Finder

Specialises in

• Behaviour Therapy
• Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT)

• Counselling

• Mindfulness based CBT

About me

I am a Chartered Clinical Psychologist with over 20 years experience working with individuals who are struggling with psychological, emotional and behavioural difficulties. I am currently working face to face in central Bath and online.

My values have guided my clinical journey to be heavily influenced by Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Compassion-Focused Therapy (CFT) and Eye-Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing (EMDR). I use meditation and mindfulness where appropriate, drawing on my own longstanding personal practice to aid this aspect of the work.

Fundamentally, these approaches seek to promote a deep connection with what is personally meaningful, allowing these values to guide behavioural choices. This is promoted by changing our relationship with our traumatic memories, our unhelpful worries or ruminations and our painful feelings, to reduce their power and impact. In practice, this is about noticing thoughts as thoughts i.e. fleeting words and pictures projected by the mind, sometimes true, sometimes not; sometimes helpful, sometimes not. Rather than fluctuating between the extremes of shutting down emotions to then being overwhelmed by emotions, we build a position that is anchored and able to experience emotions as they rise and fall, without getting capsized and swept away. From this position we are able to take charge of our lives: we can do more of the things we want to do i.e. build the relationships with others that we most value, enjoy our leisure time, work effectively and efficiently and, fundamentally live our lives as fully as possible, even within the most difficult challenges that life throws our way.

Within my NHS work, Macmillan role and private practice, I have been privileged to work with hundreds of people seeking, and successfully achieving sustainable, life-enhancing change.
Aside from my clinical work, I am also an experienced researcher and have published articles in peer-reviewed journals across topics such as chronic pain, mindfulness, addiction and substance abuse. I was also involved in the development and evaluation of a CBT manual for therapists in 2003.

My journey to become a Clinical Psychologist began in 1993 and continues today with adherence to continuing professional development (CPD) requirements with attendance at advanced workshops and conferences to ensure that my knowledge and skills are in line with current best practice. With continued study comes a deeper understanding and appreciation for the theoretical bases of therapeutic models, and enhanced skills training. As a consequence, I am able to provide bespoke approaches, tailored to your unique needs.

I am a member of the British Psychological Society and the Association for Contextual Behavioural Science.

I am very happy to discuss your needs in a preliminary telephone call to help you decide whether to book an initial meeting. During our initial meeting we will begin to develop a shared understanding of your situation, discuss the therapeutic approach and consider whether we could work together effectively towards agreed treatment goals.

Areas of interest

Trauma; Depression; Anxiety disorders; CFS/ME; Chronic pain; Post-illness adjustment difficulties; End of life issues; Bereavement and loss; Addictions.

Specialist interests and expertise in the following physical conditions

• Oncology
• Pain management

• Psychophysiological disorders
• Physical disability

• Rheumatological conditions