FAQ

Mentalization is a form of psychotherapy which integrates psychodynamic, cognitive, ecological and systemic approaches. The goal is to help you make sense of your thoughts, beliefs, feelings and wishes.

Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT) is the recommended therapy for the treatment of self-harm, suicidality and high-risk impulsive behaviours. DBT is normally run as a year-long programme consisting of weekly 1:1 sessions, skills group therapy and telephone coaching.

Psychotherapy is the use of psychological methods that will help change the individual’s behaviour to increase happiness and overcome problems. There are 4 different methods of Psychotherapy which include Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Psychodynamic Therapy, Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT) and Humanistic/Experiential Therapy.

Each therapy session lasts 50 minutes. Normally clients are seen on a weekly basis at the same time each week. Additional sessions or longer sessions can be facilitated if required by the client.

The process of therapy is very unique to you and dependent on many factors including the nature of the difficulty you are seeking therapy for and personal preference. Typically, someone who is seeking to address one specific issue e.g. work related stress might attend 12 sessions. Someone seeking therapy for relationship difficulties often require longer term work.

I would normally recommend commencing therapy weekly for an initial 6 – 8 weeks in the first instance. We can switch to fortnightly sessions at a later stage. All of the above depends on your goals and individual circumstances. We can discuss this during an initial call or your first appointment.

This is your opportunity to tell me about you and share your story with me. I will often ask you what has brought you to therapy, where you see yourself in the future and obstacles preventing you from achieving this. As we near the end of this session we will make a plan together about next steps and treatment.

I work integratively as a psychotherapist which loosely translated means I incorporate many different approaches in therapy to offer a tailored approach specific to you. These approaches include psychodynamic, humanistic and behavioural.

I will also incorporate other parts of my training, specifically Dialectical Behaviour Therapy where deemed appropriate to your needs.

Yes all sessions are confidential. The only time I might have to break confidentiality is if I believe you might be a risk to yourself or other people. I would only break confidentiality in these circumstances having discussed this with you first.

All prospective clients are offered a 20 minutes free consultation. This is an opportunity for us to get to know each other a little and for me to understand your difficulties and reasons for seeking therapy. Following this we would book in an initial assessment, and this forms the first full session as we commence therapy together.

I am often asked this, you will get as much out of therapy as you put into it. Therapy can be a life changing experience for many people – the key is to practice what you have learnt between sessions in everyday life.

Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC)

Society for Dialectical Behaviour Therapy in the UK and Ireland – accredited therapist

United Kingdom Council for Psychotherapy (UKCP) – trainee