Esther

Esther has come to psychotherapy as a later-life career choice.  In her 20s she worked in the arts and the film business in London, deciding to study for a post-graduate degree in Psychology with the Open University as a first step towards training as a psychotherapist.

She went on to gain her Post-Graduate Diploma in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy from Oxford University. She has worked for NHS Talking Therapies for more than 12 years. Esther also works supervising and training the next generation of therapists at Oxford University and University College London.

She is currently writing a book about living life to the full which is based on her own life experiences, illustrative case studies from her work and packed with exercises and ideas for the reader to use.

Esther lives in Oxford.  She has 3 grown up children.  She enjoys wild swimming, food, travel and is passionate about people and their stories.

Qualifications & Training:

• History of Art and Drama BA, 2:1, Trinity College Dublin, 1993
• Psychology Degree, 1^st Class, Open University, 2001
• Post Graduate Diploma in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Oxford University, 2014
• Interpersonal Psychotherapy training (IPT), Anna Freud Centre, 2018
• Eye Movement De-Sensitisation Reprocessing (EMDR), Sandi Richmann, London, 2023
• Supervisor training, University of Reading, 2019
• Long Term Conditions training, University of Exeter, 2019

Continued professional development including:

Compassion focused therapy (CFT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Mindfulness based CBT, cultural sensitivities, anti-racism, neurodiversity treatment adaptations

Accreditation & Professional Recognition:

BABCP Accredited

IPT UK registration

EMDR Association Member

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)

CBT is an evidence-based therapy proven to be helpful to people experiencing a wide range of emotional difficulties.

Treatment is tools-based.  We work with the client to give strategies and tools that help them to break their unhelpful responses to difficult situations.  CBT works by changing how a person thinks about situations  and how they act.  Together we develop more helpful patterns, habits and life skills which help a person to feel better during treatment while also building a tool kit which can be used long after treatment sessions have ended.

Eye Movement De-sensitization and Reprocessing Therapy (EMDR)

EMDR is an unusual treatment therapy because unlike other talking therapies it is a more physical experience for the patient.  Your therapist works with you to activate the two sides of your brain using bilateral stimulations (BLS) which may be visual, auditory or through touch.  Using sets of BLSs difficult memories are processed.  It is a powerful therapy which often has the effect of releasing a person from their difficult (sometimes traumatic memories) and enabling them to recover from problems in their lives which have been triggered by past events or relationships.

For more information visit: www.EMDRassociation.org.uk

Interpersonal Psychotherapy (IPT)

IPT is a treatment for depression when an episode of low mood has been triggered by a life event such as bereavement, role transition or a dispute.  IPT spends time on developing a shared understanding of a person's story so far and how a person's past may impact on how they are responding to their current situation.  Working interpersonally the therapist encourages the client to develop their interpersonal skills and increase their interactions with others whenever this is helpful to improving their mood. 

For more information visit:  https://www.iptuk.net/about-ipt.html

'Third wave' approaches used include:

• Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
• Compassion Focused Therapy (CFT)
• Mindfulness

A wide range of tools and strategies are available from these therapeutic approaches including:

• increasing your quality of life by living according to your values
• learning how to soothe yourself and feel less threatened
• living in the present and enjoying life more by dwelling less on past challenges and worrying less about the future
• increasing your noticing of the 'good stuff' which you may have lost sight of

These approaches are interwoven into our therapy work regardless of whether you are receiving a core treatment of CBT, EMDR or IPT.