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Psychological Therapy
Am I the right therapist for you?
It is essential that over time the connection feels right between us for therapy to work. Research outcomes consistently highlight the therapy relationship as being one of the most important factors for effectiveness over and above the type of therapy. I strive to create a space in which you can feel safe, accepted, understood and heard. We will work collaboratively to decide on what you need from therapy and the best way to achieve meaningful lasting change.
My passion lies in demystifying and de-stigmatising psychological difficulties and changing how we as a society relate to emotional distress and inherent human vulnerability. My intention is to help you to develop inner resilience and emotional intelligence which will enable you to become your own therapist over time.
Common problems I can help with.
I have extensive experience in working with a range of psychological and emotional concerns including:
anxiety, bipolar disorder, childhood trauma, depression, eating disorders, low self-esteem, obsessional-compulsive disorder (OCD), panic, complex trauma, personality issues including diagnoses of personality disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
Alongside these specific issues I have experience of working with more universal human concerns including, grief, loss, relationship difficulties, sexuality and work-related stress.
For chronic health conditions I work with:
adjustment to diagnosis, adjustment to symptoms and disability, symptom management (e.g. chronic pain, chronic fatigue), impact of illness on identity, quality of life, work, sex and relationships.
What therapy sessions involve.
As part of the assessment process we develop a psychological ‘formulation’ or understanding of your difficulties. This forms the backbone of the therapy and helps us know what you need. Formulating involves pulling together elements of your current difficulties such as: predisposing factors, origins, contributing factors, coping styles and reinforcing factors. As part of this you will learn about the inter-connectedness of the brain’s hardwiring, our emotional drive systems, thinking styles and patterns, behavioural responses, mind-body connections, and personality traits which are relevant to your formulation.
The ‘intervention’ component of therapy involves learning skills to overcome your difficulties and reduce suffering by attending to internal factors that reinforce your distress (emotional inhibition, detachment, habitual negative thinking) and external contributory and reinforcing factors (skills to manage difficult relationships, work-related stress, family conflict, traumatic events, other life adversity).
Evidence-based therapies I practice.
My experience and expertise lies in cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) and more contemporary, enhanced CBT-based models including Mindfulness and Compassion-Focused Therapies and Schema therapy.
