Mental Health
Our mental health is just like physical health – we all have it and we all need to take care of it. Sadly, our modern life is full of stresses and strains which challenge our mental health. I help people with the whole range of adult mental health problems, including diagnosed conditions such as anxiety, depression, trauma, but also more general feelings of unhappiness, such as dissatisfaction with relationships and low self esteem.
What to expect
Initial Contact
I offer a free, 15 minute phone call before we meet to help you decide whether seeing me is going to be helpful to you. Therapy is very personal and, at times, challenging and it is really important that you feel comfortable with me and the way I work. Sometimes there are other services which could help you too – I can signpost you to those.
First Appointment
Your first appointment is an opportunity for us to meet and talk about your difficulties. I will gather some background information about your life, relationships, physical health and other personal history so I can start to build a good understanding of you. This is also a chance for you to ask any questions you might have. At the end of the session we will discuss the best way forward.
What is Involved?
Following assessment, we will develop an understanding of your difficulties and then discuss how therapy could help. I am trained in a broad range of psychological therapies, including ACT, CBT, EMDR and DBT and I draw from all of these as appropriate. At the heart of how I work is a warm, collaborative and equal partnership with each client.
What is therapy like?
Hopefully you’ll find therapy to be a supportive and thought-provoking experience which helps you to make some lasting changes.
Sessions are 50 minutes long. At the beginning of each session we will agree on the focus for that session. I encourage people to come to each meeting with things they want to talk about – possibly something upsetting that has happened in the week, a difficult relationship, or a belief they hold about themselves that is really limiting them. In turn I will have thought about you before our session and planned a useful focus.
Often we will identify something, relevant to the discussion, that you can take forward between our sessions. For want of a better word this is often called 'homework', but unlike homework this won’t be imposed on you! This is an important part of treatment and will enable you to get the most out of therapy.
I regularly review how helpful you are finding sessions and I am keen to make changes to help you in the best way possible.
Finally, therapy can be tiring so I usually suggest that people schedule a bit of time to themselves immediately after the session, rather than go straight back to their responsibilities.
Therapy or Consultation?
Some people don’t want therapy but they do want to talk through a problem with someone with psychological expertise. I offer consultation sessions for this; these are often one-off appointments, although people sometimes meet with me again. Common examples of consultation issues include worries about family members’ mental health and difficulties with adult children.
Consultation sessions can also be useful if you don’t want to commit to therapy but would like to gain a better understanding of yourself and any current difficulties. One of the key skills of a psychologist is a process called ‘formulation’. This involves a detailed assessment session and then working with the person to understand why their problem developed, what factors could be keeping it going and what they can do to help themselves. For some people this is all they need to make progress on their own. It is also a more affordable option than regular therapy.