Therapy

Psychological Therapy

Therapy looks at the difficulties you are experiencing and the underlying causes, to help you move forwards.

Some people come to therapy with a clear cause or trigger for their difficulties. Many people feel that they are not sure why they are struggling. As experts in human development, behaviour, thinking, mental wellbeing and health, psychologists can help to identify and manage the symptoms that are distressing you, and heal the underlying causes.

There are a range of different types of talking therapies. Some therapies have more research behind them and have demonstrated stronger outcomes in treating specific mental health difficulties. Psychologists are trained in the different types of therapies and the guidelines of when and how they are applied.

People come to therapy because they want support, but ultimately, they want change – whether it’s symptoms they are experiencing or a personal difficulty, they want to lead happier and calmer life.

A few common things I hear from clients are:

I want strategies to manage
I want to be able to deal with this in the future
I want to understand myself
I don't want to struggle anymore

When I meet with a client, I spend the first session or two, getting to know them, their problem and their history. This gives me a formulation or hypothesis of what the difficulty is. Whilst clients often understand that there aren’t any overnight solutions there are what I term ‘quick wins’ that we can look at. Things that we might be able to help you implement straight away, in order to help you. We will then be looking at how the difficulties in your life play out, how we either reduce or learn to manage the problem and how you can stay on top of it.

There's no 'right' amount of sessions. Research shows that 12-16 sessions are most optimal but some need less, some need more and some like to space out appointments in order to have a time and place to maintain their mental health.

Coaching

Coaching differs from therapy as it aims to increase performance and achievement. People tend to come for coaching to move forward with specific areas of their external life rather than internal or interpersonal problems. People might feel stuck, or that they need help moving to the next level. There tends to be a performance goal you need support moving towards. Those who benefit from coaching tend to be well. Although, where they are at in life may be having an negative impact on their wellbeing, if they could take steps towards their goals this negative impact would improve quickly. It’s often about changing circumstances.

People come to me for coaching on topics such as: improve public speaking, become a better manager, changing careers, managing stress, becoming more positive etc.

The benefit in seeing a psychologist who provides both talking therapy and coaching means that they can provide you with an assessment of your needs and work out which is best for you. They can also integrate theory and evidence from their expertise in human behaviour and cognition giving that extra edge to coaching and improving outcomes.

How I can help

If you are struggling with something more specific, it's very likely that I can help you. Over 15 years of working in mental health settings, including the NHS, and through the completion of a variety of specialist training and qualifications, I am equipped to regularly support clients with:

If any of this sounds like you, book in a consultation now and let's make a change together.