Registration :

I am a Cognitive-Behavioural Psychotherapist, accredited by the British Association of Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapy and registered with the United Kingdom Council for Psychotherapy. I am a senior accredited practitioner with the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy.

Code of Ethics:

I adhere to the codes of Ethics of the above named organizations.

Qualifications: BA. Psychology and Biology (joint honours). Cert. Educ, Dip. Couns., Cert. Supervision. MBACP (Senior Accred)

Experience:

I have been a practicing CBT therapist for some 26 years, and one of the first accredited CBT therapists in the UK. I have worked in the NHS for the last 14 years and still work in the NHS on a part time basis. Previously I worked in Education, Social Services, for an international relief agency and as a CBT therapist at St Andrew's hospital, the largest and best known private psychiatric hospital in the UK.

Services Provided:

I work as a self-employed practitioner and contract to the NHS and other organizations. I provide CBT therapy, coaching , supervision, training and professional reports to individuals and organizations. I can provide training seminars which may be of particular benefit to other professionals for continuing professional development purposes.

Fees:

My usual fees are highly competitive at £75 per full hour. There is a substantially reduced fee of £65 for individuals who pay for each session at the time. At present I can only deal with payments by cheque or cash.

Venues:

I can offer consultations either at my office at the above address in Littleover, Derby. Or for people based in or around Nottingham or Leicestershire, at The Osteopathic Centre, 18 Gibb street, Long Eaton, Notts, NG10 1EE. This centre is situated behind the pedestrian area in the centre of Long Eaton, in the vicinity of the market and is very well signed. There are large car parks in very close proximity. I occasionally do home visits but these will be more expensive to take account of travelling time. For people, who cannot travel or for those that live at a distance or indeed overseas I can offer video consultations using Skype. Do give me a call if you are interested in this option.

Availability:

I am available for private consultations on Mondays, and Fridays , some Saturday mornings and sometimes can manage other times to suit.

How it works:

I have an intense dislike of unnecessary paperwork, contracts, agreements and the like, which we increasingly seem to be expected to sign up to. I do not expect clients to sign any contract or agreement but they can discontinue or continue with therapy as they wish, with no breach of expectation or penalty. I take the view that if clients like or benefit from the service I provide, then they will continue to use it, until their difficulties are satisfactorily resolved or their goals met. To assist and speed up this process I will direct them towards the use of self-help material and appropriate web sites. I do however expect booked appointments to be either paid for, or cancelled 48 hours in advance, except in urgent or exceptional circumstances.

Cognitive-Behavioural Therapy:

CBT is not just another theory or school of psychotherapy. In recent years it has become the main stream psychological therapy. It is the specified therapy recommended by the department of health in its publications. Over the last two years it has been the psychological treatment of choice, for anxiety, depression and PTSD recommended in the NICE guidelines. By contrast other psychological treatments are barely mentioned.

It has an extensive empirical base and extensive studies demonstrating efficacy. It is the therapy that has a solid base in clinical science and develops further with new research findings.


What does CBT involve:

Whilst consultations are essentially talking-therapy sessions. CBT goes beyond just talking and involves practical tasks, exercises and experiments to enhance understanding of the difficulty and to help bring about change in feelings, beliefs, thinking and behaviour. It is an essential part of therapy that clients have an understanding of the process causing their difficulty, so that the tasks, exercises and experiments make sense within that context. For this reason therapist and client are, in essence collaborators in a problem-solving process. Clients, in discussion with the therapist, decide which tasks and exercise they feel ready to undertake.

There may be times when it is important to look at previous history but this is not usually an extensive part of the process. Treatment is more usually grounded in present experience, tends to be de-mystifying and usually has a problem orientated focus.


Contact:

The nature of my work means that I am often not available to take calls. I have a confidential voicemail service on 07973 520550 where messages can be left and I will always respond quickly.


What it works for:

I can provide CBT for:

 Low mood and Depression
 Adjustment reactions
 Chronic Pain
 Anxiety problems including: General anxiety, Social anxiety, Panic disorder, Phobias,
Obsessive compulsive problems, work stress and Sleep problems.
 Dependency and addiction problems.
 Relationship problems
 Post-traumatic stress disorder
 Chronic Fatigue
 Bulimia Nervosa

I do not at the present time provide treatment for psychosexual problems, but I will provide CBT for clients with psychosis or bipolar disorder, as long as their psychiatrist is in agreement. I have some but not a great deal of experience in these areas. I usually recommend that clients look for therapists who work routinely with such difficulties if available.

Confidentiality:

What we talk about during CBT treatment is confidential and will not normally be discussed or communicated to third parties without the knowledge and consent of the client concerned. However, confidentiality can only be offered within the accepted legal framework and within ethical and professional boundaries. This may mean the need to communicate to other professionals or organizations in exceptional circumstances, particularly if a client is a danger to themselves or to others. Where possible the client will be informed when confidentiality needs to be breached. Brief session notes are kept which clients are entitled to see should they wish.

Consultancy support:

The professional organizations with which I am accredited require that I regularly discuss my work, including specific cases with an outside consultant. This is a quality control measure to ensure that treatment standards are maintained. For this reason consultants must also be practicing CBT therapists. Confidentiality is maintained during this process and at present names are not used.