About Dr Robert Lefever
When I was a working doctor, I treated over 5000 inpatients – and many more outpatients. These people ranged from those who wanted my help in dealing with depression and various forms of upsetting compulsive behaviour, to those with lives ruined by alcohol, drugs or food addiction.
The breadth of my experience allows me to treat patients on a one-to-one basis with a very wide range of therapeutic techniques.
In 1986, I founded one of the first rehab clinics in the UK. We pioneered and developed a new approach combining the benefits of several proven therapeutic models. Psychiatrists, psychologists, doctors, nurses and counsellors worked together to provide the most comprehensive and effective treatment for patients.
The clinical establishment was initially skeptical but, after observing our success, they attempted to copy it. However, what they couldn’t copy was the blend of knowledge, commitment and enthusiasm that led to the long-term recovery experienced by our patients.
The company grew to the point where we had capacity for over 70 in-patients. However, in becoming so big, the company lost some of the ingredients that had allowed it to grow successfully: the personal touch and individual care.
In 2008, I left the rehab that my wife Meg and I had founded. Since then I have focused on re-creating the ‘magic’ that was experienced by our patients in the early days. I realised that this was only possible through a small-scale personal treatment programme.
Nowadays I specialise in working with individuals on a one-to-one basis for an intensive intervention. This provides specific answers to the challenges that are always experienced by new patients. Individual treatment is tailored to the specific needs of each patient.
I usually see patients in my South Kensington office but I can also offer to see them in their own homes where necessary. Also I have access to local inpatient facilities and I use a local doctor to provide specific clinical supervision when this is indicated.
I continue to offer the same family support system that my wife and I originally pioneered. This family-inclusive approach is essential for patients’ continued recovery. The big difference now is that this can be conducted in my private office or in the family’s own home at a time most suitable for them, minimising disruption to their lives.
All this can often be done at less than the total cost of traditional ‘large group’ residential rehabilitation centres. This effective treatment saves time and money. My aim is to improve patients’ physical and emotional health, and also enable them to improve their relationships – for the long term.
In short, patients get better faster and more thoroughly from difficulties that may have challenged them for many years.