About me
Hello I am Chris, a Cheshire based accredited cognitive behavioural psychotherapist. I have over 37 years of mental health experience which I can use to help you to overcome the distress you are now experiencing.
You will find my approach calm, measured and relaxed. I avoid "therapy speak" and jargon. However, I believe therapy should be empathic, but also pragmatic, goal focused, humorous where appropriate and beneficial. I will be open and honest with you and will encourage you to be the same. Our work together should be collaborative.
My values
I have always found working with people an incredible privilege, not only in times of distress and/or psychological pain, but particularly when people overcome their difficulties as a result of CBT or EMDR. I would like you to be able to trust telling me about your thoughts, worries and fears, but building and establishing a therapeutic relationship is perhaps the most important aspect of psychological therapy. It is important to me that you understand some of my core values and a little bit of "who I am".
Of course, I also have a life outside psychotherapy! I have a close family and friends, hobbies, interests, challenges and opportunities like many people. I like exercise, including cycling and swimming. I occasionally try to play golf! I also have an allotment where I attempt to grow fruit and vegetables! I try to stay grounded. Anyway, back to the values shaping my therapeutic practice.
Equality and worth
None of us choose where, to whom and under what circumstances we are born, yet many people not only have difficult experiences but are also judged in addition to those experiences, be that from important others in their lives or wider society. I believe everyone has their "story to tell" and that this should be heard. Each person I work with is afforded equality and worth that ensures that their experience of CBT and EMDR therapy is solid and focused on the issues that matter and not "tainted" from where they come from or who they want to be.
Integrity
As a psychotherapist, having integrity ensures that honesty and trust are the bedrock on which collaborative therapeutic relationships are established. But what does that mean? As in all relationships, there may be times where difficult issues are discussed, I may say something that evokes past unpleasant memories for you and this is normal in psychotherapy. working through these dynamics can enhance the therapeutic relationship and provide opportunity for you to learn more about the issues that you have discussed. Like wise, as a psychotherapist who holds integrity I would want to provide you with honest feedback as your therapy journey moves forward. I would only ever suggest continuing therapy if you wished to do so, your goals were within reach and that you were making progress.
Compassion
Many people seeking psychotherapy have had difficult experiences. These experiences, if they relate to you may have tainted your view of self, others and the world. Not only as a psychotherapist, but as someone who wants the best for you, I am compassionate towards your experience, pain and desire to recover. I also encourage you to be self-compassionate and kind towards yourself and free from harsh and self-critical thoughts you may hold.
Qualities and strengths
All too often people understate or underrate their own qualities and strengths. I believe that everyone of us has personal qualities and the potential to emerge from the difficulties life has placed in our way in a stronger position. CBT and EMDR therapy offers you a way to tap into those qualities and build on your strengths in order to cast off your unhelpful views and images of self that I often see in the therapy room.
Self-growth and change
Building on your qualities and strengths, everyone, if given the right circumstances has the potential to grow and change, this might be your thoughts, behaviour and emotional reactions or something else. For some, CBT and EMDR therapy offers you the opportunity to make fairly quick and rapid improvements. For others experiencing more complex issues having a positive experience of CBT or EMDR in itself may be enough on which to build for your future improvement. Valuing your potential and enabling you to tap into that potential is a key aim of my practice.
Experience
I believe that therapeutic practice should be grounded in "real-life" experience. At 18 I joined the army and served 3 years. After leaving military service I undertook a number of non-clinical roles gaining a wide range of life skills and experiences in the process.
My journey to becoming a CBT therapist started with mental health nurse training in 1988. As a Registered Mental Nurse (RMN), I gained experience on acute psychiatric admission wards and working as a community psychiatric nurse (a role loved). I have clinical and therapeutic experience working with people across the full range of mental health issues and disorders.
My interest in psychological approaches led to a Diploma in Counselling (1996) and for a time I provided staff counselling within an NHS Trust.
Managerial and leadership roles led to an MSc in Management and NHS Talking Therapy services. A Diploma in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) enabled me to practice CBT parallel to my leadership role. I have since gained accreditation with the British Association of Cognitive and Behavioural Psychotherapies (BABCP).
Now partially retired from the NHS, I remain committed to helping others, drawing on a lifetime of professional and personal experience. I would be delighted to support you with the challenges you now face.
Professional registration and accreditation
Unlike medicine and nursing, psychotherapists and counsellors do not have to be regulated to practice. Unregulated therapists who are not "accredited" are unable to evidence training and oversight that demonstrates safe and effective practice. When looking for a psychotherapist always choose one who is accredited, this ensures that therapists training and continued monitoring are to a high professional level.
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