“If you want to lift a hundred pounds, you don't expect to succeed the first time. You start with a lighter weight and work up little by little. You actually fail to lift a hundred pounds, every day, until the day you succeed. But it is in the days when you are exerting yourself that the growth is occurring.”
Norman Doidge, The Brain that Changes Itself: Stories of Personal Triumph from the Frontiers of Brain Science
A very warm welcome if you are considering individual counselling or psychotherapy.
If you are struggling with your mental health and emotional wellbeing; have physical symptoms of anxiety or
trauma
; investing in counselling or psychotherapy can be life changing, healing and enriching. The process of counselling and therapy can help with: underlying causes of emotional pain and help heal emotional wounds of the past; develop resilience to deal with challenging life situations; help to make sense of ourselves and our place in the world, understand how we relate to others and make changes which can be transformational.
I am an integrative Therapist with over 25 years of experience and have an MA in Psychotherapy and counselling. I am an accredited member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) and am passionate about the healing power of counselling, psychotherapy and the capacity of the human psyche to heal, develop and grow. This belief, coupled with my training and experience, underpins how I work (with adults on a one to-one-basis).
I have a high level of experience helping with low self-esteem, anxiety, depression, bereavement, trauma, relationship issues and work place stress. I have a special interest in: trauma; psychophysiological disorders and the mind/body connection, especially how the body can be used as a tool to bring about change and healing and use an intergrative approach of sensorimotor, internal familiy systems and EMDR therapies.
Counselling and psychotherapy appointments can either be face-to-face, video using (encrypted, free software) or by telephone.
My promise to you:
I promise to reply, when you make contact
I promise to be ethical and professional in our work together
I promise only to work in areas I am trained and experienced to work with
I promise to help you understand relationship ruptures especially if they happen between us, because what happens in your life is often replicated in our therapeutic relationship and it is a really precious and valuable learning and growth experience
I promise to offer you unconditional acceptance, empathy and to hold you in positive regard at all times, because YOU REALLY MATTER!
Contact me
“...an effective psychotherapist or psychoanalyst is a "microsurgeon of the mind" who helps patients make needed alterations in neuronal networks.”
Norman Doidge, The Brain that Changes Itself: Stories of Personal Triumph from the Frontiers of Brain Science
My Work
I offer non-judgemental help and support and tailoring the counselling and psychotherapy to you, because you and your needs are unique. I help you understand yourself and your situation on a deeper level which allows you to make positive and informed choices; often armed with information and insights that were previously unknown. I greatly respect the wisdom of the body as a great source of information and also for giving tools for healing and strengthening.
Training
MA in Psychotherapy and Counselling at Regent’s College in London.
I am a Internal Family Systems (IFS) Therapist and have completed the IFS Institue:
Level 2 Intimacy from the Inside Out
IFS Level 1
I am a Sensorimotor psychotherapist and have completed the Sensorimotor Psychotherapy Institute:
Level 2 Sensorimotor for Developmental Injury
Level 1 Affect Dysregulation, Survival Defences and Traumatic Memory
I am a qualified EMDR (Eye Movement Desensation and Reprocessing) therapist
Other training includes: CBT for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and Trauma;
Somatic Trauma Therapy Training with Babette Rothschild;
Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy for Health and Well-being
My initial training was psychodynamic with the CCC (Cambridgeshire Consultancy in Counselling).
I have received training in the following approaches: Sensorimotor, Internal Family Systems, EMDR, Humanistic, Intergrative,
Psychodynamic, Existential, CBT and Brief short term work.
Each year I undertake Continuing Professional Development.
Membership of Professional Bodies
I am an accredited registered member of the BACP (British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy).
I am a Psychotherapist member of the clinical team at Nafs Health Consultancy and Training Ltd
I am a member of EMDR UK and Trauma Aid UK.
I am a registered provider with BUPA, Aviva, AXA, Vitality, Cigna, and Helix Health Services Ltd.
I am fully insured and have an enhanced DBS certificate (Disclosure and Barring Service).
Other experience
I have experience and knowledge of the 12 step programme of recovery.
I have also been trained and have worked with a National Bereavement Support Charity.
Contact me
(Sensorimotor Psychotherapy (SP) is a method that draws upon the natural wisdom of the body, posture, movement and nervous system) to tap into the innate drive in all of us to heal, adapt and develop new capabilities. SP is for adults, children and adolescents who suffer from unresolved trauma, relationship problems or who want to reduce stress and improve their quality of life.
Pat Ogden
What can I expect when I make contact?
The first contact by either telephone, email or text will give you a chance to explain what has led you to seek help and what is going on for you. You will be also able to ask me any questions you may have about my qualifications, experience and how I work. It would also be useful also to know if you want an evening or day time appointment.
I feel anxious about making contact – can you help?
Sometimes when you are experiencing difficult feelings and emotions, it can be very challenging to even think about making an initial contact. This is very natural and if you prefer to email or text then that is ok. Making the initial contact and the first meeting is sometimes difficult but as a skilled therapist I will do my best to help to put you at ease, however, if you need support to get to an initial appointment please let me know.
What problems have you experience of working with?
Some of the problems I have helped with are:
addiction problems, anger, anxiety, bereavement, bullying in education or at work, confusion, cultural issues, debt, depression, eating disorders, family illness and carer issues, family problems including breakdown and divorce, gender issues, identity issues, loneliness and isolation, loss, low self-esteem, medical problems, panic attacks, psychophysiological disorders, physical disability, pregnancy and abortion, relationship problems, sexuality issues, situational crisis, trauma, suicidal feelings, surviving abuse including sexual abuse, unemployment problems and work related stress.
How long will I need counselling or psychotherapy?
This is variable and is negotiated between us. Counselling tends to be shorter term work and can be anything from six sessions to 20 sessions. Many people start with six sessions and sometimes that is enough, or else it may be appropriate to continue.
Some people come with a fixed idea about a certain number of sessions and others are happy to work open ended until they are ready to finish. Whether short or long term, we will include regular review dates.
I have insurance cover, how do I proceed?
Your insurance company will provide you with an authorisation code along with the number of sessions that have been authorised; please supply this as soon as possible at the time of making an appointment or soon after booking.
How much will it cost?My fee is £100 to £180 for both the assessment and ongoing counselling or psychotherapy.
What can I expect at the first meeting?
The first meeting is a two way process. As we explore together what has led you to seek help and what is going on for you; I will be assessing your clinical need. You will be discovering how I work and if you feel comfortable with me, we explore what you wish to get from your therapy and further sessions can be booked.
Do you have evening appointments available?
Yes, please contact me to discuss what day and time would suit you.
“In sensorimotor treatment, traumatized clients are taught to become aware of trauma-related tendencies of orientation and to redirect their attention away from the past and toward the present moment. Repeatedly "shifting the client's attention to the various things going on outside of the flow of conversation [evokes] experiences which are informative and emotionally meaningful" (Kurtz, 2004, p. 40). Redirecting orientation and attention from conversation to present-moment experience-that is, from external awareness to internal awareness, and from the past to the present?engages exploration and curiosity, and clients can discover things about themselves that they did not know previously (Kurtz, 2004).”
Pat Ogden, Trauma and the Body: A Sensorimotor Approach to Psychotherapy
Trauma
Trauma is an emotional response to a overwhelming event like an accident, physical attack, or a natural disaster. Immediately after the event, shock and denial are typical. Longer term reactions could include unpredictable emotions, flashbacks, relationship difficulties, and even physical symptoms like headaches or nausea.
Developmental trauma
Developmental trauma also called developmental injury is the result of seeming invisible childhood experiences of being mistreated or bused that have been repeated many times. These cumulative experiences could involve verbal abuse, neglect or manipulation by a parent but they can also include misattunement, parental inconsistency or not having our emotional needs met. As young children we are vulnerable and repeated experiences can lead to psychological and neurological disruption and also result in physical and emotional symptoms eg anxiety, feeling fearful of the world, racing heart, dissociation, insomnia and numbing to name just a few.
Sensorimotor Psychotherapy
Sensorimotor Psychotherapy includes the body in therapy both as a source of information and as a tool for healing. It harnesses the natural innate wisdom held within the body to tap into the intrinsic drive towards healing. This process can increase integration between body and mind.
Internal Family Systems (IFS)
Internal Family Systems (IFS) believes in the natural multiplicity of the mind, that we have multiple parts eg a part that wants to do something because we know it’s good for us and a part that does the opposite. We all have a core self that has inherent wisdom. Our parts are evolved from difficult experiences, eg trauma and attachment injuries and they carry burdens. Each part has a good intention for us and there are no ‘bad’ parts. The goal of therapy is to understand our parts role and heal their burdens, thereby helping to increase self-energy, achieve balance, harmony and wholeness in our system.
Eye Movement Desensitisation Reprocessing (EMDR)
Eye Movement Desensitisation Reprocessing (EMDR) is a comprehensive psychotherapy that uses side to side eye movements in combination with talking therapy within a specific and structured format. It helps to process negative images, beliefs, emotions and body sensations associated with traumatic memories that are stuck. It results in helping to see things from a different perspective and relieves both physical and emotional symptoms.
When you accept all the parts of you, you activate the 8 C's of your core self, namely: curiosity, calm, clarity, compassion, confidence, creativity, connectedness and courage.
Richard C Schwartz, Internal Family Systems
I have a light, airy, comfortable ground-floor private consulting room which is located in the CB4 area in North Cambridge. I’m just off the A14, close to King Hedges Road and the Cambridge Science Park, and very close to the A10 and M11.
There is free, easy parking on a quiet residential street.
I am within five minutes walk of the guided busway (Orchard Park bus stop).
The Cambridge North railway station is two miles away or a nine minute cycle ride.
The nearest bus stop is three minutes walk away (Armitage Way/Northfield Avenue).
If you would like to discuss anything further with me or would like to make an appointment, please contact me by telephone, email or text. All calls and messages and are confidential.
Mobile: 07946 549 321
Email:
info@counsellorincambridge.co.uk
Counselling & Psychotherapy
Location
North Cambridge, CB4
Telephone
Mob: 07946 549 321
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