Bob Chaffey BSc(Hons) eq MA HPC reg

Plympton Plymouth Devon PL7 View map
01803 847817 / 07884328011 Click here to Email me

Profile

I work with a wide range of psychological, emotional and relationship problems, difficulties and distress including anxiety, depression, bereavement, anger issues, low self-esteem, stress, loss, separation, work related issues, bullying, harassment, emotional abuse, trauma (including Post-Traumatic-Stress-Disorder), physical and/or sexual abuse, spiritual emergence and experiences, and issues of personal development and growth.

My psychotherapeutic approach is mindful (awareness), creative and holistic. I am registered with the Health Professions Council (HPC) and I am a member of the British Association of Dramatherapists (BADth). I have lived in South Devon for the past 24 years and have been working as a qualified creative psychotherapist and dramatherapist for over 20 years with adults 18+ including many years working in the NHS adult mental health services as a dramatherapist in individual and group work.

I feel it is quite natural for some people to feel stressed and/or anxious during the process of deciding on a therapist. Therefore, I believe it is important to welcome people with sensitivity and understanding. Clients can be assured of full confidentiality within a safe, supportive, and unconditionally regarding therapeutic space.

I offer talking therapy as my main approach within a creative context. I work gently, listening to clients to help them make sense of feelings and experiences. Often people just need to talk about problems and through the therapeutic process bring issues into awareness. Clients' decide how many sessions they need. For some people just a few sessions can alleviate discomfiting thoughts and feelings and bring about change.

Others clients need more sessions or longer term therapy. Over a series of therapy sessions meaning will gradually emerge to enable clients' to gain an awareness and understanding of the issues that may have been causing upset and distress. Then changes can occur.

If a client prefers, or has difficulty talking about and expressing verbally what they feel, I am able to work in a more formally creative and non-verbally oriented way using the following media. With my support the client can choose which mode they feel they need at any one time:-

Sandplay - where clients select and place in a tray of sand miniature figures and objects, both worldly and symbolic, to represent their inner and outer experience and relationships.

Art image work - where clients can express their feelings and imagination through drawing with crayons. No artistic talent is required.

Therapeutic Picture cards (especially designed for psychotherapy) where clients may select, reflect and relate visually to different kinds of artists' created therapeutic picture cards of faces, scenes, dramas, traumas, myths and dreams. I carefully select the therapeutic picture cards the client will view and select from to ensure proper safety and support.

The above therapeutic interventions allow clients to creatively and safely connect to feelings. People are then often able to understand and begin to talk about, or further express non-verbally, what has been distressing them and/or causing difficulties sometimes for many years.

I was born and brought up in inner city London and went to a large comprehensive in Lambeth before migrating to California, USA with my parents. I attended high school there, though I returned to England before graduation. A bit later on I spent a number of years living and working in other countries like Australia and Switzerland and travelling through parts of Asia, around Europe and across North America before studying for a combined studies honours degree at Plymouth University in sociology, psychology and politics. I then trained as a dramatherapist and psychotherapist. I did a certificate in education fe, along the way.

Training, Qualifications & Experience

MA eq in Dramatherapy
Cert Ed. FE
BSc (Hons) Sociology, Psychology & politics

Other shorter courses:

Group (psycho)analysis
Gestalt Therapy
Integrative arts psychotherapy
Transpersonal psychotherapy
Solution focused therapy
Compassionate Mind Therapy
Art therapy
Mindfulness
Family Systemic Therapy

A range of courses and workshops in western and eastern healing traditions.

I am a trainer in Mindfulness and Dramatherapy.

Over 20 years of qualified individual and group practice including many years with NHS adult mental health services.

Client group - 18 plus