About me
Hi, I'm known as Kate. I'm from Darlington and I live locally with my family. I am a parent/ carer to my son who lives with a muscle condition. I've worked in private practice for 12 years and in psychological and support services for over 20 years. I have worked in an NHS clinical psychology service working with individual's with complex mental health needs and I have significant experience working with people with emotional distress. I specialise in working with adults, offering relational psychological therapy to improve understanding, communication and produce long lasting results. My aim is to provide a safe therapeutic space where you can feel comfortable exploring the difficulties that you're experiencing. My approach as a psychologist is deeply embedded in humanistic philosophies and I firmly believe that the therapeutic relationship forms the foundation for the work. Outside of work, I can mostly be found browsing interior design websites, practising yoga or crocheting.
Philosophical Approach
The single most important factor in determining success in therapy is the therapeutic relationship. This means establishing safety and trust from the outset and offering empathic validation to develop an early shared understanding of your difficulties. For me, people are individuals and I believe that psychological therapy needs to reflect this and be adapted to you, rather than fitting anyone's experience to a particular approach. From experience I know that what works for one individual may not work for another and by listening and collaboratively working together we can identify interventions which are useful and fit with you. Psychological therapy should always be client- driven, however you will find that I'm not just there to listen, I am there to guide you towards improved wellbeing and functioning and towards your goals. So if I feel that something is important for you to hear and reflect on, then it's part of my role to share that with you. A strong therapeutic relationship is vital to this being possible.
Professional Registration
I'm a practitioner psychologist registered with the health & care professions council (HCPC) and a chartered member of the British Psychological Society (BPS) and full member of the Division of Counselling Psychology. I'm also an accredited practitioner and member of the Association for Cognitive Analytic Therapy (ACAT).
Professional History
I have worked extensively in support and psychology services for much of my career, including 5 years in a clinical psychology service within the NHS. During my doctorate training I completed over 450 hours of clinical practice in psychology services including in primary care and a tertiary care NHS specialist psychotherapy service. I have also worked for private companies and the charity sector working with offenders, individual's with learning disabilities and for an addiction service. I have experience of delivering group therapy and support groups. Darlington Therapy was founded in 2012 and is now a well-established and professionally recognised resource for local GP surgeries, private insurance companies and individuals.
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Qualifications
Practitioner Training in CAT (Accredited 2020)
Doctorate in Counselling Psychology (2012) Post graduate diploma in Counselling Psychology Advanced diploma in child development BSc Psychology Certificate in Health & Social Care Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) for trauma Introduction to Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) BPS Expert Witness Training 2021 |
