Frequently Asked Questions
what type of therapist should i see?
It can be overwhelming with options for support from coaches, psychologists, CBT therapists, counsellors, therapists, psychotherapists or psychiatrists (and many more). But essentially the differences are about training and specialisms i.e. a specific types of expertise. These differences in training and specialisms also relate to a wide range of fee structures. And then there are many types of therapy approaches e.g. CBT, existential therapy, humanistic therapy that are used by professionals and even multiple variations of these. This is because the approaches professionals use have needed to evolve with changes in society, however some approaches may still be practiced in a traditional way e.g. psychodynamic therapy.
The expertise of each professional will be formed by the teaching they have received on specific theory, specialist training and new research findings as well as what they have learnt from supervisors, peers and clients.
All professionals should be able to provide a therapeutic space where the client can be heard, but the specific problems and areas of interest that they focus on, may be vary from professional to professional. So if a client is struggling with depression they may be encouraged to look at different aspects of this experience according to the training of the professional they are seeing e.g. one professional may focus on sleep hygiene and exercise, whilst another may focus on self-esteem to reduce the symptoms of depression.
More specifically, a CBT therapist is more likely to focus on addressing avoidance, whilst a counsellor may focus on how the client experiences anxiety, and a clinical psychologist may focus on what keeps the anxiety going. Addtionally, a psychiatrist may focus on symptoms of anxiety like checking behaviours for example, whilst a systemic psychotherapist is more likely to focus on the particular relationships that increase or decrease the clients’ symptoms of anxiety.
Imagine a kaleidoscope where the colour of each piece inside the tube represents a different aspect of your life e.g. your psyche, your beliefs, your behaviours, your relationships, your symptoms and your social interactions (to name a few). Each professional will tend to focus on one or a combination of these colours based on their particular expertise and then link this with other aspects of your life.
Psychotherapists and counsellors tend to offer long-term exploratory therapy, whilst psychologists and CBT therapists tend to offer active, short-term therapy, so training and expertise can relate to the length of therapy. Psychiatrists tend to be involved in the short-term and focus on medication but may offer therapy options too. Coaches may be involved for one-off interventions or on-going support.
The health setting where professionals train and work is a big factor in determining the type of expertise that they offer. For example, forensic psychologists tend to work in prison settings, whilst occupational psychologists often consult to business workplaces and educational psychologists work in the schools.
tips for finding the right therapist for you
Deciding on a therapist takes time and can be difficult when you are already struggling emotionally but there are some things that can make the process a little easier:
You may want to research therapy approaches to the problem(s) you are struggling with e.g. trauma-informed therapy, or you may not know what you need help with and that is okay as it will become clearer the more therapists you speak to
Ask friends and family for recommendations. You may be surprised that more people are open to these conversations than you might have assumed
Consider the gender, age and ethnicity of the therapist you want to see and note anything they mention about identities in their profiles, social media profiles and websites, to help you choose someone who can nurture a space where you can be vulnerable, if this comes up
Consider the the format you prefer e.g. online or in-person (and the venue where relevant) as well as the time you have available to invest in therapy, to make it easier to filter
Try to balance a therapy option you can realistically keep up with if it goes well but also consider being flexible if you find a therapist that is a good fit
Think about what you do not want e.g. a requirement to attend sessions multiple times a week, which some therapists will expect
Check the accredited courses and professional body the of therapists you are researching and the number of years of experience they have in the field to ensure they are adequately qualified and registered
Most therapists will offer a free consultation call so take advantage of these.
Make some notes, talk about what you want and trust your gut.
It is worth thinking about which email account you will send any therapy enquiries from e.g. work or personal. Employee email accounts are usually owned by the employer and therefore accessible by the organisation so it is important to assess where and how you are sharing your personal data.
Remember that finding the right therapist for you is a process, so be patient with yourself.
confused about the different types of therapy?
Below is a run-down of the 3 main therapy approaches that shape the way I work.
what is cbt?
Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) is about the here and now and focuses on addressing the things that get in the way of work or rest or social activities, like avoidance, stress or withdrawal.
CBT can be helpful for treating panic attacks and social anxiety as well as other forms of anxiety and depression.
CBT requires the therapist to adopt a collaborative approach with their client and work towards a shared understanding of what might have led to low mood and/or anxiety.
CBT often involves problem-solving and drawing diagrams to show behaviour patterns and map out ideas about what might be going wrong. This helps to form a pathway to recovery and begin the process of testing strategies to reduce distress and build resilience.
CBT should include some discussion about ‘why’ we need emotions (sometimes called psychoeducation).
CBT tends to be aligned with the medical model and psychiatric diagnoses and has been further developed with newer version which focus more on things like compassion or acceptance.
CBT can be useful during a first experience of therapy due to its psychoeducational component. It might also appeal to clients who find a rationale approach to problems to be a good fit for them.
CBT can be useful to treat symptoms of distress if these are bothering the client on a daily basis e.g. anxiety is getting in the way of concentration.
It is essential that CBT is adapted appropriately to clients where oppression, inequality, discrimination, colonisation and collectivist cultural norms are relevant. This is because CBT was not designed with these challenges in mind. t all begins with an idea. Maybe you want to launch a business. Maybe you want to turn a hobby into something more. Or maybe you have a creative project to share with the world. Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.
what is systemic therapy?
Systemic therapy is about our relationships in the broadest sense of the word. So this may include our collegial relationships, familial relationships and intimate relationships as well our relationship with ourselves.
Systemic therapy assumes that problems occur within relationships i.e. a ‘difficult relationship’, rather than because of a ‘difficult person’.
Systemic therapy is focused on who the client has in their life and how they interact with these people.
Some systemic therapists work with diagnoses and most are likely to see the client as being an expert on their problems and therefore adopt a more facilitative role.
Systemic therapy may involve drawing out a family tree (also, called a genogram) or diagrams that map out the people in the clients' life e.g. who is their go-to-person is if they have a problem.
Systemic therapy is often used in family therapy and couples therapy but can also be used in individual work to explore relationships that are significant to the client.
Systemic therapy looks at both historical relationships and those in the here and now and what may have changed over time.
Systemic therapy can be useful for people who have already worked on symptoms like anxiety and low mood but find that they are struggling with relationships or have frequent set-backs in mood. despite robust strategies in place to manage this.
Systemic therapy can be useful for pinpointing triggers for distress and how these can be shaped by the emotional and social world if the client.
Systemic therapy should honour the social context in which the client finds themselves in and include exploration of any experiences of oppression and discrimination.
A full exploration of cultural rituals, religious beliefs and collectivist norms is essential to avoid the pitfalls of an approach that has not always sufficiently acknowledged structural inequality or widened its scope to include all ethnic groups.
what is narrative therapy?
Narrative therapy is about the story we tell ourselves about who we are and how this forms our identity and our emotional and social experiences.
Narrative therapy explores how our previous experiences shaped our understanding of what we are capable of.
Narrative therapy looks at symptoms of anxiety and low mood as periods of struggle which give important clues about what might need to changes in our lives.
Narrative therapy appreciates how our environment and social relationships affect how we feel about ourselves.
Narrative therapy is interested in relationships and the systems around us and how we use these to make sense of who we are.
Narrative therapy focus on language in great detail which may not suit all clients.
Narrative therapy should honour the way that power affects identity and how it may lead to empowerment or disempowerment depending on the personal circumstances of the client.
Narrative therapy often includes a curious approach to culture, religion and social norms and how these shape the story we believe about ourselves.
Narrative therapy often includes an exploration of existing relationships and how these can be useful in recovering from emotional difficulties.
Narrative therapy does not require diagnoses to be effective and relevant. It centres the client in their care and takes their lead to work out what can be most helpful to them during the therapy.
where can i find out more?
Check out my resources page for a list of my go-to resources which I share with clients at the start of our work or to help them build strategies for a specific problem.
FAQs about sessions
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For my therapy clients I generally find that we can complete 1 large piece of work or 2-3 pieces of work in around 18 sessions. Each therapy plan will depend on the needs of my client and so we review and adapt the plan according to their wishes and circumstances. Therefore the number of sessions could be fewer or greater than 18 depending on what we decide is manageable at the time.
For my coaching clients I offer 3 or 6 sessions based on a model I have designed to help them achieve positive change quickly and sustain it. I also offer bespoke coaching packages where we discuss the best number of sessions and review regularly.
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Via email using the contact page on this site.
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I do not formally offer couples therapy as my training and experience has been focused on individual therapy. However, I work in a way that includes exploration of how relationships influence how we think, feel and behave (systemic therapy). This has enabled me to help my clients have better relationships with their partner, friends, parents and children, in addition to our main piece of work e.g. anxiety management.
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I am not training in EMDR, however I have worked with trauma in clinical settings for many years and adopt a trauma-informed approach in my practice.
I work in an integrative way which means I am guided by the needs and goals of my clients. This means that I draw upon a range of theory, therapy approaches, research and clinical observations to find the specific combination that gets positive results for my client.
You can read about the therapy approaches I have used that have enabled me to help clients from all walks of life, by scrolling up on this page.
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I only see adult clients for therapy and coaching but I work with many parents who want to understand their child's emotions or process their own trauma (including inter-generational trauma) and unlearn behaviours that no longer work for them, so they can be better parents.
I do not directly advise parents on their child but we problem-solve the demands and pressures they are under and build a compassionate approach to parenting.
Many of my clients who are parents have benefited from my knowledge of child psychology and my clinical experience of child and adolescent mental health services to help them be the type of parent they want to be.
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I am a registered provider with the BUPA, AXA and AVIVA, however if you want to pay for sessions via your AVIVA insurance package we would need to first check that this is feasible as AVIVA works with registered providers in a specific case-by-case basis.
Please feel free to contact me with any queries regarding PMI's.
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The initial discovery call is the first step in helping us establish if we are a goof fit and if I have the right expertise to help you.
Then an assessment session for 50 minutes, I ask you a set of questions about your needs an hopes, which gives us both an idea of the possible options for therapy or coaching and if any alternative forms of help would be best.
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DClin Psy Doctorate in Clinical Psychology at the University of East London (2014)
BSc Honours degree in Psychology from the University of Bath (2007)
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Anxiety
Low mood/Depression
Stress/Burnout
Loss/Grief
Neurodivergence
Health anxiety/health stress
Chronic health
Diabetes
Self-esteem
Parenting stress
Women’s wellbeing
Culture, society and mental health
Decolonising mental health
Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) and mental health
Social Justice and mental health
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I have specialised in psychiatric liaison, health psychology and diabetes whilst working in hospitals and outpatient clinics and I have specialised in autism, ADHD and learning disability in mental health services for children, adolescents and adults.
I have also published research on neurodivergence, diabetes and families and designed worked with multiple London Universities as a clinical specialist and lecturer.
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As a clinical psychologist I am trained in talking therapy and coaching specifically and do not prescribe or advise on medication.
GP's and psychiatrists usually prescribe medication.
It is recommended that you seek advice from your prescribing health practitioner if you wish to stop taking medication.