OUR SERVICES
Supervision & Consultation
I have extensive experience working in a range of clinical settings as a Psychologist and provide Clinical Supervision to both Psychologists and other Allied Health Professionals.
Compassion fatigue, self-sacrifice, and burnout pose a constant threat to those I support due to the demands of their workplace and nature of their work.
One to One Therapy
I work within a number of different therapy models to provide a solution that works for each individual. I value a strong therapeutic relationship and know that this leads to better outcomes for my clients. I use everyday language to make the therapy make sense.
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I am contracted to ACC as an Assessment and Treatment provider and to the Employee Assistance programme (EAP) and I support people, regardless of age or gender, who have experienced trauma, anxiety, depression and/or other complex mental health difficulties.
Relationships & Couples Support
We live in challenging times (e.g., high cost of living, the impact of COVID, uncertainty in the world around us) and what can often be impacted as a result is our relationships. Communication and conflict are major themes in the couples work that I do. I draw upon a number of therapeutic models to help couples find solutions and resolutions (whatever this may look like) for their difficulties and challenges.
THERAPEUTIC MODELS
Acceptance & Commitment Therapy
ACT is a powerful evidence-based model that has been successful in treating an array of disorders such as addiction, depression, anxiety,
self-harm, post-traumatic stress, trauma, chronic pain, and eating disorders.
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ACT asks clients to experience the world in a new and meaningful way.
It can show us a way through and forward in the face of life’s many hardships. ACT gets its name because it teaches us how to reduce the impact and influence of painful thoughts and feelings(acceptance) while simultaneously taking action to build a life that’s rich, full and meaningful (commitment).
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ACT assumes that life inevitably involves pain. No matter how wonderful life is, we all experience frustration, guilt, shame, disappointment, rejection, loss, and failure. This is entirely natural and normal. Act argues that psychological pain does not necessarily come from experiencing such painful emotions, and the thoughts that come with them. Instead the pain comes when we ‘fuse with’ or get ‘hooked into’ these emotions and thoughts to the point where they dominate our reality.
ACT is a behavioural therapy: it’s about taking ‘mindful’ action that is guided by our core values.
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So, how can ACT help?
ACT aims to maximise human potential for a rich and meaningful life by:
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Helping us to clarify what’s truly important and meaningful to us (i.e., our values) and then use this knowledge to inspire, guide and motivate us to do the things that will enrich and enhance our life.
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Teaching us psychological skills (‘mindfulness’ skills) that enable us to handle difficult thoughts and feelings effectively, engaging fully in whatever we are doing and savour the fulfilling aspects of life.
*Resources: ‘ACT made simple’ (2nd Ed) Russ Harris (2019), New Harbinger Publications, Inc.
Compassion Focused Therapy
CFT aims to assist you to develop a compassionate understanding and relationship with yourself and others.
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Compassion involves a sensitivity to our own, and other people’s distress, plus a motivation to prevent or alleviate distress. It involves engaging with suffering and doing something about it.
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Focused means that we actively develop and apply compassion to ourselves. It involves accepting and experiencing compassion from and for others.
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Therapy is a term to describe the processes and techniques used to address an issue or difficulty.
CFT looks to social, developmental and evolutionary psychology and neuroscience to help us understand how our minds develop and work, as well as the problems we encounter.
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CFT utilises a range of both Eastern and Western methods to enhance our wellbeing.
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Attention training, mindfulness and imagery combine with techniques used in CBT, Person Centred, Narrative therapies (amongst others) resulting in a powerful mix of strategies that can help a person become the kind of person they wish to be in line with their values.
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CFT works with shame, guilt, trauma, and/or self-criticism to enhance wellbeing. Higher levels of compassion are associated with fewer psychological difficulties.
CFT is a powerful evidence-based model that has been successfully in treating an array of disorders such as addiction, depression, anxiety, self-harm, post-traumatic stress, trauma, chronic pain, and eating disorders.
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*Resources: ‘Compassion Focused Therapy’ by Mary Welford (2016) and Paul Gilbert (1999).
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) is a form of therapy that helps people heal from trauma or other distressing life experiences. It has been extensively researched and demonstrated effectiveness for trauma. EMDR therapy can be effective across many areas, including anxiety, panic attacks, phobias, chronic illness, medical issues, depression, bipolar disorders, dissociative disorders, eating disorders, grief and loss, pain, performance anxiety, personality disorders, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), trauma and stress-related issues, sexual assault, sleep disturbance, substance abuse and addiction, violence and abuse.
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The therapy works by enabling the brain to access its natural healing process. It helps process traumatic memories and allows normal healing to resume. The experience is still remembered but the fight, flight or freeze response from the original event is resolved.
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One of the advantages of EMDR therapy is that it does not require you to talk in detail about the distressing issue. It enables the brain to access its natural healing process rather than focusing on changing the emotions, thoughts or behaviours resulting from the distressing issue. For many clients, EMDR therapy can be completed in fewer sessions than other psychotherapies.
There is very good evidence that EMDR is an effective treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). It is recommended by the American Psychological Association (USA) and the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE, UK) as an effective treatment for PTSD.
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