters that bear on the reason for the visit. If a school or an employer has asked for something specific, bring their requirements in their own words.
I feel nervous about coming in. Is that normal?
Completely. Taking the first step is often the hardest part, and our referral team is used to talking it through. They will explain what to expect and address any worries before your first visit.
Which Specialist Do I Need?
Should I see a psychiatrist or a psychologist?
Psychiatrists are medical doctors who diagnose mental health conditions and can prescribe and manage medication. Psychologists provide talk therapy, behavioural support and psychological assessments. Many concerns benefit from both, and the team will guide you to the right clinician after your initial assessment.
Who should my child see for speech or language difficulties?
A speech and language therapist, who assesses how a child understands language, expresses themselves and manages conversation, and works on whichever of those the assessment shows is behind. Where a difficulty sits alongside another concern, they work with the rest of the team rather than in parallel to it.
Which specialists support autism and behaviour?
Camali’s Allied and Behavioural team, including Board Certified Behavior Analysts, ABA therapists, occupational and psychomotor therapists, works alongside our child psychiatrists and psychologists to build individualised support plans.
Who treats anxiety, depression or mood difficulties?
Both psychiatrists and psychologists, for children, adolescents and adults. Depending on your needs, care may involve therapy, medication or a combination of both.
What does an Occupational Therapist help with?
The everyday skills a child needs to get through a day: motor coordination, sensory regulation, attention, and independence at home and at school. It is the discipline that asks what is making ordinary things hard, rather than what the difficulty is called.
I still do not know who to book with.
Then describe the problem rather than choosing a profession. Send a booking request saying what you have noticed and the referral team will match it to the right clinician. Getting that wrong is our job to avoid, not yours.
Therapy and Counselling
How long does a therapy session last?
The initial assessment typically lasts about an hour. Ongoing sessions are usually shorter and vary by service, and your clinician will confirm the format when your care plan is discussed.
How many sessions will I need?
There is no fixed number. Some concerns respond to brief work and others benefit from longer support; your clinician reviews progress with you as part of the care plan rather than committing you to a set course upfront.
What is the difference between a psychiatrist, a psychologist and a therapist?
A psychiatrist is a medical doctor who can assess, diagnose and prescribe medication. A psychologist assesses and provides talking therapies. Therapists, including speech and language and occupational therapists, work on specific skills and daily functioning. At Camali Clinic they work as one team, so you can move between them without starting again.
What kinds of therapy do you offer?
The team works across a range of evidence-based approaches. Rather than choosing a method first, the clinician recommends an approach after understanding your situation, and explains why it fits.
Does going to therapy mean something is wrong with me?
No. People come for many reasons: a difficult period, a decision, a relationship, a habit they want to change. Therapy is a tool for understanding and change, not a verdict.
What if my clinician is not the right fit?
Tell the team. It happens, and it matters. A good match makes the work easier, and we would rather move you to a colleague than have you stop.
Psychiatry and Medication
Will I be prescribed medication?
Only where a psychiatric assessment supports it, and only after the options are discussed with you. Many people are supported with therapy alone; where medication is recommended, the reasons, alternatives and follow-up are explained first.
Would I have to take medication long term?
Duration is individual and kept under review with your psychiatrist. Never stop or change a prescribed medication abruptly on your own. Raise it at your review, or contact the clinic sooner.
Can I have therapy and medication at the same time?
Yes. For many conditions the combination works better than either alone. Because psychiatry and psychology sit in one team here, the two parts of your care stay coordinated.
What does a psychiatric assessment involve?
A structured conversation with a psychiatrist about your current difficulties, history and general health, sometimes with questionnaires. It ends with a discussion of what the picture looks like and what the sensible next steps are.
Do you assess and treat ADHD?
Yes, for children, adolescents and adults. Assessment always comes first. Where a diagnosis supports treatment, your psychiatrist will explain the options and how prescribing is managed under UAE regulations.
Children, Teenagers and Parents
How do I know if my child needs professional support?
Look for changes that persist across weeks and settings (sleep, appetite, school, friendships, mood) rather than a single bad day. If you are unsure, describe what you are seeing to our team; a first conversation does not commit you to anything.
Will I be with my child during appointments?
It depends on age and what the session needs. The clinician may meet the child or adolescent and the family together or separately, and will agree the approach with you.
My teenager refuses to come. What can I do?
Start without them. A parent-only consultation is a legitimate first step: it gives you guidance for the situation at home, and often makes it easier for the young person to come in later on their own terms.
What should I tell my child before the first visit?
Keep it honest and age-appropriate: a place where someone whose job is helping children with feelings and worries will talk and play with them. Avoid framing it as something being wrong with them.
Will appointments interfere with school?
The team tries to schedule around the school day where possible. Any contact with the school itself only ever happens with your consent.
Will I sit in on my child’s sessions?
It depends on the age of the child and the work being done. Younger children are usually seen with a parent involved; an adolescent often needs some of the hour to themselves. The clinician agrees the arrangement with you at the start and revisits it as things change.
My child does not want to come. What can I do?
Say so when you book. Reluctance is ordinary and the team is used to it, and a first appointment can be arranged to take the pressure off, sometimes by seeing the parents first. Forcing the door rarely helps; planning the approach usually does.
Do you work with my child’s school?
With your consent, yes, from sharing recommendations to attending meetings. Camali also works with schools directly through in-school services and assessments.
From what age can a child be seen?
From the early years through adolescence. The right service depends on the concern rather than a fixed age. Describe what you are seeing and the team will advise which pathway fits.
Assessments and Diagnosis
Will an assessment give a diagnosis?
Not always. Not every assessment is diagnostic, and a diagnosis is never guaranteed. What the assessment can and cannot answer is explained before it begins.
What does an ADHD or autism assessment involve?
Information from more than one source, because no single source is enough: a developmental history taken from you, standardised questionnaires completed by the adults who see the child at home and at school, and direct work with the child using methods chosen for their age. The exact scope depends on the referral question and is confirmed with you before anything starts.
Who carries out the assessment?
It depends on the question being asked. A psychologist leads a learning or cognitive assessment, a speech and language therapist a communication one, an occupational therapist a functional one. Where a question spans more than one discipline, the findings are brought together rather than handed to you as separate reports.
How long before I get the report?
Longer than the sessions themselves, because scoring, gathering school input and writing take time. The team gives you a timeframe before you commit, and tells you if a deadline you are working to, such as an examination-access application, is not realistic.
Will my child’s school accept the report?
Schools and examination bodies set their own requirements, so check with them first and share those requirements with us before booking. A report informs decisions; it does not guarantee them.
How long does an assessment take?
It varies with the referral question, the professional involved and whether school input is needed. The expected process and timeline are set out before you commit.
I am not sure which assessment is needed. Where do I start?
Start with the question, not the label. Tell us what you have noticed and what you want answered. The assessment pathways page explains the options, and the team will guide you to the right one.
Confidentiality and Your Records
Is what I say in sessions confidential?
Yes. What you share stays within the clinical team caring for you. The limits, which involve safety and legal duties, are explained clearly at the start so there are no surprises.
Will you tell my employer, school or family anything?
Not without your consent, outside the safety and legal limits explained at intake. Where an employer funds a programme, exactly what it can and cannot see is set out in writing before you use the service.
How are my records handled?
Clinical records are kept in the clinic’s own systems and handled under UAE health-information regulations. If you have questions about storage or access, ask the team. You are entitled to a clear answer.
My teenager is being seen. What will I be told as a parent?
The balance between a young person’s privacy and a parent’s involvement depends on age and circumstances, and the clinician agrees it openly with both of you at the start.
Can I request a copy of my records or a report?
Yes. Contact the clinic and the team will explain the process, including anything that needs consent or identification first.
Insurance and Direct Billing
Do you accept my insurance?
Camali bills directly through the providers and public-sector schemes listed on the insurance page. Being on that list is the first condition, not the last one: eligibility still depends on your individual network, plan and benefit, which is why the team checks it before confirming a consultation.
Is mental health covered by insurance in the UAE?
More often than it used to be, but how much is covered varies a great deal between plans, and some cover psychiatry differently from psychology or therapy. Your own policy documents are the authority. Send us your details and the insurance team will tell you what your plan says rather than what plans generally say.
Do I need a referral or pre-authorisation?
Some plans and some services require a referral, a pre-authorisation or both. Our insurance team will tell you if it applies to you before your consultation is confirmed, so it is not discovered at the reception desk.
Will I need to pay anything myself?
Possibly. A plan may carry a co-payment, a deductible, an annual benefit limit or charges it does not cover at all. We explain the eligibility information available to us before confirming your consultation.
What happens if my covered sessions run out?
Many plans cap the number of sessions in a year. If yours does, the team will say so early rather than at the cap, so that the plan for your care is made with the limit in view instead of around it.
Can I claim the cost back myself?
Where direct billing is not possible, some plans reimburse you afterwards on an invoice. That is between you and your insurer, and we can provide the documentation they ask for.
Will my employer see my diagnosis if I use their insurance?
Your employer is not given your clinical record. An insurer processes claims and its own rules govern what it shares with a policyholder, so if this matters to you, say so before booking. Where an employer funds a programme directly, exactly what it can and cannot see is set out in writing first.
Is my appointment confirmed as soon as I book online?
No. Your submission is a request. It becomes confirmed after the eligibility check and confirmation from our team.
Fees, Payment and Appointments
What does a session cost without insurance?
Fees depend on the service and the clinician. Contact the team for current fees before you book. They are stated plainly, with no surprises afterwards.
Do I pay for a course of sessions upfront?
No. Care is not sold as a package to be committed to in advance, because how many sessions are useful is a clinical judgement made with you as the work goes on, not a number decided before it starts.
What if I need to cancel or reschedule?
Tell the team as early as you can and they will rearrange. The cancellation terms for your service are shared when you book.
Online Sessions and Practicalities
Do you offer online sessions?
Online delivery is available for many services where it is clinically appropriate. Say you would prefer online when you book and the team will confirm whether it fits the service you need.
Which languages are sessions available in?
The team works in English and Arabic, and several clinicians work in other languages too, and the team page lists them. Mention your preference when booking.
Where are the clinics?
Three locations in Dubai: the child and adolescent clinic and the adult clinic in Dubai Healthcare City, and a clinic in Jumeirah Lake Towers. Addresses are in the footer of every page.
What are the opening hours?
Hours vary by clinic and clinician. Call the team or send a booking request and they will offer the times that work.
What should I do in a mental health emergency?
Camali Clinic is not an emergency service. If someone is in immediate danger, use the appropriate UAE emergency service first, and see our Referral and Emergency information for what to do next.
Schools and Workplaces
Can Camali provide a shadow for my child at school?
Yes, through one of three arrangements: a trained shadow where you already have clinical supervision, a full placement Camali recruits and manages, or clinical supervision of a shadow you have hired. The school shadowing page sets out all three, including the part that matters most, which is the plan to fade the support.
Does Camali write my child’s IEP?
No. Camali does not develop the full IEP. Where a school asks, we support its SEN team in developing one, and where we supervise a shadow we build a School Behaviour Support Plan from the IEP the school has written. The plan stays the school’s.
Can therapy or an assessment happen at the school?
For some services, yes, by arrangement with the school. It is agreed with the SEN team before anything starts. See support services for schools.
Does Camali work with employers?
Yes. Awareness sessions, an employee assistance programme and training for the managers who carry the weight of it. The workplace pages explain what each involves and what an organisation sees.
Can Camali see us at home instead of at a clinic?
For some services, in parts of Dubai. The home service page explains what is available and what it is not, which includes anything urgent.