worcestershire-psychologist

Dr Sophie Newman Worcestershire Psychologist

Making Sense of the PASTMaking Changes in the PRESENTMaking the Most of your FUTURE

Dr Sophie Newman, Clinical Psychologist, Worcestershire

Help when you need it in Worcestershire, West Midlands & Birmingham

I completed my Doctorate in Clinical Psychology in 2005 and until recently have enjoyed a career as a Clinical Psychologist in the NHS.  Since qualifying, I have worked in the field of Adult Mental Health, an area I continue to enjoy in private practice.

I offer a caring, supportive and professional therapeutic environment at three clinic locations where we can work on your difficulties together. If you are struggling in some way, perhaps feeling depressed, anxious or struggling in the aftermath of a traumatic event, please be assured that you are not alone and that support is at hand. By visiting my website you have taken the first steps to getting the help you need to rebuild the life you deserve.  I look forward to hearing from you and being of help to you.

I hold Chartered Status with the British Psychological Society (BPS) and am also registered with the regulatory body the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC). My qualifications include Doctorate in Clinical Psychology (DClinPsych), University of Oxford (2005) and BSc (Hons) Psychology, University of Leeds (2000)

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I firmly believe that we are all unique and precious.  We deserve to enjoy life and the opportunities it offers us.  From time to time life challenges can throw us off course, however.  This can make it hard for us to value ourselves and to cope with everyday life.  We may find ourselves existing rather than really living our lives to the full.

If you live in Worcestershire and are struggling with a difficulty with your mental health, you may find it helpful to talk to a professional.  Clinical Psychologists are highly trained in order to help manage distressing thoughts, feelings and un-helpful behaviours.

As an integrative practitioner, I offer a range of psychological therapies based on my assessment of the client’s difficulties and what we agree could be a helpful way of working together.

Frequently, I offer Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) as recommended by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) Guidelines as the treatment of choice for a number of presenting difficulties including:

Anxiety Disorders (Find out more) – Depression (Find out more) – Panic Disorder – Generalised Anxiety Disorder (GAD) – Health Anxiety – Obsessive-compulsive-disorder (OCD) – Depression linked to a physical health condition – Post-traumatic-stress-disorder (PTSD) – Low self-esteem (Find out more) – Childhood Trauma (including childhood sexual abuse)

I may also draw on a range of other therapies including Compassion Focused Therapy, Mindfulness, Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing (EMDR), Solution Focused Therapy and Narrative Therapy.

Clients working with me will be provided with a caring and supportive therapeutic space. Unlike counselling, you are likely to be given therapy exercises to do between sessions. This is to maximise the benefits you will gain from your time working with me.

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What is Cognative Behaviour Therapy (CBT)?

CBT is a widely researched treatment, which aims to alleviate emotional distress by exploring the links between thoughts (cognitions), emotions, physical sensations and behaviours.  Importantly, it also helps clients to identify and modify un-helpful patterns of thinking.  While CBT takes account of experiences which may have happened in the past, the work largely focuses on the here and now.  Key features of CBT are that it is an active, time-limited and structured therapy.  CBT is not just a ‘talking therapy’ it involves you trying out new ways of doing things and observing how this impacts on your mood.

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What is Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing? EMDR

EMDR is now recognised as one of the leading treatment approaches for Post-traumatic-stress-disorder (PTSD) and is recognised by the National Institute of Health and Care Excellence (NICE).  EMDR helps clients to process traumatic events from the past so the memory no longer holds the distress it once did.    EMDR can also be used where there is evidence of traumatic memories or other adverse life events.  EMDR incorporates eye movements, hand tapping or auditory tones to help process traumatic memories.  To read more about EMDR look here (EMDR Association of UK and Ireland).

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What is Mindfulness?

Mindfulness is a very simple form of meditation.  It involves paying full attention to whatever thoughts and feelings you may be experiencing at a given time without judging them or criticising them in any way.  It is a powerful way of grounding oneself in the present moment rather than being dragged back to the past constantly or worrying about the future.  Mindfulness can help clients gain relief from anxiety and is also helpful for those struggling with low mood.  Importantly, mindfulness offers an opportunity to catch negative thought patterns before they take hold and leave you in a downward spiral.

My Professional Memberships

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