What is Therapy?

If you have not met with a clinical psychologist before, you may have questions. Please do get in touch as the easiest way to answer any queries you may have, otherwise please find answers to the most frequently asked questions below

How do I know if it will help?

Being curious about change is an important first step, so well done for getting this far. You do not have to commit to a certain number of sessions and coming to an initial session does not mean you have to continue. The most effective part of any therapy is the relationship formed between therapist and client, therefore that is the most important thing for you to get a sense of in the first few sessions.

I work collaboratively with my clients at every step of the way, to ensure that you are the one in charge of your change and what that looks like.

My work focusses not just on managing current difficulties but on learning to gain a different perspective on life's challenges to allow for improvements in other areas as well as those targeted. we will monitor progress and track change so that you get a sense of how the sessions are going.

How long will it take?

Whilst this depends on the difficulties that you are experiencing, the therapies I specialise in are time-limited. This means we decide on goals of therapy together and work towards those with an idea of how many sessions that will take, established at the initial session. That way you know where you stand the whole way through the process. We review regularly to ensure we are being effective. 8-12 sessions is common. You are of course free to end therapy at any time.

Session arrangements can be flexible to suit your particular circumstances and may be weekly, fortnightly or monthly for example.

Is online or in person best?

I offer both online and in person sessions and so this is purely personal preference. There is evidence to show the efficacy of online therapy as equitable to in-person therapy and it means that you can access the right therapist for you even if not close geographically. As therapy is an interpersonal interaction, I do fine that at least a couple of in-person sessions can be helpful if possible and these can be combined with online.

What happens in the first session?

Coming to an initial session does not mean you have to commit to therapy. It is an opportunity to discuss an issue you may have been struggling with or wondering about and your hopes and expectations. We can then think together about what the therapy would target and look like. Please do get in touch with any questions as the most important thing is that the therapist and client form a therapeutic relationship, as that is the grounds for for the change that can take place.

There may be some questionnaires to fill out to get a sense of where you are on scales which can help us to track your progress throu gh the therapy.

What is the Cancellation Policy?

Appointments can be cancelled free of charge up to 48 hours before the booked appointment time. This allows for someone else to be offered that slot.

Appointments cancelled with less than 48 hours' notice incur 50% charge of the appointment fee.

Are sessions confidential?

Yes, my ethical code of practise ensures that sessions are completely confidential. The exception to this is if there is a risk of your causing yourself or someone else harm. This would be discussed with you in person if there was any concern.

Your notes are stored in a locked filing cabinet in a locked office or on an encrypted file. No one else other than your therapist has access to these notes.

How much does it cost?

If you are paying for therapy sessions yourself, the standard fee for either an initial consultation or therapy session is £140.

Please make the payment before the initial consultation.Payment can be made via bank transfer or payment link.

Registered with most major insurance providers, including Aviva, AXA, WPA, Cigna and other insurers, I am not currently taking BUPA clients.

What is a clinical psychologist?

The world of therapy is a minefield of different terms. Clinical psychology is a protected term for those who have completed a doctorate level degree in both therapy and clinical research. Therefore we are highly trained to deliver evidence-based treatments for a range of presenting difficulties.

Psychologists are different to psychiatrists who have undergone medical training and therefore are medical doctors rather than holding doctorate level in therapy. They are qualified to prescribe psychiatric medication and may have done further training in a therapy.

Clinical Psychologists are different to counselling psychologists and counsellors. These are separate qualifications with different levels of experience.

What type of therapies do you use?

Using evidence-based therapies recommended by NICE guidelines for specific conditions, I know that I am using the gold standard approaches in my work as my ultimate goal is efficacy of my therapy.

Further training in ACT, EMDR, CFT and Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy ensure that I have many theories to draw on and so can ensure a completely personalised and unique approach to my clients’ therapy journeys.

CBT & 3rd wave CBT

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy has a strong evidence base for a wide variety of psychological difficulties. Helping clients to map out their problematic cycles and recognise how thoughts, behaviour and emotions interact we can develop strategies together that encourage helpful cycles to develop. I am further trained in Compassion Focused Therapy, Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy, Metacognitive Therapy and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy.

Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy

Harnessing the power of Mindfulness practise, learning to recognise the struggle with unwanted thoughts and emotions as the issue, rather than those thoughts and emotions themselves being the problem. By learning to recognise thoughts and emotions as they are, you are able to develop a new relationship with them. One you are able to feel more in control of how you behave in response to these unwanted thoughts you can then choose how to respond rather than being stuck in reactive mode.

EMDR

Eye Movement Desensitisation reprocessing is a powerful therapy designed to help you recover from traumatic experiences that may have become stuck within the nervous system. This stops the brain from being able to adaptively move past the trauma to allow for post-traumatic growth. Most recognised for its role in PTSD< EMDR is effective with Chronic pain, anxiety and depression. I have seen incredible transformations in just a few sessions with clients. EMDR can be a stand alone treatment or as part of a wider treatment plan.

Acceptance & Commitment Therapy (ACT)

Developed from CBT, ACT uses a mindfulness-based approach to current struggles to help clients to refocus their attention to what truly matters to their quality of life. By learning various strategies to help you to learn to manage the thoughts, emotions and physical sensations that stand in your way and keep you stuck in unhelpful cycles, clients learn generalisable life skills that support you with future struggles as well. ACT is used widely in coaching and can be very helpful in identifying what really matters to you in life and how to get there.