Psychological Therapy Approaches

As a clinical psychologist I have received specialist training in a number of evidenced based approaches to help you with your difficulties, whatever they may be. I provide an individualised approach, where we collaboratively develop a shared understanding of your difficulties, how they have developed and what seems to be keeping you stuck, this is known as a psychological formulation. From here, we will identify your goals and create a bespoke treatment plan. Therapy timescale depends on your difficulties and your goals, we will regularly review our progress to make sure we are on the right track. I draw on the following therapy modalities, and can integrate them depending on your needs.

Eye Movement Desensitisation Reprocessing (EMDR)

EMDR can help people experiencing post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), as well as other psychological difficulties such as depression, anxiety, and phobias. In EMDR we will identify negative memories which are having an adverse impact on you now and use bilateral stimulation to help your brain effectively process them, alleviating the distress they have been causing you. We will work at the pace which is right for you and you will always be in control.

Schema Therapy

Schema therapy helps people to identify and change unhelpful schemas, which are deeply ingrained patterns of thinking, feeling, behaving and seeing the world. It is helpful for people who have been feeling stuck with their difficulties for a long time. We will identify your schemas and the different parts of yourself; think about where these have stemmed from and what is keeping them going now. Using chair work to facilitate dialogue between the parts of yourself, and imagery rescripting to repair historic unmet needs, we will work to challenge these unhelpful patterns and develop more helpful ones.

Compassion Focussed Therapy (CFT)

CFT draws on evolutionary psychology, neuroscience and attachment theory, it has been shown to be an effective therapy for a range of difficulties and can be particularly helpful for people experiencing high levels of self-criticism and shame. We will work through experiential exercises to develop your compassionate mind, learning to relate to both yourself and others in more compassionate way to reduce suffering and shame.

Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT)

DBT is a powerful and evidenced based therapy for people experiencing overwhelming, unmanageable emotions and problems within their relationships, sometimes known as personality disorders. It is a skills-based therapy where you will learn and practice new ways of managing, centred around the themes of mindfulness, managing emotions, safely tolerating distress, and successfully managing relationships.

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)

ACT has been shown to be effective in treating difficulties such as depression and anxiety, and coping with difficult life circumstances such as chronic health conditions. The goal of ACT is to increase acceptance of the present moment, as often it is our attempts to escape suffering which can make us feel worse, and can make it harder to live a meaningful life. Rather than attempting to stop or change difficult thoughts or feelings, through ACT we will work to develop your ability to choose behaviours in line with your values.

Additional Services

In addition to psychological therapy, I also provide autism diagnostic assessments and expert witness services for legal proceedings.

Psychological Therapy is charged at £110 per session

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