Frequently Asked Questions

No.

You do not need to become a website member to make an initial enquiry, submit a referral or book an Initial Consultation.

Some client-only resources, forms or educational materials may require access to a protected area when these are provided as part of a particular Cocoon service. If this applies to you, you will be given the appropriate information directly.

Yes. Assessments and reports at Cocoon are completed by Dr Jill Woods, Chartered Clinical Psychologist.

Reports are prepared according to the clinical purpose of the assessment and include the relevant assessment findings, clinical formulation, identified strengths and support needs, and individualised recommendations.

However, different organisations can have their own requirements regarding the type of assessment, professional documentation, recency of testing or evidence required.

For example, requirements for health services, schools, further or higher education, examination accommodations, workplace accommodations, insurance or other purposes may differ.

If you need an assessment or report for a particular organisation or purpose, please mention this before assessment begins so that the relevant requirements can be considered.

No clinician can guarantee that an external organisation will accept a particular report or recommendation, as the final decision remains with that organisation.

Cocoon Clinical Psychology is an independent psychology practice developed and led by Dr Jill Woods, Chartered Clinical Psychologist.

Dr Woods works directly with clients and families throughout their Cocoon pathway rather than routinely transferring different stages of assessment between multiple clinicians.

Her clinical background includes work with children, adolescents and adults across clinical psychology, neuropsychology, disability, mental health and developmental services.

Cocoon has a particular focus on autism, ADHD, AuDHD, giftedness and twice-exceptionality, learning and executive-function differences, emotional wellbeing and broader neurodivergent profiles.

You can read more about Dr Woods' professional background on the Get to Know Me page.

You do not need to work this out before contacting Cocoon.

Neurodevelopmental, emotional, learning and mental-health presentations frequently overlap, and the most useful starting point depends on the individual rather than on a single questionnaire score or presenting concern.

Most new clients therefore begin with an Initial Consultation & Planning Appointment.

During this consultation, Dr Woods considers the current concerns, developmental and relevant background information, strengths, support needs and the questions you would most like answered.

The next step may involve:

• no further assessment • focused or comprehensive screening • autism assessment • ADHD assessment • combined AuDHD assessment • cognitive, learning or executive-function assessment • therapy or parent consultation • school, college or workplace recommendations • another professional or service where this would be more appropriate

The aim is to recommend what is useful rather than automatically placing every person through the same assessment pathway.

No.

Screening can be very helpful when it is not yet clear whether formal diagnostic assessment is needed, when several areas of neurodivergence may be relevant, or when a broader profile of strengths and support needs would be useful.

However, screening is not automatically required before every diagnostic assessment.

Some people already have sufficient clinical information to proceed directly to an autism, ADHD or other assessment pathway following consultation.

The recommended pathway is discussed with you before you decide whether to proceed.

Screening explores whether particular characteristics or patterns may be present and can help identify areas that would benefit from further assessment or support.

Screening alone does not establish a formal diagnosis.

A diagnostic assessment is a more comprehensive clinical process that considers the relevant diagnostic criteria for a specific condition, together with developmental history, lived experience, functional impact, clinical information and appropriate standardised assessment methods.

At Cocoon, when holistic screening has been completed, questionnaire or computer-based test results are not interpreted in isolation. They form part of a broader psychological assessment and clinical formulation.

You can view the different screening and diagnostic pathways on the Fees & Assessment Pathways page.

New clients can begin through the Make a Referral page.

You will be asked to provide some initial information so that Dr Jill Woods can understand the reason for referral and prepare appropriately for your consultation.

All new assessment enquiries begin with an Initial Consultation & Planning Appointment.

Following consultation, you receive written information about the recommended next steps and any relevant costs before deciding whether you would like to proceed.

Where further screening or assessment is agreed, the required forms, questionnaires, appointment information and payment instructions are then provided.

Booking an Initial Consultation does not commit you to screening or a full assessment.

You are not expected to choose and pay for a full assessment before the appropriate pathway has been clarified.

Following consultation and, where relevant, screening and feedback, the recommended assessment pathway and costs are reviewed with you.

If you decide to proceed, payment arrangements and the relevant testing appointments are then organised.

This helps ensure that you understand what is being recommended before committing to the assessment.

Fees depend on the type and extent of assessment required.

Rather than maintaining different price lists throughout the website, Cocoon's Fees & Assessment Pathways page is the main source for current service descriptions and fees.

You will also be advised of the relevant cost for your particular needs, before agreeing to proceed with an assessment.

VIEW CURRENT FEES & ASSESSMENT PATHWAYS

Yes.

Cocoon provides psychological assessment as well as selected therapy, parent consultation, psychoeducation and support.

The appropriate approach depends on the person's needs, preferences and goals.

Completing an assessment at Cocoon does not create any obligation to continue with therapy at Cocoon. Recommendations can be used with other suitable professionals where preferred.

Yes.

Cocoon provides services across the lifespan, including assessment and consultation for adults as well as children, teenagers and families.

Adult referrals may involve questions relating to autism, ADHD, AuDHD, masking, burnout, executive functioning, learning differences, giftedness or twice-exceptionality, emotional wellbeing and broader neurodivergent profiles.

The Initial Consultation is useful when you are unsure which pathway would be most appropriate.

Cocoon aims to provide neuroaffirmative, strengths-focused psychological assessment and treatments.

This means that autism, ADHD and other neurodivergent characteristics are not approached simply as behaviours that should be corrected or made to appear more typical.

Assessment considers the person's strengths, differences, environment, lived experience, support needs and the situations in which distress or reduced participation occurs.

Neuroaffirmative practice does not mean overlooking genuine difficulty or distress. Where someone is struggling, the aim is to understand what is contributing to that experience and identify supports, accommodations, skills or interventions that may be helpful.

How information is shared with a child or teenager should be individualised according to their age, developmental level, understanding, preferences and family preferences.

Where appropriate, Cocoon can provide an additional child-friendly report with developmentally accessible information about a young person's individual profile, including strengths and support needs (additional costs apply).

Parents can also receive free neuroaffirmative guidance and resources to support respectful, positive conversations about autism, ADHD and neurodivergence.

Where relevant to the assessment, reports can include individualised recommendations relating to home, education, college or workplace environments.

These may include practical supports, environmental adjustments, strategies or reasonable accommodations that are clinically relevant to the person's identified needs.

Whether a particular recommendation is implemented remains a decision for the relevant school, college, employer, examination body or other organisation.

Cocoon Clinical Psychology processes personal and clinical information in accordance with its Privacy Policy and applicable Irish and EU data-protection requirements.

Clinical information is collected only where it is relevant to providing or administering the requested psychology service.

Cocoon uses business systems selected with security, access control and confidentiality in mind. Access to clinical information is restricted according to its purpose.

Please read the Privacy Policy for detailed information about what data are collected, why they are processed, and how they are stored according to your data-protection rights.

No.

Cocoon Clinical Psychology is an outpatient private psychology service and does not provide emergency or 24-hour crisis care.

If you or another person may be in immediate danger, require urgent medical attention, or there is an immediate risk of serious harm, contact the appropriate emergency service, 999 or A&E, rather than waiting for a response from Cocoon.

Cocoon NeuroLogic Academy is being developed as the educational and resource arm of Cocoon, with materials for neurodivergent people, parents, families and professionals.

Available resources, workshops and courses will be clearly identified as they are released.

You can use the Keep Me in the Loop sign-up form if you would like to hear about new resources and educational programmes.

Educational resources do not replace individual psychological assessment, therapy or medical care where these are required.

If your question is not answered here, you are welcome to book an initial consultation with Dr Jill Woods at Cocoon Clinical Psychology.

For new clinical enquiries, the Make a Referral page is usually the most useful starting point because it allows you to provide the information needed to understand what you are looking for.

For general business or professional enquiries, you can email:

info@cocoonclinicalpsychology.ie

As Cocoon is a small independent clinical practice, responses will not be immediate. Clinical appointments and existing client commitments are prioritised, but enquiries are responded to as soon as practicable.