I am an HCPC registered Clinical Psychologist with over 15 years experience of working within a range of mental health services. I work with adults aged 18 and over.

Experiencing mental health difficulties, trauma or other significant psychological challenges can be incredibly frightening and isolating, and I understand how difficult this can be. At times of crisis, psychological distress often contributes to feelings of overwhelm, making it seem impossible to find solutions, or to feel able to live a fulfilling life. I work alongside people to find the right solutions to overcome their challenges, to alleviate distressing symptoms and to reduce suffering.

My interest in becoming a psychologist started when I was young and working with people with learning disabilities in a residential setting. I witnessed the inadequate and often unjust treatment that people received, which fuelled within me a commitment to meaningfully improve the lives of those who need psychological support and guidance. I returned to education in psychology to pursue a career as a clinical psychologist. I now enjoy specialising in individual therapy, providing collaborative, empathic and compassionate care to help individuals heal and thrive.

Approach

My unique approach integrates Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing (EMDR) and mindfulness-based practices to address the root causes of various psychological challenges. As a dedicated mindfulness practitioner, I have experienced first-hand how these practices can transform and enrich life. My mission is to empower clients to reclaim their lives and achieve lasting well-being, resilience and mastery through a personalised and solution-focused approach.

Following an initial assessment, which may take one or two sessions, I offer individual psychological therapy informed by the most up-to-date research and evidence-base, as recommended in the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidelines. All sessions last 50 minutes. The main therapeutic approaches I use are Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT), Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing (EMDR), Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) and Compassion Focussed Therapy (CFT). I am also informed by Acceptance and Commitment therapy (ACT), systemic and solution focused therapy models.

Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT)

MBCT is a structured, evidence-based approach that combines mindfulness practices with cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT). It was developed to help people manage depression and has been adapted to help people manage stress and anxiety (Mindful Based Stress Reduction/ MBSR). Mindfulness means compassionate and lucid awareness, a sense of knowing what is happening in the external and internal world as it is happening. These mindfulness-based approaches aim to increase awareness of negative thought patterns and to identifying healthier ways of responding.

Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing (EMDR)

EMDR is a therapy used to treat a range of psychological difficulties that typically originate in trauma. EMDR is recommended by the National Institute of Health and Care Excellence (NICE) for the treatment of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). In addition to its use for the treatment of Post-traumatic Stress Disorder, EMDR has been successfully used to treat:

• Self-esteem and performance anxiety
• Anxiety and panic attacks
• Depression
• Stress
• Phobias
• Complicated grief
• Addictions and sleep problems

The goal of EMDR is to properly process traumatic memories, reducing their impact and helping the person to develop coping mechanisms. This requires a person to recall distressing events while receiving bilateral sensory input, which typically involves side to side eye movements. With this reprocessing, the memory changes in such a way that it loses its painful intensity and simply becomes a neutral memory of an event in the past. Other associated memories may also heal at the same time which can lead to a significant improvement in many aspects of your life.

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)

CBT is based on helping people to identify and change negative patterns of thinking and behaviours that contribute to emotional distress. CBT helps the person to identify and challenge distorted thinking, to replace the negative thoughts with more balanced and realistic ones and to engage in behaviours that support and reinforce new ways of thinking. It is a psychological treatment that has been shown to be effective for a wide range of mental-health problems. CBT is recommended by the National Institute of Clinical Excellence (NICE) for anxiety disorders and depression.

Compassion Focussed Therapy (CFT)

CFT can be particularly useful for those with a history of trauma who experience specific difficulties with shame, guilt, fear and self-criticism. CFT aims to teach us to understand our minds better so that our unpleasant emotions are easier to manage, and our positive and pleasant emotions are easier to generate. The approach helps people develop and work with experiences of inner warmth, safeness and soothing, via compassion for both self and others. By teaching individuals how to cultivate a compassionate mindset, CFT helps reduce negative self-judgements and promote emotional healing.

I use these approaches in an integrative manner, led by a formulation which recognises the importance of tailoring interventions to each person’s unique circumstances. I collaboratively encourage my clients to identify their aims and goals for their treatment, establishing a strong therapeutic relationship based on safety and trust.

Types of Clients

I work with adults aged 18 and over, treating a wide range of mental health conditions, which include but not limited to:

• Trauma, including Post traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and Complex Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (CPTSD)
• Other anxiety Disorders, including panic disorder, agoraphobia, specific phobias, OCD, health anxiety, Generalised Anxiety Disorder (GAD) and social anxiety
• Depression and other mood disorders which contribute to feeling of irritability, anger or hopelessness
• Confidence and self esteem difficulties
• Difficulties in emotion regulation

I have over 15 years of experience working within a range of NHS mental health services. In addition to my private practice, I am currently employed by the NHS as a Senior Clinical Psychologist, working with adults experiencing severe and enduring mental health difficulties in an acute inpatient service. Within this role I also supervise junior psychologists and trainees and work with a range of mental health professional colleagues.