Welcome to Hill Head Psychological Therapy

I offer individual therapy informed by a range of different approaches. 

The modalities I use include Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT), Compassion Focused Therapy (CFT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing (EMDR) therapy, and mindfulness. This list is not exhaustive and if there is a therapy you would like to enquire about, do not hesitate to contact me and I will let you know if this is something I can support with, or suggest an alternative.

Psychological therapy can support us to notice and understand the relationship between our thoughts, behaviours, emotions and physical awareness. These therapies are goal focused in nature, but please do not worry if you are not sure what your goals might look like prior to commencing therapy. This is all part of the process. 

It is often said that CBT focuses on the present and to an extent this is true. We can only enact change in the here and now, and we cannot change the past. Often though, during therapy we may learn and understand how the past might be influencing our present selves. I can support you to become more aware of this and change your relationship with your past, so that it no longer holds you back.  

If during cognitive based therapy we think that EMDR may be of help to you, we can include this in your therapy plan. 

Therapy direction and goals will always be at clients discretion and are flexible to your needs. 

Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) is a psychological therapy that involves using bi-lateral stimulation while revisiting distressing memories in order to process them. When a memory is processed, it is less likely to cause symptoms associated with distress, such as intrusive thoughts, emotions, sensations and flashbacks. 

Grief is an individual journey unique to each of us, but if you feel you are stuck in your grief or experiencing intrusive thoughts or memories about the loss, therapy may be a way to navigate and address what is keeping you stuck, and support you to continue along your grieving journey.

Please contact me if you would like to run a workshop as these can to be tailored to your event, workplace and attendees and are subject to my availability. Workshops may be online or in person depending on your location.

I am a trained and experienced BABCP CBT supervisor. I believe in creating a safe and compassionate environment for CBT therapists to thrive and reflect. Please contact me for more information regarding CBT supervision. 

Anxiety is so common in day to day life and it can easily snowball and get the better of us. I offer therapy sessions which can help you understand what is fuelling your anxiety, alongside strategies to feel more calm and ready to face the day. Some of the common anxiety disorders I support with are listed below.

• Generalised anxiety disorder
• Obsessive compulsive disorder
• Panic disorder
• Agoraphobia
• Social phobia
• Health anxiety
• Performance anxiety
• Perfectionism

Anxiety can show up in all sorts of ways and we do not need to put a label on it, so please do not worry if you think you might have more than one of the list above, or are not sure which of these describes how you feel. 

Busy lives, multiple responsibilities, financial pressures... Need I go on? In todays society stress levels are on the increase, but it does not have to be that way. If you feel that your stress levels have become unmanageable, we can seek to understand why and use psychological therapy to improve your wellbeing.

The word trauma gets used a lot in conversation, but what happens when we are deeply affected by a distressing or disturbing event? Friends and family may console you, say it is over and you can move on now, but what if your brain will not let you? If you continue to have upsetting dreams, intrusive memories, thoughts or intense emotions following an event, it may be worth exploring if trauma therapy can help you. I can talk through options of trauma focused CBT and EMDR after your assessment. We can also include nightmare rescripting in your therapy plan if you find your sleep is poor due to bad dreams and nightmares. 

I have extensive experience in supporting those who have experienced birth trauma, or trauma in the perinatal period to recover from their symptoms.

I understand how conception based trauma, IVF, past sexual trauma, loss, birth trauma, infant illness, NICU experiences, feeding difficulties and other instances unique to the perinatal period can affect mothers, fathers and also those who work professionally in this field. 

Birth trauma can feel like an unseen weight. We might feel ashamed that what we were told would be the best day of our lives was actually the most frightening for us. It can leave us with a legacy of anxiety regarding what type of parent we are and whether we are capable of looking after a child. 

If you feel like you are struggling after the birth of a child and would like therapy to help you overcome this, please do contact me to discuss therapy options. 

Complex PTSD can develop if a person has experienced prolonged and ongoing distress at any point their life. C-PTSD can have all the hallmarks of a single event trauma, but it can also amplify emotional reactions, and lead to a negative view of ourselves, others and the world. 

People who I support with C-PTSD have often tried CBT before and found it unhelpful due to the focus on the present and inflexibility within the model. This is why I will work alongside you in therapy to develop a treatment plan that is centred around your needs, not a protocol. 

Although we understand that C-PTSD develops from being in circumstances where we feel consistently physically or emotionally unsafe, therapy does not have to revisit traumatic memories unless or until you are in a place where you feel empowered and able to tolerate this type of work. I may guide and set a mutually agreed agenda for sessions, but you will be safe and in control during our appointments. 

Treatment is likely to draw more from compassion focused therapy (CFT) and ACT and may or may not include EMDR depending on your preferences. 

Depression can feel like a dark cloud that will never lift. Whether this is the first time you have experienced symptoms of depression, or it is something that has consistently been a part of your life we can work through therapy to help you with long term improvements to your mood, not quick fixes, or life hacks. 

Together, we will identify the negative thought patterns that cause the most harm, develop coping strategies and understand why certain circumstances are bringing you down. With this understanding, you will gain the skills to master and overcome low mood and make more space for your unique qualities and strengths to shine through. 

 If you are feeling stuck in your grief and unable to accept a loss, or are experiencing intrusive thoughts or memories, I may be able to support you with this. The aim of this type of therapy is to support you to continue on your grieving journey, without the interference of unhelpful thoughts or memories, and support you to reconnect to living meaningfully again.

I am not a grief or bereavement counsellor for those who have recently lost someone dear to them and would like to be supported in their bereavement, I am only able to help with barriers to the natural grief journey.

If you would like to know more about treatment for anything not on this list, please contact me and I will let you know if I am able to help.

 If we anticipate that a session may need to be longer than 50 minutes, we can discuss this in advance.

 I am in the process of having a private therapy room built at my home in Hill Head near Fareham in Hampshire and anticipate this will be ready in Spring 2025. If you would like to have face to face therapy prior to this, then I can look into a mutually agreed venue.

If we anticipate that a session may need to be longer than 50 minutes, we can discuss this in advance.

Not all trauma therapy sessions need to be 90 minutes long. These sessions will be agreed in advance. 

Group or individual CBT supervision is the same cost for the hour.

I am able to accept payment via insurance companies. If you would like to use your health cover or other insurance to cover your therapy sessions, please confirm with your policy holder regarding the limitations of your cover regarding fees and number of sessions. Please be aware that we may or may not be able to complete  your therapy goals in the number of sessions provided by your cover. I am registered with several insurance companies, please feel free to enquire if this is a possibility. 

I will always endeavour to reply to emails as soon as possible. Please note that I am unable to provide crisis support and I do not routinely give my phone number to clients. 

If you are experiencing a crisis, please approach your GP, 111 service (if in Hampshire) or 999 if it is an emergency.