Alison Lane - Clinical Psychologist , CPsychol, AFBPsS, MSc, BA (Hons)

About me

Welcome to my page, I am a Chartered Clinical Psychologist working in Surrey & Hampshire.

Clinical Psychology Explained
Clinical Psychologists have extensive training and are able to assess and treat a range of difficulties drawing on many different models and approaches. We have a first degree in Psychology and then after undertaking relevant work experience, complete further doctoral level training.

About me
I am passionate about helping people to make sense of their difficulties so they can work towards valued and meaningful changes. I will listen with empathy and without judgement to help you identify a way forward. My role starts with ensuring you feel safe and understood so we can begin to explore what challenges you.

My approach
Using an evidence-based approach, I draw on a range of therapeutic models, which include Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT), mindfulness-based therapy approaches, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Compassion Focused Therapy (CFT) and an integrative approach for treating compulsive sexual behaviour.

I use a person-centred style, tailoring my approach to the needs of the individual. I will work collaboratively with you to help explore how and why you struggle and enable you to understand and manage these challenges more effectively. As you learn to step back from difficulties and the distress caused you will be better able to discover new choices that can help change your life. These new perspectives will enable you to break free of repeating and unrewarding automatic behaviours and responses.

CBT is recommended by the National Institute of Health and Care Excellence for difficulties such as anxiety, phobias, panic, depression, obsessive compulsive disorder or post-traumatic stress disorder. CBT helps us see the links between our thoughts, emotions, physical sensations and behaviours. These factors can combine to form vicious cycles leading to unhelpful thoughts and behaviours. CBT offers strategies in order to help challenge and modify these.

MINDFULNESS is a skill which helps us notice how our minds naturally do things that create problems - such as over-thinking. Practising and applying mindfulness can help develop awareness of unhelpful or ‘stuck’ automatic behaviours and thoughts, leading to options for change. Mindfulness can be beneficial when applied to a wide range of emotional and physical health difficulties, improving well-being.

ACT is a mindfulness-based behavioural therapy. Research shows it helps people to manage psychological difficulties more effectively and can improve mood and resilience in order to enjoy a more meaningful and fuller life. ACT helps you move towards living the life you want guided by your values without requiring you to change your thoughts.  Instead it helps you develop strategies to respond differently to unhelpful and distressing thoughts and beliefs.  Using mindfulness based approaches, helps to ‘unhook’ from these challenging thoughts that can otherwise pull and push you around.

CFT was developed to help transform problematic patterns of thought and emotion related to anxiety, anger, shame and self-criticism.