What is Psychological Therapy?

The aim of Psychological therapy is to help you reach the ‘riverside’

The river is often used as a metaphor for the stressors and strains of everyday life, from the ordinary to the extraordinary. We find that we might be stuck in the middle of a fast flowing river with all of it’s dangers and having to use all of our energy to just about survive, and therefore not really living the life we would wish to lead. It can be difficult to work out our best next move or how to navigate life’s challenges from this position in the middle of the river.

I strongly believe that each person has their own inner resources however life’s stresses and challenges can sometimes leave these hidden. Psychology isn’t about telling you what to do, but is about helping you discover your own answers in a safe, supportive and nurturing space that is informed by the best evidence based psychological therapies, ethics and codes of practice.

What happens in therapy?

Initially we would have a telephone consultation to be able to learn a little about one another. It is important that you feel comfortable with your Psychologist and it may be that you need to speak to a couple of Psychologists to find someone you feel you can work with.

Following this you will be invited to attend an assessment. This may take one session, or it may take two or three. This will be dependent upon your history, your presenting challenges and your hopes for the future.

Following the assessment I will share with you my working formulation. It may be that the assessment had been enough for you at this time and no further sessions are required. It might be that short, medium or long term sessions are indicated. Or following the assessment it might be that another professional or team is better placed to meet your needs and in this case we would work together to make a plan for this.

Sometimes in assessment or treatment it may be helpful for me to talk to another professional, such as your GP, Health Visitor or another service. I would always discuss this with you first.

Note: I charge the same fee for assessment and treatment as I find this allows a thorough assessment to take place at your own pace. Please see Fees Section or contact me for further information.

What is a Clinical Psychologist?

I often get asked what is a Clinical Psychologist, and what is the difference between all of the different practitioners available (counsellor, psychotherapist, therapist, CBT practitioner, coach etc). It can be confusing, even for family and friends of mine who been alongside me in my journey! So here is a little information about Clinical Psychologists.

A Clinical Psychologist is a practitioner who has met expert level standards of qualification and will have spent a minimum of six years at University, often more. In between an undergraduate degree and a Doctorate course, Clinical Psychologists are required to have a number of years of on the ground experience in appropriate fields. For instance I worked as a mental health Nursing Assistant, Assistant Psychologist and Research Assistant Psychologist in Adult Mental Health in Birmingham and Solihull between my degrees.

During doctorate training, a Trainee Clinical Psychologist spends three years on rotation with their own case load in a variety of settings to gain a breadth of expertise in a range of therapeutic models, while being closely supervised and regularly assessed by a qualified and senior Clinical Psychologist. They also complete ongoing academic course work and exams at their associated University, developing their scientist practitioner and research skills. In their final year Trainees are required to complete a doctoral level thesis; research in a clinical setting that adds value to the field.

I completed my rotation of placements in North London. My doctoral thesis is in Paediatric Cardiology where I explored the experiences of parents and siblings of children who lived with the risk of sudden arrhythmic death syndrome.

Following qualification Clinical Psychologists are required, by our statutory regulator, to undertake regular clinical supervision with a senior Psychologist. This remains a requirement throughout a Clinical Psychologist’s career and it ensures that we are continuing to work in line with best practice and evidence based models of therapy.

We are also required to undertake regular CPD (continued professional development and training) to ensure we remain up to date in our practice and therapeutic skills. These are a few of the requirements of our statutory registration, the HCPC (a requirement by law), which is reviewed every two years.

How is this different to their WelL being PRACTITIONERS?

In contrast to other therapy or well-being providers, Clinical Psychologists (and other Chartered Psychologists) are legally required to meet these standards of practice and our regulatory body ensures we do, thus helping to maintain safety for our clients the public, you. As Clinical Psychologist is a protected legal title these standards must be met in order to use the corresponding title. This is similar for instance to the protected use of the title ‘General Practitioner’ (GP), you can be confident that they have met certain requirements of training and are regulated.

This is in contrast to all other therapeutic or well being practitioners where there is currently no statutory legal requirement or mandatory regulatory body. However there are many wonderful and highly experienced practitioners out there who may be able to support you in your journey, who can have voluntary registration with appropriate bodies such as the BACP or BABCP. It will be up to you to explore these factors with any therapist or well being practitioner you are considering working with.