AFCS Psychological Reports for PTSD, C-PTSD and Service-Related Mental Injury
Independent psychological assessments and reports for Armed Forces Compensation Scheme claims, reconsiderations and appeals.
I provide selected independent psychological assessments and reports for AFCS matters involving service-related trauma, PTSD, Complex PTSD, moral injury, psychological injury, functional impairment, prognosis, treatment needs and diagnostic clarification.
AFCS cases can involve complex questions of service history, delayed onset, chronicity, identity, duty, hierarchy, moral injury, functional capacity and the relationship between service-related experiences and current psychological presentation. A specialist psychological report may be particularly helpful where a claim has been rejected, under-awarded or understood too narrowly.
I work with individuals, solicitors, veterans, serving personnel and referrers. Reports are prepared as independent clinical documents. I do not provide court attendance or oral evidence.
Why a Specialist AFCS Psychological Report May Be Needed
AFCS psychological injury claims may require clear clinical evidence of diagnosis, severity, functional impact, treatment needs and prognosis. Where PTSD, Complex PTSD, depression, anxiety, dissociation, moral injury or another trauma-related presentation is relevant, a structured report from a clinical psychologist can help clarify the nature and extent of psychological injury.
This can be especially important where symptoms have been misunderstood, minimised, attributed to other causes, or where a previous decision has not fully recognised the psychological impact of service-related trauma.
Why This Report Is Different
This is not a brief therapy letter, screening summary or general statement of distress. My psychological reports are designed to provide structured clinical evidence, careful diagnostic formulation and clear recommendations where service-related psychological injury needs to be properly understood.
- Independent psychological assessment by a HCPC-registered Chartered Clinical Psychologist
- Structured clinical interview and diagnostic formulation
- Validated psychometric measures where clinically appropriate
- CAPS-5 assessment for PTSD where clinically indicated
- ITI assessment for ICD-11 PTSD and C-PTSD where clinically indicated
- Consideration of functional impairment, treatment needs and prognosis
- Consideration of moral injury, military context, duty, identity and service-related trauma where clinically relevant
- Opinion on the relationship between service-related experiences and current psychological presentation where appropriate
- Clear, clinically defensible written psychological report
- Reports commonly 12–25 pages in more complex cases, depending on documentation and clinical complexity
What an AFCS Psychological Report May Address
Depending on the instruction, available documentation and clinical question, an AFCS psychological report may address:
- Reason for referral and purpose of the report
- Documents reviewed, where applicable
- Relevant service history and trauma exposure
- Relevant personal, developmental and mental health history
- Current psychological symptoms and their severity
- Assessment of PTSD and/or Complex PTSD where clinically indicated
- Assessment of depression, anxiety, dissociation or other trauma-related difficulties where relevant
- Moral injury, shame, guilt, anger, grief or identity-related impact where clinically relevant
- Psychometric assessment results
- Functional impact on work, relationships, sleep, concentration, self-care, parenting and daily life
- Treatment history and treatment needs
- Prognosis
- Recommendations for trauma-focused therapy, EMDR, psychiatric consultation or further support where appropriate
- Opinion on the relationship between service-related experiences and current psychological presentation where clinically appropriate
- Summary and conclusions
PTSD, C-PTSD and Moral Injury in AFCS Claims
AFCS psychological injury claims may involve PTSD, Complex PTSD, depression, anxiety, dissociation, moral injury or other trauma-related presentations. Symptoms may appear soon after a service-related event, or may become more visible later, particularly when a person leaves service, loses structure, experiences relationship strain, becomes physically unwell, or encounters reminders of trauma.
Where clinically indicated, I may use the CAPS-5, a gold-standard structured clinical interview for PTSD assessment, rather than relying only on a self-report measure such as the PCL-5.
Where Complex PTSD is clinically relevant, I may use the International Trauma Interview, or ITI, a specialist clinician-administered interview for ICD-11 PTSD and Complex PTSD. This allows for a more careful diagnostic assessment than relying only on a self-report measure such as the ITQ.
Moral injury may also be relevant in some AFCS matters, particularly where a person has been affected by experiences involving guilt, shame, betrayal, perceived failure, command responsibility, witnessing harm, or actions and events that conflict with deeply held values.
When an AFCS Psychological Report May Be Useful
An AFCS psychological report may be useful where the psychological impact of service-related trauma has not yet been formally assessed, where previous evidence is too brief, where PTSD or C-PTSD has been suggested, or where a claim, reconsideration or appeal requires clearer clinical evidence.
Reports may be particularly relevant in matters involving:
- combat-related trauma
- training-related trauma or injury with psychological consequences
- military sexual trauma or assault
- bullying, harassment, humiliation or institutional trauma within service
- exposure to death, injury, threat or repeated traumatic events
- PTSD, Complex PTSD or trauma-related depression and anxiety
- moral injury, guilt, shame, grief or identity-related psychological injury
- dissociation, emotional dysregulation, avoidance, hypervigilance or relational difficulty following trauma
- difficulty working, studying, parenting, sleeping, concentrating or maintaining daily life after service-related trauma
- AFCS reconsideration or appeal where psychological injury has been rejected, under-awarded or insufficiently evidenced
Time Limits and Urgent Deadlines
AFCS claims, reconsiderations and appeals may be subject to strict deadlines. If you are seeking a psychological assessment or report for an AFCS claim, reconsideration or appeal, please include any relevant decision letter date, appeal deadline or solicitor deadline in your enquiry.
Psychological reports require time for clinical assessment, psychometric measures, records review where appropriate, diagnostic formulation and report writing. Where a deadline is approaching, I will advise whether the timescale is clinically and practically realistic.
This information is not legal advice. Please consult Veterans UK, a solicitor or an appropriate legal adviser about your specific AFCS deadline.
Assessment Process
- Initial enquiry
Please send a brief outline of the matter, including whether this is an initial AFCS claim, reconsideration or appeal, whether there is a solicitor or representative involved, and whether any relevant deadline applies. - Review of suitability and scope
I will consider whether the assessment falls within my area of expertise, whether the timescale is realistic, and whether the report requested is clinically appropriate. - Agreement and payment
For self-funding clients, payment is due upon signing the agreement. Solicitor-funded or third-party funded assessments can be discussed in advance. - Questionnaires and records
Where appropriate, psychometric measures may be sent in advance and should be completed before the clinical assessment. Relevant service records, medical records, Veterans UK letters, decision letters or previous reports may also be reviewed where included within the agreed scope. - Clinical assessment
The assessment is usually conducted over a 90–120 minute appointment, either in person at 4 Devonshire Street in the Harley Street Medical District or online where clinically appropriate. - Written report
Reports are usually completed within approximately seven business days after the assessment, provided all relevant documentation and questionnaires have been received. More complex cases, appeal-focused reports or substantial documentation may require a longer timeframe. Please let us know when enquiring if you have a tight deadline, and we will do our best to accommodate.
Fees
AFCS Psychological Assessment and Report
For more straightforward AFCS matters where the documentation is limited and the clinical question is relatively focused.
AFCS Complex Appeal Assessment and Report
For rejected, under-awarded or complex AFCS matters involving substantial records, diagnostic complexity, PTSD, Complex PTSD, functional impairment, causation, prognosis or appeal-focused analysis.
Fees vary according to the scope, complexity, documentation, measures required and report length. More complex cases involving substantial records, appeal analysis, diagnostic complexity or broader medico-legal questions will be quoted individually.
For Solicitors and Referrers
I accept selected instructions from solicitors and referrers where a clinical psychologist’s opinion is needed in relation to AFCS psychological injury, PTSD, C-PTSD, moral injury, functional impairment, treatment needs, prognosis or appeal evidence.
Please include the relevant clinical question, any deadlines, available records, Veterans UK decision letters where applicable, previous psychological or psychiatric reports, and whether the report is required for an initial claim, reconsideration or appeal.
I do not provide court attendance or oral evidence, and I do not provide psychiatric diagnosis, medication recommendations or psychiatric expert opinion.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is an AFCS psychological assessment?
An AFCS psychological assessment evaluates psychological injury in relation to Armed Forces service. It may assess PTSD, Complex PTSD, trauma-related depression or anxiety, dissociation, moral injury, functional impairment, treatment needs and prognosis.
Can a psychological report help with an AFCS appeal?
A specialist psychological report may assist where an AFCS claim has been rejected, under-awarded or where psychological injury has been understood too narrowly. The report can clarify diagnosis, severity, functional impact, prognosis, treatment needs and the relationship between service-related experiences and current symptoms.
Do you assess PTSD and C-PTSD for AFCS matters?
Yes. Where clinically indicated, I assess PTSD using structured clinical interview and validated measures, including the CAPS-5 where appropriate. I also assess ICD-11 Complex PTSD using the International Trauma Interview, or ITI, where clinically indicated.
Can the assessment be completed online?
Many assessments can be completed online where clinically appropriate. In-person appointments are also available at 4 Devonshire Street in the Harley Street Medical District.
How quickly can a report be completed?
Reports are usually completed within approximately seven business days after the assessment, provided all relevant information has been received. More complex appeal reports, substantial records or urgent deadlines should be discussed at the point of enquiry.
Making an AFCS Report Enquiry
To enquire about an AFCS psychological assessment and report, please contact:
assistant@comfortshieldspractice.com
Please include, where possible:
- whether this is an initial AFCS claim, reconsideration or appeal;
- any relevant deadline or decision letter date;
- whether you are enquiring personally, through a solicitor or as a referrer;
- whether PTSD, C-PTSD or another diagnosis has already been suggested;
- whether there are service records, medical records, Veterans UK decision letters or previous reports available;
- whether the assessment is needed for personal, therapeutic, compensation, insurance, occupational or formal documentation purposes.
All enquiries are handled personally and in strict confidence.
