Services

I am a BABCP accredited Cognitive Behavioural Therapist (CBT) and I prefer to use what is known as Third Wave CBT mindfulness-based therapies such as ACT (Acceptance and Commitment Therapy) and CFT (Compassion Focused Therapy), as these compliment the philosophy of mind behind mindfulness meditation and essentially make a lot more sense to me! I am also an EMDR Therapist and you can click on the EMDR link to find out more about this...I love it, as many people who have experienced it do! 

Sessions with me will typically start with a grounding mindfulness exercise, observe what is happening for you in the present.  I might also share some psycho-education on topics relevant to your experience. We will explore what your values are, what is important to you in different areas of your life. As your awareness increases, you will begin to notice repeating themes and patterns, which we can often relate back to early life experiences.  Even if our behaviour does not serve us now, you can almost guarantee it did serve a purpose at some point in our lives.  Often people come to therapy asking “what’s wrong with me?”…there is nothing wrong with you, the question to ask is “what happened to you?”. This can be something seemingly small and insignificant…it isn’t always a big trauma which causes us problems…it can be something small, it depends on how we perceive it at the time...either way, our nervous system remembers! Our main focus will be more on the present...the past will just help us to understand repeating patterns and if there is anything that needs processing.

To get the most out of our time together, we will agree things that will be helpful for you to focus on between sessions.  I have found that when clients are able to engage in regular mindfulness practice and move with curiosity towards the difficulty they are experiencing, their awareness and inner wisdom increases and they see their own path to healing with more clarity. I, therefore, see myself as more of a facilitator than a fixer, my role being to collaborate with you, sharing the knowledge and skills I have learnt over the years both as a therapist, psychology geek (!) and from my personal mindfulness practice and guide you towards more moments of peace and joy!

More information about ACT (Acceptance and Commitment Therapy), CFT Compassion Focused Therapy:

ACT (Acceptance and Commitment Therapy) –  Acceptance and Commitment Therapy | Psychology Today

Compassion-Focused Therapy – Compassion-Focused Therapy | Psychology Today

Where do I access one-to-one therapy?

I currently offer one-to-one therapy online using Zoom, this is a video-conferencing platform which is GDPR compliant (keeping data confidential and secure).  This means that you can access therapy with me from the comfort of your own private space using an electronic device.  It is important that you find a space where you: have good internet connection; will not be disturbed for the duration of the session and where you feel comfortable to speak freely. I have worked with people having therapy from their home, in their parked car, out walking or they have booked a room at work. Obviously the practicality of where you have therapy will very much depend on the type of therapy you are having and the requirements for each session, so this can be discussed in the previous session.

Online therapy has many benefits but also some disadvantages, as I may miss other indicators such as body language etc and so not respond to these. I hope, however, to develop an open and honest relationship with you where you feel safe to raise any issues or misunderstandings.

When the weather allows, I also hope to offer face-to-face therapy whilst walking in nature as I believe that connection with nature and movement helps us to better connect with ourselves and our needs.

How much does it cost?

£90 per 1 hour session

£120 per 1.5 hour session for EMDR Processing

Payable by bank transfer at time of booking.  

At least 24 hours notice must be given if you need to cancel a session, in order to receive a full refund, otherwise you will still be charged for the session.

I am also an EMDR therapist.  EMDR is recommended by the National Institute of Health and Care Excellence for the treatment of PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) and it can also be helpful for processing other experiences which have had a significant emotional impact and keep you stuck. Usually 8 – 12 sessions is required for straightforward problems, sometimes longer for more complex problems and this will usually be apparent at the start.  Longer sessions (usually 1.5 hours) are required during the processing part of EMDR Therapy.  The great thing about EMDR is that it doesn’t require you to speak in any detail about the trauma to the therapist, which is often really difficult for clients accessing other forms of trauma therapy.  EMDR taps into the mind/body’s natural ability to heal itself.  Click the links below to find out more about EMDR.

EMDR – EMDR: The basics - EMDR Association UK - Overcoming trauma with expert help

Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing Therapy | Psychology Today

Where do I access one-to-one EMDR therapy?

I currently offer face-to-face EMDR therapy in Chichester town centre. 

I can also offer it online using Zoom, this is a video-conferencing platform which is GDPR compliant (keeping data confidential and secure).  This means that you can access therapy with me from the comfort of your own private space using an electronic device.  It is important that you find a space where you: have good internet connection; will not be disturbed for the duration of the session and where you feel comfortable to speak freely. In order for us to do the EMDR processing, you will need a hands-free device, ideally a laptop with the screen at eye level.

How much does it cost?

£90 per 1 hour session

£120 per 1.5 hour session for EMDR Processing

Payable by bank transfer at time of booking.  

At least 24 hours notice must be given if you need to cancel a session, in order to receive a full refund, otherwise you will still be charged for the session.

I believe that MBSR is the best way to learn about meditation due to the logical and organic way the course develops our practice.  However, you may not feel ready to commit to such a long course and want to try meditation out first.  A lot of people also want to continue practicing mindfulness meditation with others after completing the MBSR.  It is for these reasons, that I have put together stand alone sessions for people to attend.  These sessions will have a different theme each week, such as 'Cultivating Joy', 'Finding Peace Amongst the Noise', 'Taming the Inner Critic' and such like.  They will include meditation, some reflection, maybe a poem and a chance to connect.  These sessions are a great way of coming together, connecting with people in a calm, friendly environment and discovering ways to manage stress.

I really enjoy facilitating mindfulness meditation group sessions; bringing people together, seeing them connect, support each other and experience common humanity, is my favourite part of what I do.

Please note that these sessions are not suitable if you are feeling particularly distressed.  

Currently planning some lunchtime and evening sessions, which will  in Chichester and surrounding area.

Contact me for more information and to express an interest.

MBSR is a course which takes place in a community venue and involves only 12 - 15 participants.  No previous experience of meditation is required. Meditations are usually experienced sitting on a hard-backed chair or cushion, lying on a mat on the floor, walking and standing.  There is no requirement to sit cross-legged on the floor, although you are welcome to sit like this if you wish.

It can help us maintain our health, wellbeing and enable personal growth. MBSR is suitable if you notice that you are starting to feel stressed and overwhelmed or have chronic feelings of stress for any number of reasons and you would like to find new ways to manage this. MBSR is NOT a therapy group, so it is not suitable for someone in the midst of a mental health crisis or in need of a lot of support due to current problems, however, it may be helpful once you are on the road to recovery from these things.  It is also not suitable for someone who has unresolved trauma, as it can bring this to the surface, which can obviously be distressing without the tools to manage this. In these instances, I would suggest some one-to-one sessions followed by a period of consolidation before attempting the MBSR.

MBSR is considered the gold standard in mindfulness training.  It is a course that was developed by Jon Kabat Zinn at the University of Massachusetts Medical Center in 1979.  It was born out of his personal meditation practice and his belief as a scientist that the mind/body connection was important and relevant to patient care. The program was created to be used, alongside medicine, as a way of helping people manage the suffering they experienced due to their health conditions. It is offered as a way of learning to respond to any type of pain, emotional or physical, in such a way that less suffering is experienced. This is because most of our suffering comes from our reaction to pain rather than the pain itself.

The course has been thoughtfully put together in such a way that the necessary skills organically build on one another as the course guides participants through various meditations. It starts with prompting our curiosity, getting us to come to our senses, tuning in to the body; followed by exploring perception; mindful movement; habitual stress reactions; learning to respond not react; stressful communications and interpersonal mindfulness; cultivating self-compassion; and finally ending with how to continue a mindful life.

On the MBSR course there are some elements of psycho-education but participants are mainly guided through the various meditation practices and the lessons are learnt in the practice itself,  through the reflection and enquiry after each practice.

•   MBSR (Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction) is a program of 8 x 2 hour sessions held over an 8 week period, with a retreat day held on a weekend between weeks 6 and 7. There is also an orientation session preceding the first session.

•   To fully benefit from the course, you will ideally need around 40 minutes each day to meditate and complete related tasks. This may seem like a lot but I think many of us will probably find we can get caught longer than this looking at our phones each day…with no beneficial results!!

Where do I access the Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction?

I offer the Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction Course online and in venues in Chichester and the surrounding villages.

The course costs from £280 which includes all the sessions, retreat day, course handbook and guided meditation audios.

Contact me for more information and to book.

The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development’s (CIPD) 2022 have written a report based on their annual survey exploring health, wellbeing and absence in UK workplaces, which was conducted in partnership with Simplyhealth.  They say that year on year, their survey findings show that organisations put more emphasis on providing support when people become ill than on preventing poor health, including mental ill health and stress. They suggest we need both approaches, and want to see every organisation taking a proactive approach to employee wellbeing. They also found that absenteeism is not the only problem in workplaces but that presenteeism is becoming a problematic and unhealthy practice. Presenteeism can have long-term consequences for people’s health, performance and productivity. If employees work when unwell, it can be damaging to themselves and the organisation, not only because they could transmit infection but because their illness could worsen. They also point out that the impacts of an illness, such as impaired cognitive ability, could result in people working at a much lower capacity leading to unwise decision-making or even unsafe or costly mistakes.

More organisations in every sector are now placing greater emphasis on the promotion of psychological health in the workplace and recognise that increased investment has potential for improving quality of life in the workplace. ACT (Acceptance and Commitment Training) is training developed from an evidence based therapeutic approach and designed specifically for the workplace to support the mental and physical wellbeing of the workforce.

ACT (Acceptance and Commitment Training) in the Workplace

This is a programme of 4 x 2 hour skills training workshops in your workplace or alternative venue provided by you.  The training demonstrates a range of techniques designed to enhance psychological health, personal resilience, and general life effectiveness.

What are the benefits?

Previous research has shown that this training can help people to: 

•      reduce the impact of difficult thoughts and feelings on well-being, behaviour and performance;

•      untangle from work related worry and rumination during evenings and weekends;

•      build their personal resilience, enabling an alternative response to stressful situations;

•      improve their ability to live in the present moment (rather than being excessively entangled in thoughts about the past or future);

•      improve their focus and concentration;

•      improve their personal reactions to the experience of organisational change;

•      recognise the choice over the actions available in different areas of their lives.

How will the training be delivered?

The training is best delivered in small groups (usually between 10 and 14 people), and provides a total of about eight hours of instruction and practice over the four sessions. The training involves a mixture of presentations from the trainer, group discussions, and skills practice (you will also be encouraged to practice the skills between the sessions).

It works best in the format of 1 x 2 hour workshop a week for 4 weeks, so that skills can be practiced between sessions and built upon over time. However, this could be adjusted to 1 x 3 hour session over 3 weeks.

Who is this training for?

The training is designed for people who are interested in learning and practising techniques that have a strong evidence base in behavioural science and have the potential to transform an individual’s experience in the workplace and other areas of their lives.

Please note that although this training is based upon a therapeutic model and delivered by a therapist, it is not group therapy, it is psychological skills and behaviour training.

People taking part will be invited to share their experience of developing and practicing the skills associated with the training. People may also choose to share more personal information about what is meaningful for them which is entirely their choice. All participants will be asked to respect the confidentiality in respect of anything discussed in their training group.

Where is the training held?

I would usually offer in-house training at your workplace, a venue hired by yourselves, or provide online training. 

Cost

Cost of the training is dependent on several factors, so please contact me with your requirements so that I can give you a price. I can probably tailor something to meet your budget.

Research Articles on ACT in the Workplace

Acceptance and Commitment Training in the Workplace | The Oxford Handbook of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy | Oxford Academic (oup.com)

 Bespoke Training

If you are interested in having some training in the workplace but would like something slightly different to the format above, please contact me for a discussion of your requirements.