Hi, I’m Catherine.
I’m a chartered psychologist who specialises in working with children, adolescents, adults and couples with problems such as:
Loss
Navigating transitions
Family dynamics
Relationships
Low self-esteem
Trauma
Anxiety
Low mood
Stress
People-pleasing
Identity
Feeling lost
ADHD
My Approach
My approach is collaborative, where each session starts with the topic or issue you want to explore. I will remain curious, following the natural flow of thoughts, emotions, and memories as they arise as we explore patterns and connections, helping us uncover the deeper roots of your experiences and how past events may be affecting your present and future. With this insight, we can work together to make constructive changes that benefit you across all areas of your life. The ultimate goal is to empower you with the skills and understanding to maintain your wellbeing long after our work together ends.
I engage with you actively during sessions, using humour, play, movement and metaphor where appropriate - I am not a ‘blank slate’ therapist. Ultimately, I am a human also navigating life, just like you.
I am trained to doctoral-level in a range of therapeutic approaches, including existential-phenomenological, person-centred, psychodynamic, and CBT (please see below for further information on all approaches I am trained in). This diverse training allows me to adapt my approach to suit your unique needs, preferences, and goals in therapy. My approach to therapy is therefore always:
Holistic
Tailored to you
Grounded in a safe, open and authentic therapeutic relationship
cognitive-behavioural therapy (2nd wave)
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is a therapy model that helps you identify and challenge difficult thought patterns and behaviors that contribute to emotional distress. By recognizing these patterns, you can learn other ways of thinking and acting.
Compassion-focused therapy
Compassion-Focused Therapy (CFT) is an approach that combines cognitive-behavioral techniques with principles of compassion to help you address problems with self-criticism, shame, and emotional distress. CFT emphasizes developing compassion for your self as a way to promote emotional healing and well-being, encouraging you to cultivate a nurturing, supportive inner dialogue, ultimately fostering resilience.
Existential therapy
Existential therapy focuses on exploring fundamental questions about life, such as meaning, freedom, responsibility, isolation, and time. It encourages you to confront the challenges and uncertainties of existence, helping you to find personal meaning and make authentic choices despite life's inherent struggles.
Acceptance and commitment therapy
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) is a mindfulness-based approach that focuses on helping you accept difficult thoughts and feelings rather than trying to control or avoid them. It encourages you to live in alignment with your core values and commit to actions that improve your lives, even in the face of discomfort.
Person-centered therapy
Person-centered therapy emphasizes creating a safe, non-judgmental environment where you feel accepted and understood. I offer unconditional positive regard, empathy, and genuineness, allowing you to explore your feelings, experiences, and self-perceptions, trusting your own capacity for self-actualisation.
Psychodynamic therapy
Psychodynamic therapy is based on the idea that unconscious thoughts and past experiences shape our current behavior, emotions, and relationships. It aims to bring awareness to these patterns by exploring early life experiences, unresolved conflicts, and dynamics with others. By gaining insight into these, you can work through past wounds, shift emotional responses, and develop more meaningful ways of relating to yourselves and others.