Individual Therapy
I believe that mental maintenance is an essential part of not just surviving, but thriving.
In a world which can be challenging, frightening, overwhelming, exhausting, complex and seriously hard to navigate at times, it’s not surprising that sometimes we don’t feel ok. Whether you’re deeply struggling, feeling a bit off, or wanting to pro-actively work on your mental wellbeing — I am here.
“My mission is to positively change the culture around mental health by actively supporting committed individuals, couple and organisations to reach their full potential”
As a psychologist I am an expert listener with a great wealth of experience in all of the quirks and unusual facets of the human mind. A one to one session allows an objective, non-judgmental space in which you can talk freely and openly about the things which worry you.
My clinic is open 5 days a week. No referral from your doctor is required. There is no long and difficult assessment process. Just straightforward professional therapy in a way that suits you.
WHAT DIFFICULTIES DO YOU WORK WITH?
People attend therapy for a variety of different reasons, some have particular emotional or psychological problems, whilst others may choose to focus on situational challenges such as a geographical move, job or career change and so fourth. Some common examples of the difficulties people might choose to focus on in therapy include:
Psychological and emotional problems such as specific phobias (e.g. fear of flying), panic attacks, anxiety, depression, obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), persistent worry, issues related to self-confidence and assertiveness, and dealing with difficult emotions
Situational challenges which include negotiating change and transition, problem solving, life crises such as bereavement, redundancy or divorce
Exploratory work, for example talking through an issue in order to make sense of what has happened, discussing and making sense of childhood experiences, and exploring past experiences to understand your current feelings and behaviour better
Self improvement, which includes enhancing self care and self image, changing destructive and unhelpful behaviour and thought patterns
Work related stress and burn out as well as issues that you may come up against when returning to work
Issues associated with pregnancy, labour and post natal care, including post natal depression and baby blues. Working in collaboration with The Water Babies I also work to raise awareness of the need for psychological care for families who suffer emotional distress in pregnancy and birth, as well as offer support and therapy for parents and families who have suffered the loss of a baby at any stage in their pregnancy and beyond.
Trauma, both big and small.
WHAT THERAPUTIC APPROACHES DO YOU WORK WITH?
Whilst I am trained in a number of therapies the ones I most commonly work with include Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) and Mindfulness approaches. I am also a qualified EMDR therapist. I am however open to exploring different ways of working together to find an approach that best suits you and your specific needs.
WHAT DO YOU SPECIALISE IN?
As well as offering therapy across the lifespan I also offer specialised care and consultation.
I have always been interested in women’s mental health and I enjoy helping women who seem completely put together actually feel that way.
Moving to a new country and living abroad can be a remarkably rewarding experience. But it also provides a unique set of challenges. We can all feel overwhelmed at times, and the additional stresses of living abroad can make these issues more difficult to deal with. Issues that we might cope well with when living at home, surrounded by familiar faces and landscapes, become more pressing and difficult to manage when living overseas. I offer specialist therapy to expatriates who are trying to integrate, and reintegrate, at any stage in their journey.
HELP AVAILABLE WHEN YOU NEED IT
Timely and appropriate psychological help is extremely important as it can improve prognosis as well as quality of life. As a private psychologist I am able to offer appointments when they suit you with no need to wait to access these services. As I am an independent practice this also means you do not need a referral from your doctor to attend sessions. I also offer sessions in the evenings so you don't need to rearrange your entire schedule or take time off work to see me.
WHAT TO EXPECT OF THERAPY
During therapy you can expect me to listen carefully to your difficulties and take them seriously, try to understand your problems and help you make sense of them, and where appropriate to offer a plan of therapy specifically designed to meet your needs. The length of therapy can vary from client to client depending on your needs. I am therefore used to working with clients in the short, medium and long term. Following our assessment the likely number of sessions will be discussed and agreed with you and progress will be reviewed at regular intervals.
The first therapy session is an assessment session and will last for approximately 90 minutes. I find that a longer initial session works best as it gives us both a chance to get to know one another, find if we are a good "fit", to begin to discuss and understand what has brought you to therapy, and agree goals. Following this we would discuss a plan for therapy which typically involves us continuing to meet on a two weekly basis for a 45 minute therapy session.
I am only too aware that private psychological care can be expensive. Therefore I will advise you on the most cost effective route for your situation and always strive to keep the cost to you as low as I can. My sessions are typically covered by the major health insurance policies, although I would encourage you to check with your insurer before booking a session. In most cases you will need to pay for the session upfront and reclaim the cost subsequently form your insurer.