Finder

Offers

• Face-to-face consultations
• Video and telephone consultations

About me

Hello my name is Dane,

I am a hardworking Northerner currently working as a Clinical Psychologist and based in London in Paediatric's at Great Ormond Street Hospital for part of the week in my NHS role, and offer some private practice separate to this. I am a therapist and supervisor and guest lecturer to trainee psychologists.

I understand that it can be very daunting reaching out. When it comes to talking therapy, it’s often as though we almost have a curious part of us who is interested and full of queries and wants to explore and find out more about therapy; and also a hesitant part who has doubts or uncertainties about the types of therapy to go for, or who to go with. This is totally natural. I often recommend to listen to both parts, but perhaps be led by that curious part, and if nothing comes of it, at least learn a bit about what doesn’t fit for you. I do my best to respond within 24 hours.

I offer a free 15-minute telephone conversation (020 3984 7939 / NarrativesOfUs@gmail.com) so you can sound out if our fit would be right. I send a free welcome pack with information and resources to help you to decide. Whenever you are ready we can set up an initial session in which I can hear your story of what brings you, and we can think together about your potential goals for therapy to create a focus. There is no obligation to set up more sessions, we can take it at your pace. Frequency and duration of sessions is something we can shape together.

**********************************************
MY 6 KEY THERAPY VALUES

The Problem Is The Problem
I firmly believe that the person is the person and the problem is the problem. When we separate the problem from the person we have more power over an issue, put things into context, find more meaning and feel less stuck.

A Preventative Focus
In the face of the (unacceptable) chronic governmental underfunding, cuts and austerity in health services it’s hard to find access to support that prevents things getting harder, broader, more complex, more risky. We all deserve early, more preventative support for our hopes and futures.

Your Right To Define
I invite you to define the problems, troubles, issues or concerns in your terms using your words, expressions and language - in order for it to be close to your personal lived experience. Your worldview might be scientific, but it might be spiritual or cultural. I do not use psychological buzzwords or short-hand labels out of manuals.

The Values In Your Stories
The stories that my clients have entrusted me with have at once been testimonies of hardship, loss, trauma or violence, but also ones of reclamation, overcoming, resilience, survivorship, resistance and strength. I help people to shed light on what they hold in high regard. These values can become a compass to guide us as a basis for knowing how to go on in a way that feels right for you personally.

Cultivating Hope & Resilience
I have seen how “Hope is not a trait inside people. Hope is something we do with others" (Kaethe Weingarten). I firmly believe hope can still grow even when despair does not reduce. I strive to create a space to help people to weave hope by connecting with their own resources and to others in their chosen families and communities as a way forward through the storms of life.

Kindness
As a person who uses therapy myself, I especially do not lose sight of how important the quality of the therapeutic relationship is. Compassion is unfortunately often ‘out of stock’ in the many burnt-out services that support wellbeing, and I really get how this is something very much needed when talking to a complete stranger about your biggest vulnerabilities!

Areas of interest

I work with a wide range of problems and storms of life. For example:

> Paediatric and hospital stress.
> Gender Expansiveness & Sexuality.
> Stress, overwhelm and burnout.
> Feeling low, down, blue, beat.
> Feeling fearful, anxious, angsty, worried.
> Relationship stress or breakdowns.
> Exhaustion

It can be hard to name a problem, or put a finger on what an issue is, and in a first session we can do this together until we find the right description so you're not alone with it.

Specialist interests and expertise in the following physical conditions

• Cardiac conditions
• Gastrointestinal disorders

• Pain management

• Physical disability