Clinical Psychologist in Nottinghamshire

Psychological Assessments, Therapy, Consultation, Supervision & Training

Emotional Health & Wellbeing

Personal Growth

Clinical Psychologist NottinghamPsychological Assessments

Psychological assessments (‘testing’, ‘evaluations’) often use a combination of methods to find out information about a person.

Psychological assessments can be performed for many reasons. Although it is not necessary to undergo formal psychological assessment before beginning some therapies, others do rely on a comprehensive understanding of how past and present factors contribute to people’s problems before therapy can be started.

Clinical psychologists commonly investigate people’s past experiences, often as far back as they can remember, in order to understand how they have affected the development of someone’s personality and how their personality affects the ways that they think, behave and feel on a daily basis.

Often it can be therapeutic in itself to have a psychological assessment. People often feel empowered and better equipped to make changes in their lives if they can understand what “makes them tick”. Other therapies rely on the gradual uncovering of important events as part of the therapy process rather than right at the start. We can undertake psychological assessments:

  • To help people better understand themselves
  • To help others involved in a person’s care to better understand them
  • For medical and legal reasons

Psychological Therapies

We offer a range of therapeutic approaches, including:

  • Cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT)
  • Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)/Mindfulness
  • Eye movement desensitisation and reprocessing therapy (EMDR)
  • Cognitive analytic therapy (CAT)
  • Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT)
  • Relationship and systemic therapy

Medico-Legal Services

Mental health diagnosis, personality disorder (including psychopathy), interpersonal functioning, violence risk (including sexual violence), and neuropsychological functioning

Examples of What Psychological Therapy Can Help with

  • Anxiety disorders, including phobias and obsessive compulsive disorder
  • Abuse/trauma/posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
  • Depression, including treatment-resistant depression
  • Eating disorders and body image issues
  • Relationship difficulties
  • Personality difficulties/disorders
  • Anger problems
  • Bereavement and loss
  • Transgender issues
  • Fibromyalgia/chronic pain
  • Low self-esteem/poor confidence
  • Stress

Why Choose a Clinical Psychologist?

Clinical psychologists aim to reduce the distress and improve the psychological wellbeing of their clients. They use psychological methods and research to make positive changes to their clients’ lives and offer various forms of treatment.  Clinical psychologists are trained to use evidence-based psychological methods of assessment and therapy.  As such, they use therapeutic approaches that are often cited in the guidelines the National Institute of Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) as recommended treatments.

Most clinical psychologists have an accredited undergraduate degree in psychology and a three-year postgraduate Doctorate in Clinical Psychology (DClin Psy).  Doctoral training comprises several intensive placements in different NHS specialities.  This ensures a wide breadth of experience as well as more specialist training towards the end of the doctorate.  Most are trained to work eclectically, that is, drawing on a range of different therapeutic models that balances evidence-based practice and patient choice.

Why Choose a Private Clinical Psychologist?

While the services of clinical psychologists are offered by many NHS Trusts, there is a recognised shortage.  You should contact your GP first to find out if NHS clinical psychology services are available in your local area.  Unfortunately, waiting lists can be long.  Following such enquiries, some people decide to seek out a private clinical psychologist who may be able to see them sooner, offer different treatment approaches and/or more sessions that might be available on the NHS.  Therefore, a private clinical psychologist can offer more flexibility and sometimes more choice.  You don’t need a GP referral to be seen in our service, although we often liaise with your GP (with your consent, unless risk issues dictate otherwise) to ensure your care is as co-ordinated as possible.

While many people choose to fund private therapy themselves, some are able to arrange treatment through their healthcare insurance.  We are recognised providers with a number of healthcare insurance providers.  If we are currently not registered with your provider, we are able to arrange this soon after an initial enquiry.

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