Minds Behind the Mirror
Recognising, Assessing & Managing Psychiatric Risk in Patients Seeking Cosmetic Procedures
Expert, consultant-led CPD training for cosmetic and aesthetic practitioners.
Minds Behind the Mirror
A focused CPD-certified session for cosmetic and aesthetic practitioners on recognising, assessing, and managing psychiatric risk in patients seeking cosmetic procedures.
Led by Consultant Psychiatrist Dr Irfan Rafiq, the course provides practical screening tools, referral guidance, and legal and ethical safeguards that practitioners can apply in clinical practice.
About the Course
Harley Street Mental Health Academy, part of Harley Street Mental Health, is proud to offer Minds Behind the Mirror — a focused CPD-certified session on recognising, assessing, and managing psychiatric risk in patients seeking cosmetic procedures.
Led by Consultant Psychiatrist Dr Irfan Rafiq, this course bridges the gap between aesthetic medicine and psychiatry. The patients in your consulting room are sometimes the patients who end up in ours — and the psychiatric context in which a procedure is requested matters enormously, both for patient wellbeing and for your clinical and legal safety. This practical, applied session equips aesthetic practitioners to identify the psychiatric conditions that make surgery inappropriate, screen for them in under two minutes, and refer confidently before picking up a scalpel or syringe.
Virtual or In-House Training
Certification: CPD-Certified
Who is this course for?
This course is aimed at practitioners who perform or advise on cosmetic and aesthetic procedures, including:
- Cosmetic and plastic surgeons
- Aesthetic doctors and nurse practitioners
- Dermatologists and skin-treatment practitioners
- Injectors and providers of minimally invasive procedures, including fillers and toxins
- GPs working in or referring into aesthetic practice
- Psychologists and mental health professionals who interface with cosmetic populations
You don’t need to become a psychiatrist. You need to know enough to recognise when you’re out of your depth — and exactly what to do about it.
Why choose Harley Street Mental Health Academy?
Led by a Harley Street consultant psychiatrist with frontline experience of this exact patient population.
Specific tools, specific questions, and a clear referral pathway you can use from tomorrow.
Built around the diagnosis most likely to cause serious harm and litigation if missed: Body Dysmorphic Disorder.
A strong focus on the legal, ethical, and documentation safeguards that protect your practice.
What you will learn
Gain the practical knowledge and confidence to identify psychiatric risk, make informed clinical decisions, and protect both your patients and your practice.
01.
Recognise Psychiatric Risk
Develop the ability to identify common psychiatric conditions in patients seeking cosmetic procedures and recognise when psychological factors may influence treatment decisions.
02.
Identify Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD)
Understand the clinical features of Body Dysmorphic Disorder, recognise its warning signs, and appreciate why cosmetic intervention is generally contraindicated for affected patients.
03.
Apply Practical Screening Tools
Learn how to use validated screening tools, including the BDDQ, to assess psychiatric risk efficiently within routine aesthetic consultations.
04.
Make Safe Referral Decisions
Know when psychiatric assessment is required, understand the referral pathway, and communicate effectively with mental health professionals before proceeding with treatment.
05.
Protect Patients and Your Practice
Understand the legal, ethical, and documentation responsibilities involved in aesthetic practice, helping safeguard patient wellbeing while reducing professional and regulatory risk.
Why choose Harley Street Mental Health Academy?
Consultant-led
Led by a Harley Street consultant psychiatrist with frontline experience of this exact patient population.
Practical and applied
Specific tools, specific questions, and a clear referral pathway you can use from tomorrow.
Focused on BDD
Built around the diagnosis most likely to cause serious harm and litigation if missed: Body Dysmorphic Disorder.
Legal safeguards
A strong focus on the legal, ethical, and documentation safeguards that protect your practice.
Interactive cases
Includes three interactive, case-based discussions drawn from real clinical experience.
CPD-certified
Includes an end-of-session MCQ that can form part of your reflective log.
Programme Overview
Part 1: Understanding Psychiatric Risk
The scale of the problem and why psychiatric assessment matters before cosmetic treatment
Recognising BDD, understanding prevalence, presentation, and why cosmetic procedures are contraindicated
Depression, anxiety, OCD, eating disorders, personality disorders, and substance misuse
Part 2: Assessment & Safe Practice
When to assess, contraindications, and when referral is appropriate
Consent, capacity, documentation, and protecting both practitioner and patient
Interactive clinical scenarios demonstrating real-world decision making
How to enroll
You can book onto our CPD accredited course on the diagnosis and management of ADHD in adults using the below booking widget. Spaces are limited to ensure an engaging and personalized learning experience.
Pre-Appointment
During the Appointment
Post Appointment
Completion of Assessment
Frequently Asked Questions
(FAQs)
If you can’t find what you’re looking for, our team is here to help. Contact us for personalized guidance.
Yes. You will leave able to use the BDDQ routinely, recognise the red flags for BDD and other high-risk presentations, and write an effective psychiatric referral—while remaining within your professional scope of practice and your regulatory body’s requirements (e.g. GMC, NMC).
Yes. The session is aligned with NICE CG31 (Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder and Body Dysmorphic Disorder), incorporates BAAPS/BAPRAS guidance on patient selection in cosmetic surgery, and reflects GMC standards on consent and declining inappropriate treatment
The course is delivered by Dr Irfan Rafiq, Consultant Psychiatrist, who brings direct clinical experience of assessing psychiatric risk in patients seeking cosmetic procedures
We offer this as a virtual session, and it can also be arranged as in-house training for cosmetic and aesthetic teams.
Yes. The session is CPD-certified and includes an end-of-session MCQ. On completion you receive a Certificate of Completion from Harley Street Mental Health Academy, which can be used as evidence of CPD for appraisal and revalidation purposes.
This is a focused 90-minute CPD session. It can be delivered as a standalone webinar or as part of an in-house training day for your clinic or practice.
What makes you different to other clinics?
We hand pick all of our clinicians to ensure that they have the same values as us.
This ensures that our service users are actually listened to and are the heart of our treatment plans.
We recognise that diagnosis and treatment plans cannot simply be “one size fits all” and our personalised down to earth approach aims to keep the process as easy as possible.
We will try to keep your costs low where possible. Once you are on the right dose and feeling settled (you may need one or two medication titration appointments to achieve this), you can order your medication through the repeat medication process.
Following two months of being on the same dose, with no further changes, we will consider returning your care to your GP.
Can I see you on the NHS?
We are a private clinic, and therefore you cannot be seen by us as part of the NHS. <br><br>We can write to your GP once you are stable on your treatment to ask them to take over prescribing as part of a Shared Care Agreement, however they are under no obligation to accept this agreement.
Do I need a referral?
Our clinicians can see you directly without a referral, however a condition of all appointments is that you agree for Harley Street Mental Health to copy your GP into all assessment and treatment plans.
We are happy to accept referrals from other clinicians, however this is not necessary to use our service.
What happens during an appointment?
If you have booked a virtual appointment, you will be sent an invitation through our clinic software known as “Semble”. On the day of your appointment, you click the link and will enter into a video interview with one of our clinicians.
If you have booked an in-person appointment you will be greeted by your clinician in the waiting room.
Do you accept insurance?
Currently we do not accept insurance, and all of our assessments and treatment plans are self funded, and therefore we encourage you to look at the “fees” page prior to booking.
Do you prescribe medication?
Our team are able to prescribe medication as part of your treatment plan if this is required. Our prescriptions are private, and therefore you will be liable for the cost of the prescription and the medication.
Hod do I know if the treatment will be beneficial?
Unfortunately, there are no guarantees with psychiatry. All of our clinicians are extremely experienced and prescribe based on the most up to date evidence base. You will be involved in your treatment plans at all stages.
I have a complaint?
We are sorry to hear that you have a complaint. Please see the complaints section of our website or email complaints@hsmh.co.uk where we will endeavour to resolve your complaint in a timely manner.
What are the fees associated with ADHD Assessments?
Please see the fees section on the website. It is important that you are aware of all costs prior to starting treatment. An ADHD assessment costs £715 and lasts approximately 1.5 hours and will include a detailed written report and treatment plan (includes a prescription which will posted to your chosen pharmacy, if medication is considered suitable for you).
The cost of medication will be in addition to this and paid directly to your chosen pharmacy.
We then require service users to attend titration appointments at £150 each where your medication is adjusted until most effective. Once you move on to repeat prescriptions, they will cost £48 for a monthly prescription.
Once you are stable on your medication (around two months of being on the same dose, with no further changes and you feel much better) you can ask us to write to your GP and enter into a shared care agreement which costs £125. Your GP is under no obligation to accept a shared care agreement, and therefore we encourage all service users to discuss this with their GP prior to using our service.
Are you registered with the CQC?
Yes, we have been approved for registration with the Care Quality Commission
I have another question
Please email us on contact@hsmh.co.uk and we will get back to you shortly
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What our students say about us
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