Psychotherapy services I provide
I work with adults, couples, children and families and I provide a range of psychotherapy services including assessment, diagnosis, and psychological treatment for most psychological and emotional
difficulties including:
• Depression and low mood
• Anxiety and anxiety based disorders (including general anxiety, panic attacks, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, Post-traumatic Stress Disorder, Phobias, social anxiety)
• Bipolar disorder
• Difficulties adjusting to life changes and transitions
• Relationship issues; couple therapy, general problems in relating
to others, intimacy and commitment issues, parenting problems
• Eating disorders
• Childhood problems – separation anxiety, school problems,
self-esteem issues, friendship issues, bullying problems,
wetting (enurisis),and soiling problems (encropresis), depression,
and dealing with parental separation and divorce
• Anger management
• Stress management
• Sleeping problems
• Loss, bereavement and grief
• Self esteem and confidence issues
• Medical diagnoses with psychological components, eg cancer,
Irritable Bowel Syndrome, abdominal pain and pain management
The first few sessions are about me getting to know you and/or your child so we can work together to develop the focuses of therapy. This may or may not involve formal psychometric assessments, it depends on what is needed. If you are asked to do formal assessments they will be explained to you beforehand, and you will have the opportunity to ask questions and
discuss it.
Treatment approaches I use
Treatment follows on from the assessments made and a therapy plan will be discussed with you. I use a range of approaches to undertake therapy with my clients and I have listed below some of the psychotherapy techniques
and models I use.
Cognitive and Behavioural Therapy
The core philosophy of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) is that thoughts, feelings and behaviours combine
to influence a person’s quality of life. CBT aims to firstly assist people to recognize the beliefs and thought processes they have and perhaps how they were developed, especially those which reduce their happiness and enjoyment
of life. Once there is more insight and awareness, the client then works with these beliefs and thought patterns,
to manage and influence them so they interfere less negatively in the persons’ life. The Behavioural component involves working with practical strategies and skills to change or modify behaviour and interaction patterns which
may reinforce the negative thinking styles, hence learning more useful and quality of life enhancing behaviours
and ways of interacting.
Clinical Hypnosis and Schema Therapy
Clinical hypnosis or hypnotherapy is a therapy mode which uses a person’s natural abilities to become absorbed in relaxation and imagery processes, for the purpose of resolving or dealing with emotional stresses and negative experiences. It can also be used to enhance positive qualities within an individual. Imagery in hypnosis can have
a powerful positive effect on thinking (or negative schemas), feeling and sensory experiences related to psychological issues and problems and can enhance insight into difficult emotional issues. It can also be very helpful in managing medical conditions such as; irritable bowel syndrome, asthma, and a range of auto-immune disorders. This work is best undertaken with a Clinical Psychologist who has thorough training in this approach to therapy, which usually
means a two-year training program within a recognized training body. Imagery is often used within the hypnosis therapy and can enhance and facilitate the other therapy modes, such as CBT.
Mindfulness Therapy
Mindfulness Therapy has developed out of meditative traditions such as those found in Buddhism, to assist a person to become aware of their bodily processes and emotional arousal before, during and after psychological arousal and distress. The person learns to notice these thoughts and feelings in a more detached manner, allowing them to reduce the impact and frequency of highly negative emotional states. The calming effect of the individually tailored meditation practice, which is an essential part of this form of therapy, also allows a person to enhance their personal well-being and psychological balance.
Child Emotional and Behavioural Therapy
Emotional and behavioural therapy with younger children involves helping the child learn more adaptive and appropriate ways of behaving and expressing their feelings. Children can sometimes also need assistance with relationship issues at school or self esteem problems and therapy can be a very supportive situation to work
with such issues. Parents are very much a part of the therapy process and may be asked to record behaviours,
work with behavioural reward charts, set boundaries via appropriate consequences for difficult behaviours and
gain information about age and developmental appropriate tasks the child is learning to manage. Sometimes
parents may be asked to explore their own parenting styles and how this impacts on their children. For school
based problems, schools are sometimes also involved where appropriate, with permission of the parent(s).
Play Therapy
The understanding with this therapy is that children and adolescents often are not as versed in “talking therapies”
and are able to utilize their play and fantasy for therapeutic purposes. This may take the form of guided therapeutic play with hand puppets, a sand box, drawing, clay work, toys and games. While the young people usually enjoy
this process, there is also very real work taking place and many new insights and behaviours can be explored and developed. Often play therapy is combined with cognitive-behavioural therapy, where the child may learn for example, ways to deal with bullies in the playground or how to make friends and mix with other kids. Parents are very much involved in this process too and are guided to work with the child and the therapy process.
difficulties including:
• Depression and low mood
• Anxiety and anxiety based disorders (including general anxiety, panic attacks, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, Post-traumatic Stress Disorder, Phobias, social anxiety)
• Bipolar disorder
• Difficulties adjusting to life changes and transitions
• Relationship issues; couple therapy, general problems in relating
to others, intimacy and commitment issues, parenting problems
• Eating disorders
• Childhood problems – separation anxiety, school problems,
self-esteem issues, friendship issues, bullying problems,
wetting (enurisis),and soiling problems (encropresis), depression,
and dealing with parental separation and divorce
• Anger management
• Stress management
• Sleeping problems
• Loss, bereavement and grief
• Self esteem and confidence issues
• Medical diagnoses with psychological components, eg cancer,
Irritable Bowel Syndrome, abdominal pain and pain management
The first few sessions are about me getting to know you and/or your child so we can work together to develop the focuses of therapy. This may or may not involve formal psychometric assessments, it depends on what is needed. If you are asked to do formal assessments they will be explained to you beforehand, and you will have the opportunity to ask questions and
discuss it.
Treatment approaches I use
Treatment follows on from the assessments made and a therapy plan will be discussed with you. I use a range of approaches to undertake therapy with my clients and I have listed below some of the psychotherapy techniques
and models I use.
Cognitive and Behavioural Therapy
The core philosophy of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) is that thoughts, feelings and behaviours combine
to influence a person’s quality of life. CBT aims to firstly assist people to recognize the beliefs and thought processes they have and perhaps how they were developed, especially those which reduce their happiness and enjoyment
of life. Once there is more insight and awareness, the client then works with these beliefs and thought patterns,
to manage and influence them so they interfere less negatively in the persons’ life. The Behavioural component involves working with practical strategies and skills to change or modify behaviour and interaction patterns which
may reinforce the negative thinking styles, hence learning more useful and quality of life enhancing behaviours
and ways of interacting.
Clinical Hypnosis and Schema Therapy
Clinical hypnosis or hypnotherapy is a therapy mode which uses a person’s natural abilities to become absorbed in relaxation and imagery processes, for the purpose of resolving or dealing with emotional stresses and negative experiences. It can also be used to enhance positive qualities within an individual. Imagery in hypnosis can have
a powerful positive effect on thinking (or negative schemas), feeling and sensory experiences related to psychological issues and problems and can enhance insight into difficult emotional issues. It can also be very helpful in managing medical conditions such as; irritable bowel syndrome, asthma, and a range of auto-immune disorders. This work is best undertaken with a Clinical Psychologist who has thorough training in this approach to therapy, which usually
means a two-year training program within a recognized training body. Imagery is often used within the hypnosis therapy and can enhance and facilitate the other therapy modes, such as CBT.
Mindfulness Therapy
Mindfulness Therapy has developed out of meditative traditions such as those found in Buddhism, to assist a person to become aware of their bodily processes and emotional arousal before, during and after psychological arousal and distress. The person learns to notice these thoughts and feelings in a more detached manner, allowing them to reduce the impact and frequency of highly negative emotional states. The calming effect of the individually tailored meditation practice, which is an essential part of this form of therapy, also allows a person to enhance their personal well-being and psychological balance.
Child Emotional and Behavioural Therapy
Emotional and behavioural therapy with younger children involves helping the child learn more adaptive and appropriate ways of behaving and expressing their feelings. Children can sometimes also need assistance with relationship issues at school or self esteem problems and therapy can be a very supportive situation to work
with such issues. Parents are very much a part of the therapy process and may be asked to record behaviours,
work with behavioural reward charts, set boundaries via appropriate consequences for difficult behaviours and
gain information about age and developmental appropriate tasks the child is learning to manage. Sometimes
parents may be asked to explore their own parenting styles and how this impacts on their children. For school
based problems, schools are sometimes also involved where appropriate, with permission of the parent(s).
Play Therapy
The understanding with this therapy is that children and adolescents often are not as versed in “talking therapies”
and are able to utilize their play and fantasy for therapeutic purposes. This may take the form of guided therapeutic play with hand puppets, a sand box, drawing, clay work, toys and games. While the young people usually enjoy
this process, there is also very real work taking place and many new insights and behaviours can be explored and developed. Often play therapy is combined with cognitive-behavioural therapy, where the child may learn for example, ways to deal with bullies in the playground or how to make friends and mix with other kids. Parents are very much involved in this process too and are guided to work with the child and the therapy process.
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Consultations (sessions) & how they work
There are no fixed number of sessions; needs vary and people come as often as they need to, want to and what
can be managed with regards to time and affordability. Even though sessions are paced to take all of these factors into account, people mostly come weekly or fortnightly. Sessions run for 50 minutes.
Consultations are completely confidential, within the parameters of the law. There are limited circumstances in
which confidentiality can be overridden, and these will be explained to you in your first appointment. Otherwise
your attendance and consultations are private and will not be discussed with anyone without your consent.
On your first visit
All you need to bring to your first session is your referral, if you have one. You will find my reception area as you enter the building. If reception is unattended when you arrive, then I will come to collect you from the waiting room at the appointed time and will explain to you everything you need to know about how it all works.
