I am a Europe Accredited Eye Movement Desensitisation and Re-processing (EMDR) therapy practitioner.

EMDR is a powerful scientifically proven psychotherapy that is an evidenced-based approach to treating a wide-range of problems that can be traced back to trauma.

EMDR is revolutionary in that prior to its development it was widely hypothesised that those who suffered traumas, particularly where it had been repeated and prolonged would take a long time to heal. However, EMDR therapy has shown us that the brain can in-fact recover from psychological wounds rapidly just like a physical wound on the body, it just needs the right care, attention and expertise to heal from the inside out.

EMDR therapy is recognised by the World Health Organisation (WHO), the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) and The International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies.

For more information about EMDR visit The EMDR UK Association site https://emdrassociation.org.uk

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)

I am a fully Accredited Cognitive Behavioural Psychotherapist trained to deliver High Intensity Interventions, meaning working with complex conditions such as PTSD and OCD. CBT is an evidenced based intervention that helps you understand and overcome unhelpful patterns of behaviour and thinking. CBT is used to treat mental health conditions such as depression, anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder and addictions. But it can also be used to treat physical conditions such as chronic pain, tinnitus and rheumatism. Here it can help people to cope better with the symptoms. The CBT approach is widely regarded as the Gold Standard in the psychotherapy field with no other form of psychotherapy showing as superior to it. It was the first therapy to be extensively tested in trials to explore effectiveness and thus is the most widely researched.  This makes CBT the first line recommended treatment for many disorders as noted by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidelines. CBT is an evolving psychotherapy that evolves in-line with latest research findings, often incorporating proven techniques from other psychological therapies such as gestalt and psychodynamic for an example.

To really benefit from CBT, you have to be committed and willing to put in enough effort in and out of the session. The therapy can only help if you actively take part in it, you are open and honest, and also work on your problems between the sessions (through agreed action plans). This can be quite exhausting, especially with severe psychological conditions such as severe depression or anxiety disorders. That said, CBT helps you become your own therapist and thus enables you to tackle future problems implementing techniques you’ve learnt which of course can be especially valuable to your mental health.

For more information about CBT visit https://babcp.com

Developmental Needs Meeting Strategy (DNMS)

I am comprehensively trained in DNMS therapy and it is an integral part of my work.

DNMS therapy is designed for healing adults stuck in unwanted behaviour, beliefs, emotions and urges that are rooted in childhood attachment wounding. It is a highly effective therapy for treating dissociative, attachment wounded adults.  It is a multi-dimensional, comprehensive, strength-based, client centred ego state therapy. DMNS helps heal childhood trauma and attachment wounds by meeting the needs of wounded child parts to help them get unstuck from the past. For more information on DNMS therapy visit the DNMS Institute https://www.dnmsinstitute.com

 Solution Focused Therapy (SFT)

I am an Advanced Solution Focused Therapist. SFT is a future focused evidence based therapeutic approach which helps clients change by constructing solutions rather than focusing on problems. Research shows it can bring about lasting change in 4-5 sessions (or less) on average for 65- 83% of referrals. It can be brief because it is future orientated and because it works with the strengths of people by making the best use of their resources. SFT explores what you might already be doing which might contribute to the resolution of the problem with which you come with. SFT can be used across multiple psychological difficulties.

For more information visit the world’s leading centre on solution focused practice visit https://www.brief.org.uk

DBT

I am a fully trained Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT) Therapist.

DBT focuses on teaching people skills to manage intense emotions, cope with challenging situations, and improve their relationships. It encourages people to learn and use mindfulness training in practical ways.

During individual and group sessions, therapists encourage a non-judgmental attitude and emphasize acceptance, compassion, and other aspects of mindfulness.

DBT has a proven track record for addressing the most debilitating symptoms of borderline personality disorder: self-injury and suicide threats or attempts. It is now also used to treat depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, eating disorders, and substance use disorders.

 In fact, the cornerstone of DBT — the skills training — can help anyone navigate emotionally charged situations with more ease.

DBT is derived from CBT which assumes that certain negative thoughts (cognitions) are distortions, and if you learn how to swap those distorted thoughts with more productive ones, you'll be less depressed or anxious.

In addition to mindfulness, DBT teaches three other main skills:

1. Distress tolerance is the ability to manage emotional distress in the moment, using techniques such as distraction.

2. Emotion regulation involves recognizing, accepting, and managing intense emotions.

3. Interpersonal effectiveness focuses on improving communication with other people to strengthen relationships and improve your self-esteem.

For more information about DBT visit https://sfdbt.org/about-us