What is Therapy with a Clinical Psychologist Like?

Clinical Psychologists offer a person-centred therapy which is based on scientific theory and evidence-based research. This means that you can expect a therapy that is most effective and individually tailored for you.

After an initial assessment with a Clinical Psychologist, you can expect to develop a Psychological formulation –that is a shared understanding of how your particular problems may have developed and what is keeping them going. This is then used to develop a plan of therapy to be able to help relieve distress, improve wellbeing and work towards goals which are in line with your personal values.

Likewise with family work, the family, couple or participating people can expect to develop a shared formulation of difficulties and then use a combination of conversation, problem-solving and solution-finding in order to improve communication, relationships, and individual and family wellbeing.

You can expect your therapy to be kept entirely confidential. I adhere to professional guidance and regulations with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) and British Psychological Society (BPS), and am registered with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO). If there are any reasons to share information about your therapy, for example if the safety of yourself or someone else is at risk, or for purposes of private health insurance, then I will discuss this with you.

Individual Therapy

Presenting Problems

I provide therapy for a range of presenting problems. This includes mood disorders such as anxiety and depression, panic disorders, social anxiety/phobia, specific phobias, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), trauma, bereavement, eating disorders, problems associated with personality and distressing experiences (such as unusual beliefs and seeing or hearing things that other people do not). I can also offer therapies to help develop understanding and problem-solve difficulties in relation to Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).

If you would like to know if I can help you with a particular set of difficulties or to learn more about my experience of having worked with these, then please feel free to contact me to find out more information and see how I can help you.

Treatment Models

I have training and experience of working with a range of therapeutic models which means that I can take a flexible approach to your difficulties and offer a therapy which works best for you. Examples of models I have expertise working with are Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), family working/interventions, Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Compassion Focused Therapy (CFT), Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing (EMDR) and Cognitive Analytic Therapy (CAT).

Again, if you have a particular interest in taking part in a specific type of therapy then I am very happy to discuss this with you. Once you have completed an assessment, as part of our agreement of therapy we would plan which model of therapy to use and how we will monitor the therapeutic progress you are making with it.

Family Work

Presenting Problems

I have experience of working with couples, families or groups where there are relationship difficulties or the mental health of an individual or group of people are affecting the family as a whole. I take a non-blaming approach in helping the family communicate their current understanding of the problems and then develop a more helpful narrative and approach to encountered difficulties. I can offer support for relationship problems or family coping when someone is experiencing distress associated with loss, significant change or upsetting experiences such as unusual beliefs and seeing or hearing things that others do not. Please contact me if you would like to discuss whether meeting with a Psychologist as a couple, family or group may be helpful for your particular circumstances.

Treatment Models

There are two main ways with which I approach working with couples, families or groups. One is by helping facilitate effective and therapeutic communication between the participating people. This can help develop mutual understanding and construct more positive narratives of individuals and families. The other is a more educative approach where I can offer information about mental health and the way in which it can affect individuals and a family and then offer guidance around communication, problem-solving and how to manage the possibility of the difficulties impacting upon the family again in the future.