My Experience

I have worked within the NHS since 2005 and, in that time, I have worked with people from across the lifespan and from a variety of backgrounds. I therefore have good experience of working with a range of psychological difficulties, such as anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder, low mood, low self-esteem and confidence, difficulties within relationships, bereavement and loss, trauma and other experiences.

In my private practice, I have worked with individuals experiencing difficulties similar to those listed above. In particular, I have worked with people to help them manage the effects of being stressed or having been bullied, low self-esteem and low mood, anxiety and coping by self-harming.

Within my NHS roles over the past seven years, I have specialised in two areas. One of these has involved working with people who are struggling to manage the effects of severe and enduring mental health problems. The other has centered on working with people who have chronic physical health conditions, which are having a significant impact on their lives and have become difficult to manage (e.g. rheumatic conditions; chronic fatigue; multiple sclerosis; diabetes; chronic pain; limb loss).

The majority of my clinical work has been with adults between the ages of 16 and 85.

My Values

The process of coming to therapy to talk about areas of difficulty or distress can feel very exposing and, as such, is something I consider to be a very brave step to take. I therefore work hard to provide a safe and trusting relationship, in which someone can feel able to bring and explore their difficulties without feeling judged, to then find a way through the difficulties together. The process of considering and making changes can also be very difficult. I therefore value the opportunity to explore this with individuals, in order to acknowledge any barriers that may have been ‘keeping them stuck.’ This is all with a view to then helping individuals towards living in a way that reflects their values.

The Models I Work With

I have had experience of working from a variety of theoretical frameworks and find that the most effective approach is grounded in thorough assessment and formulation. Building a detailed shared understanding of how someone’s difficulties developed and have since been maintained enables therapeutic work to be person-centered and individualised. This process tends to involve focusing on the narrative that the client brings, but also considering the networks and relationships they grew up in at home, at school and within society.

The main models I draw upon in my current practice are Cognitive Analytic Therapy (CAT); Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). I regularly use ideas from both Psychodynamic and Systemic Therapy to inform my practice. Within an individual’s therapy, the frameworks that we use will always be determined by the reasons that the person is seeking support and the changes that they would like to see.

Clinic Information

I currently hold a clinic in St. Albans, Hertfordshire and offer face to face appointments on Sunday daytime and Monday and Wednesday evenings. I also offer virtual appointments if you prefer. I work with people aged14 years upwards.

Training and Qualifications:

  • Doctorate in Clinical Psychology – University of Birmingham, 2011
  • Post Graduate Diploma in Psychological Research – Open University 2008
  • BSc (Hons) Psychology – University of Warwick 2004
  • Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS), Hogrefe, Oxford, 2017
  • Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) for Shame and Self-Criticism, Contextual Consulting, London, 2017
  • Mentalisation Based Practice, South Essex Partnership NHS Trust, 2015
  • Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Russ Harris, London, 2014
  • Helping Survivors of Childhood Trauma, Oxford Cognitive Therapy Centre, 2014
  • Treating Long Standing and Complex Patterns of Avoidance, Oxford Cognitive Therapy Centre, 2014
  • Introduction to Dialectical Behavioural Therapy (DBT), Birmingham and Solihull Mental Health Foundation Trust, 2012
  • Introduction to Rational Emotive Behavioural Therapy (REBT), University of Birmingham, 2011
  • Introduction to Cognitive Analytic Therapy (CAT), Birmingham and Solihull Mental Health Foundation Trust 2010
  • Registered Practitioner Psychologist, Health and Care Professions Council: PYL27436

 

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