ABOUT ME

I'm Chris — people who come to see me usually want a psychotherapist with lots of experience, who is adaptable, an active participant in the therapeutic process, and someone who has completed extensive training.

I don't claim to be an 'expert' in any one area, as this creates a narrow view of the complexities of being human. As a seasoned therapist, I know it takes at least five years to really start to understand what it means to be a therapist and to work effectively with people in this way.
For me, my work becomes more complex and challenging the more I understand different systems of personality and therapeutic models. The deeper I go, the more I can help people heal. On top of this, many of my clients have traumatic, difficult, and complex histories, presenting with challenging symptoms and adaptations.

The more experience I've gained, the more I’ve learned experientially:

"The more you know, the more you know you don't know." — Aristotle

You'll find some therapists who claim to be an 'expert' in areas such as addiction, ADHD, or trauma, yet they may have only been qualified for a few years, have no PhD, and haven’t made significant academic contributions. The real experts in the field have been researching for decades, have PhDs (though not necessarily), have written books (not self-published on Amazon), have research papers, train established therapists, and likely see very few, if any, clients anymore.

Most counsellors and psychotherapists in the UK today are trained in Person-Centred Therapy, CBT, EMDR, Psychodynamic Therapy, Gestalt, and Transactional Analysis — in that order. These are mostly what you might be offered on the NHS or by corporate organisations.
My approach differs significantly from traditional CBT, EMDR, and Talking Therapy, as well as Person-Centred Therapy. I know this because I have training in these models and was originally trained as a Person-Centred (relational/talk) therapist.

My approach is unique because I am trained in a number of trauma therapies and somatic psychotherapies.

Rather than pursue the 'academic route' and earn a PhD — which isn't right for me (and would have been quite a challenge for my dyslexic parts!) — I have trained in specialist psychotherapy models and methods. The main ones I use include:

Accelerated Experiential Dynamic Psychotherapy (AEDP)
Brainspotting
Deep Brain Reorientating (DBR)
EMDR
Internal Family Systems (IFS)
Lifespan Integration
Sensorimotor Psychotherapy

These days, I'm not focused on more analytical or heavily cognitive approaches like CBT and Person-Centred Therapy. While I do believe approaches such as CBT have their place and can be helpful to some, I’ve found that they often lack depth and don’t always reach the deeper healing required.
The therapies I use take therapy beyond simply talking about an issue. These newer approaches are more about doing something to aid healing, not just thinking and understanding. They fall under the umbrella of somatic therapies or neurotherapies.


Is there something I enjoy working with most? It’s hard to say, as I truly enjoy working with the people themselves. While I practice down-to-earth talking therapies, I also find that therapies that are a bit more 'left-field', more artistic, deep, experiential, and aligned with neuroscience, offer a different route to healing compared to traditional talking therapies.

There’s likely a reason my practice is often full, and why most of my clients seek help with issues such as addictions, anxiety, performance anxiety, physical problems (including sexual), trauma symptoms, traumatic experiences, attachment issues, and binge behaviours.

I have over 20 years of experience in mental health and psychotherapy, helping people recover from all kinds of traumatic experiences and symptoms. My experience stretches back to a time when there was much less understanding about trauma and how to work with it.

I urge you to research therapists thoroughly before committing to therapy. Look at their experience, their training, their ethical body membership, and take reviews with more than a ‘pinch of salt’.
To provide the best therapy I can, I’ve trained in a wide range of cognitive and somatic approaches to psychotherapy.

I work very differently today compared to when I first started in 2005. I’ve grown personally and professionally over the past 20 years and am constantly evolving in my therapeutic work.
I’m fully self-employed as a psychotherapist. I don’t supplement my practice with any other work or work for any other organisations — you’ll only find me working for myself and my private clients.

I’m not a therapist who rigidly sticks to a specific protocol or single model (although IFS Therapy is at the heart of all my work). I don’t become judgmental or critical if you don’t follow the 'therapist’s way', i.e., fitting into the model of therapy I’m trained in, or if things aren’t going exactly as expected.

I believe that in the field of psychotherapy and healing, it’s impossible to know everything. We can only know the 'tip of the iceberg', which is why my training has expanded to include many trauma approaches. I am always learning, adapting to each client, as they’ve often had to be adaptive in the past.

If a therapist is trained in only one model, they may have a narrow view of how healing and recovery can occur. It’s like the old analogy: “If all you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail.”
In reality, every person is unique, and so is recovery. I’ve read somewhere and find it to be true: “Complex trauma requires complex healing.”

I’m not afraid to work with the difficult stuff and walk alongside you to the places you need to go for healing, at your pace (though I may challenge or push you at times). This flexibility is crucial for well-being and recovery.

I am grounded, present, curious, and attuned to your process, offering helpful interventions as a fully trained trauma therapist.

People usually come to see me because of how they’re feeling or because they’re experiencing difficulties in life. Some come for general well-being or personal development. Whatever your reason, I’ll be glad to help.

I take pride in my work, and I strive to get it right for my clients. I also regularly review my practice through personal supervision.

I only practice therapies I’ve been trained in and have personally experienced.
With a growing awareness of the importance of mental health support, many clients are seeking trauma-informed therapists to help them deal with complex trauma and PTSD.

I love to see people get 'back on track' and start to feel more in control again.

Who seeks therapy with me?

Artists, businesspeople, consultants, chefs, CEOs, engineers, GPs, government officials, lecturers, medical professionals, musicians, office workers, police, scientists, sportspeople, social workers, solicitors, students, teachers, therapists, trades people, travellers, writers, and young people.

You will be of utmost importance in our therapy. I am committed to helping you achieve what you want from therapy.

My approach is compassionate, non-judgmental, and respectful of your process. While the therapeutic relationship is personal (though always with professional boundaries), I’m here to support you, understand you, and help you heal.

My interest in people is genuine and is a compassionate, non-judgmental approach. The relationship I provide with my clients is a personal one (although, of course, it is mostly about you) and of course with professional boundaries.
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I work long-term & short-term, and it is always my client's choice of how long they attend sessions. A lot of my clients get so much from the sessions they come for over a year or more, and check back in from time to time to further develop or just get support when something new is going on.

 

As a person, I enjoy travel, health, music, food, different cultures, and films. My favourite way to stay fit is through climbing, as it provides both mindfulness and physical challenge.

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My practice has been audited by the BACP and has been approved by this process.
I have also gained counselling organisations' BACP accredited status.
​​For some, therapy is about simply off-loading or talking to someone independent who is highly skilled in listening. For others, I can take it further by engaging you in a deeper therapeutic process. We'll explore what’s going on inside you and begin the journey toward healing.

In hindsight, being trained in just one approach was restrictive for me and my clients. I’ve also provided training and presentations to both small and large groups.

In hindsight, being trained in solely, one counselling approach was restrictive for both me and my clients. I also have experience in providing training and presentations to small and large professional and public groups.

I’ve worked in a variety of settings including primary and secondary NHS services, employee assistance programs, private sector organisations like The Priory, and third-sector services. I’ve also worked with over 50 schools in the North-West, as well as with large medical agencies and world-renowned businesses.

I am non-religious but respect people’s faith. There are parallels between certain religions and the Person-Centred approach, which is where my roots lie. My approach is open to spirituality within the context of IFS Therapy.
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I help people through psychotherapy, mindfulness, and the integration of neuroscience. This way of working has great substance and depth, helping to promote individuality and self-awareness.​ It also helps the nervous system to learn regulation.​

 

It’s hard to say how I work because each therapeutic relationship is so unique. Just think of the relationships you’ve had or had. Every one of them feels very different, and psychotherapy is no different. I use a range of psychotherapy approaches while holding compassion, ‘real-ness’, and a nonjudgmental stance for you as my client. I don’t stick to one model of therapy because I have lots of training in many, and have seen the benefits of all of them.

The IFS approach, Somatic psychotherapies and neuroscience, inform all of my work. IFS Therapy and Ego State work help me understand and give therapeutic ways of working better than any other models I've used. They help in a profoundly healing way...

I spent 4 years studying The Person Centred approach at PCCS Training... This training is both strong and flexible, and forms the base of my approach... I have spent the following years studying other psychotherapy models, and trauma approaches.

Therapists worldwide are excited about AEDP, Brainspotting, DBR, EMDR, IFS, Lifespan Integration and Sensorimotor Psychotherapy. Renowned psychotherapists such as Bessel Van Der Kolk (The Body Keeps The Score, 2014 value them). However, fewer therapists in the UK have received training in all of these approaches...

Besides my counselling work, I have had years of experience, caring for, and supporting people who have a condition of Autism, severe Epilepsy, mental illness/dual-diagnosis, profound learning difficulties, and also with children & young people living in care with experience of trauma/abuse & neglect and all that brings with it..

In the past, when I was using ‘outcome measures’ to quantify my work,
​I evidenced that my way of working is
‘helpful & effective’, most clients gave positive 'qualitative' feedback.

I have also created another service: Online Trauma Therapy
which offers a range of psychological therapies,
via online video Zoom

Look here if you would like to see all my experience, qualifications, and training

 

"You are not here to be measured,
you are here to be heard, understood, and supported to recover and heal"