Psychological Therapists

Counsellor

Our Counsellors work with young people and adults to come to terms with issues like depression, bereavement, relationship difficulties, sexual issues, diversity issues, child abuse and trauma? They offer people a safe and confidential space to talk about their feelings and concerns and to understand themselves better and find their own solutions and make positive changes.   

We support our Counsellors to gain the necessary skills and experience to continue to grow with us.

I’m a PCE -CFD counsellor and clinical supervisor. I offer counselling sessions to clients presenting with depression. I do this in person or remotely. I also offer clinical supervision to other counsellors within the team to aid their counselling practice and professional development.   My role involves helping others understand and express their emotions that underline their depression. PCE-CFD is an evidence-based therapy, it is a collaborative approach where I get to tailor the treatment to meet the specific needs of each unique individual.   I love being able to offer a safe space for clients to explore what is troubling them, process difficult experiences, understand themselves and develop a better relationship with their emotions and needs.  I find it a personal privilege to play a small part in facilitating people on their journey to wellness and better mental health. During my work as a counsellor, I have been able to witness clients experiencing powerful changes as they courageously explore their inner world with me.  Seeing client’s symptoms of depression reducing, feels incredibly rewarding. Being able to see clients finish their counselling treatment, feeling much better than when they started, is always fulfilling and a beautiful moment that the client and I get to share together.  Mel Hanlon, Counsellor

Child and Adolescent Psychotherapist (CAPTs)

CAPTs work with children and young people with severe mental health difficulties and their families in community and our young person’s unit.  They use specialist psychoanalytic skills to assess and treat children, their families or carers, through a combination of talking, playing and drawing, and are often called on by colleagues for specialist advice and support.  Many of our CAPTs join us in training roles, before going on to permanent positions within our services.

We support our CAPTs to gain the necessary skills and experience to continue to grow with us.

More than anything, I’ve appreciated the culture of interdisciplinary thinking, collaborative working and mutual support during my training as a child and adolescent psychotherapist in HPFT. I have come to see that a great strength of CAMHS is that it includes a wide range of specialist professions, all with their particular mode of working and thinking.  As a trainee, this has allowed me to learn from other professions as well as strengthen my skills in conveying the way we work as child and adolescent psychotherapist.  The work in CAMHS is emotionally demanding and a culture of supportive teams such as in HPFT is crucial so we can offer the best possible support to the families we see.  Takeo trainee CAPTs

Cognitive Behaviour Therapist

We train and employ Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) therapists across our community services working with adults and children.  CBT Therapist you would assess and support people using CBT.

CBT is a talking therapy which aims to help people overcome emotional difficulties by changing the way they think and behave. As a CBT therapist you would address common mental health difficulties like anxiety and depression, or less common issues like psychosis, a personality disorder diagnosis, or eating disorders. You may work with individuals, couples or groups, and are often called on by colleagues for specialist advice and support.  Each year we offer training places for CBT therapists to work in primary or secondary care settings.

We support our CBT therapy trainees throughout their training and once qualified, to gain the necessary skills and experience to continue to grow with us.  Many go on to take further specialist qualifications to enhance their skills and our service.

At HPFT, I provide CBT to individuals who have severe and enduring mental health difficulties as part of the multi-disciplinary team. I was initially a Nurse at the Trust, before re training as a CBT therapist. Working for HPFT has given me lots of chance to grow and to learn new skills.    I am passionate about working with individuals who have severe and enduing mental health problems and HPFT have supported me to develop my skills enabling me to offering training in trauma focused therapy, EMDR and NET- Narrative Exposure therapy and I am currently training in Family Intervention.    I have recently been involved in a research project run in collaboration with the Clinical Neuroscience Institute (BCNI) Cambridge University. I gained extensive experience working alongside leading clinical and academic experts in anxiety and Obsessive Compulsive Related Disorders. Monkia Lee, CBT Therapist

Adult Psychotherapists

Adult Psychotherapist provide talking therapy, helping people to change the ways they think and behave or find better ways to cope. They work across our services addressing common mental health difficulties like anxiety and depression, or complex issues like psychosis or a personality disorder diagnosis. They work with individuals, couples or groups, and are often called on by colleagues for specialist advice and support.

We support our Adult Psychotherapists to gain the necessary skills and experience to continue to grow with us.  Many go on to take further specialist qualifications to enhance their skills and our service.

Family and Systemic Psychotherapists

Our Family and Systemic Psychotherapist work with couples, families, groups or individuals across our services.  They use psychological approaches to create a shared map of difficulties and challenges, which would guide the therapies and interventions they provide.  They are often called upon to support groups of staff or to offer professional advice and consultation to other workers.  As well as employing qualified Family and systemic therapists we also offer some training roles.

We support our Family and Systemic Psychotherapists to gain the necessary skills and experience to continue to grow with us.  Many go on to take further specialist qualifications to enhance their skills and our service.

Other Psychological therapists

Psychological therapists support people with specific mental health difficulties using a range of specific psychological therapies.  A range of options are available for individuals with an existing mental health professional qualification (and or significant experience) to train in the delivery of specialist psychological therapies. These include Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT), Dynamic Interpersonal Therapy (DIT), Family Interventions for Psychosis (FI) Interpersonal Therapy (IPT), Cognitive Analytic Therapy (CAT) and Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing (EMDR), Positive Behaviours Support and work alongside others with psychological therapies qualifications delivering these interventions, in adult, children, or older people’s services in mental health or learning disabilities.

We support our Psychological therapies trainees throughout their training and once qualified, to gain the necessary skills and experience to continue to grow with us.  Many go on to take further specialist qualifications to enhance their skills and our service.

As with most DBT therapists I have  a core profession (I am a nurse) and then I specialised in Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT), which is a type of cognitive-behavioural therapy designed to help individuals manage intense emotions and improve their coping skills, it is now widely applied to a range of mental health issues. More recently it has evolved further to help people who are neurodivergent to enhance focus, reduce reactivity, manage emotions effectively and build positive, lasting relationships.  Being a DBT therapist can be incredibly rewarding, we appreciate the opportunity to make a positive impact on individuals' lives and contribute to the overall well-being of the community. Working for HPFT offers job stability, professional development opportunities, and the satisfaction of being part of a dedicated network of people, focused on providing evidence based treatments and helping people live their best lives. Liz Hill, Senior DBT Therapist