The Psychological Therapy Unit

read moreSteve Flatt, Director of the Unit, registered CBT practitioner and nurse, is our Senior Therapist and heads the Clinical team. Dr Suzi Curtis, clinical psychologist, is our child specialist, and a researcher and statistician with considerable experience. Margaret Young, our Administration Manager, is one of our more experienced therapists, specialising in relationship and bereavement issues. All our staff our trained to the highest level and are accredited with their specific professional body.

read moreAt The PTU we have a strong belief that we should pass on what we learn to as many people as possible. To that end we offer a range of courses to the public as well as health professionals. The practical application of child development theories and therapeutic approaches for care staff working in homes for looked after children (3 days). This is a course for anyone who is suffering anxiety. It brings together information from a wide range of source and provides a synthesis of the theory related to anxiety and its beginnings, how it is maintained and then lots of practical work on how to manage it.

read moreSolution Focused Practice -What is it? The central assumptions of SFP are that the only meaningful goals are those defined by the person that wants change to happen (in therapy, the client) and that this person has the resources within themselves to implement that change. In SFP the client is the expert on their own lives and the practitioner helps the client to draw on and develop their existing strengths and abilities to make the changes they want to see in their lives. This is a radically different from a situation where the therapist is expected to be the expert whose role is to impart the knowledge or understanding that the client needs before they can "move on".

read moreTom, OCD sufferer. Just a big thank you for all the help and support you have offered me these past few months. You've made me believe in myself again. Andy, depression and anxiety sufferer. The care and attention is second to none and it is comforting to know that help and support are available at all times. June, GAD sufferer. Linda, agoraphobia sufferer. I really just want to say 'thank you' for helping me to understand how I can improve my life by changing the way I think. Audrey, victim of a road traffic collision.

read moreA recent audit of the work done at the Psychological Therapies Unit over the last 3 years has highlighted how successful our programmes of intervention are. The research used standard well validated psychometric tools such as the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale and the Impact of Event Scale to indicate the result of intervention at final sessions. The audit shows that 74% of all clients on completion of intervention had levels of anxiety and depression the same as would be found in the general population.

read moreI am a registered member of the British Psychological Society and the Health Professions Council. I have experience of working with a wide range of different clients and presenting problems using a range of different therapeutic approaches. In all of the above areas of work I adopt a broadly solution-focused brief therapy (SFBT) approach, drawing upon other psychological theories, approaches and models as necessary and by agreement with the client.

read moreJust ring us to discuss your needs. Our therapists each have different areas of interest and expertise and we will try to match you with the most suitable therapist. We can usually book a first appointment within a week to ten days. Many people ask how many sessions they would need (how long is a piece of string?) but that depends on the nature and depth of their issues and how committed they are to doing the work. It can hard work but CBT certainly is a good therapy for anxiety, depression, obsessional thinking and low self-esteem/confidence, trauma etc, if you really want to make those changes.