One to One Therapy

At Building Steps Psychology, I offer psychological therapy to adults over 18. 

The type of therapy will depend on what you are struggling with and what your goals are. Therapy will begin with an assessment of your needs. This can be over one session, and sometimes this may take a few sessions for us to work together to understand what you are struggling with and what may be most helpful. The benefit of seeing a Clinical Psychologist is that we have specialist training at doctorate level in a range of evidence-based approaches, so that the therapy can be completely tailored to your needs and informed by the assessment. We will discuss this together and think about how many sessions this may be. Typically, people engage in between 6-20 sessions depending on the difficulties and severity of symptoms. We will review how therapy is going at regular intervals and I will often use objective outcome measures to help us track your progress and identify when re-direction may be necessary. I will always try to offer you the least amount of sessions I feel is needed. People can find it difficult to leave therapy, as together we tend to build up a relationship that we would ideally want to continue indefinitely (disclosure, I usually find it hard to let go too!) but my job is to empower you and give you the confidence to make changes outside of the therapy room. 

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I can offer sessions virtually (via video or telephone) or face to face at a clinic in Poole. You can decide which is the most convenient for you. Sessions are approximately 50 minutes and usually begin with weekly sessions. 

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When you make contact, I will first offer a 20-minute free telephone consultation. I understand that seeking therapy privately is a huge investment in yourself and I want to make sure you feel I am the right person to support you during this time in your life. 

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People seek therapy for many reasons and I commonly work with individuals who (but not limited to) are struggling with:

-Depression

-Anxiety

-Trauma

-Relationships

-Low Self-esteem

-Grief

-Life changes

-Managing Emotions 

-Understanding themselves

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I mainly use Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) alongside other therapy modalities including Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT) and Compassion Focussed Therapy (CFT). I also place strong emphasis on systemic and relational ways of working with individuals. We do not experience difficulties in silo but our relationships with others (both now and in our early lives) and our position in wider society influences how we come to be who we are. We will think about your own experiences and how this may be contributing to where you are right now. 

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I do not offer crisis support and will signpost you to relevant services if I feel you require more intensive support.

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