Psychological help in Frome and Bath:

I have had a long professional and rich personal life, both of which have shaped me as a therapist. I practice in Frome and serve the town and surrounding area.

Professional qualifications and skills:

I qualified as a doctor of Clinical Psychology in 2002, after three years of training and many years experience working with people with emotional difficulties.

At the time of qualification I could work in a range of effective approaches. These included using cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), which is of proven help for problems ranging from anxiety and low mood to low self-esteem and obsessive behaviours. In addition I studied narrative therapy, which can be particularly helpful with addictive behaviours. I also had considerable skills in assessing problems and devising effective treatments.

Since qualification, I have also trained in many other approaches, which allows me to match therapy exactly to what will work best for you. In addition to CBT, I use solution-focused therapy, where the emphasis is on working closely to build on your existing skills and helpful behaviours; attachment therapy approaches, which emphasise early life experiences and their impact on you today; and family therapy, where the emphasis is on the contexts (for example, work, family) in which problems grow and remain.

In addition, I have deepened my skills in CBT to provide effective targeted interventions for people struggling with generalised anxiety, personality issues, trauma and OCD.

I have learned that the key to good therapy is really feeling listened to, and understood. Through reading, self-reflection and practice, I have deepened this key skill which I first began to develop as a volunteer answering callers at the Samaritans.

Professional experience:

I have worked in the NHS with adults and with young people and families since 2002. For the first part of my career I worked with adults, including those with the most severe problems. Latterly, I worked in a Child & Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS), where I was the lead clinician for clinical services to children who were adopted and fostered. I also led workshops on teaching young people about Mindfulness. As well as these roles, I have assessed the mental health needs of many young people and worked with them (and the significant adults in their lives) to find more happiness and ease in life.

As a senior practitioner I supervised and consulted to colleagues, as well as leading clinical psychology trainees in their development as therapists.

I had a role in training teachers, social workers and other mental health colleagues in emotional development and treatments.

Personal experience:

I have lived a full and varied life which along the way has thrown up a number of challenges, including bereavement and other losses. I have learned to be compassionate to myself and others. This is at the heart of my therapy. I have also explored issues of belonging, especially around how men find their strength and power without shame and shaming. I have also found that my own well-being is supported by self-reflective and embodied practices that I share in therapy. I am a family man and a parent.