Dr Isabelle Micklewright, Senior Clinical Psychologist, Thrive Psychology Bucks
About me
Are fear and anxiety getting in the way of you doing what you want to do?
Are you struggling with feelings of sadness and lacking motivation to complete even small tasks?
Do you constantly put yourself down and question your abilities or worth?
Are you feeling frustrated by how much your physical health condition is getting in the way of your day to day life?
Is chronic pain leaving you feeling down and making it difficult to imagine a better future for yourself?
Is worry about Covid-19 and the future keeping you awake at night?
If your answer to any of these questions is yes, then please read on or click on the link to my website to find out more about me and how I may be able to support you.
I am an experienced Clinical Psychologist, with over 10 years' experience in the NHS, based in Chalfont St Giles, Buckinghamshire and I offer evidence-based psychological assessment and therapy over video or in the outdoors. I create a space where people feel comfortable and safe and their experiences and feelings are acknowledged and validated. With this foundation I am passionate about supporting people to thrive and achieve goals in line with what matters most to them.
What psychological approaches do I use?
- Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT)
- Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
- Compassion Focused-Therapy (CFT)
- Mindfulness
I often incorporate other theoretical frameworks, such as attachment theory and psychodynamic ideas, to understand a client's difficulties and how and why they might have developed. This means that I can tailor psychological therapy to you rather than the other way around in order to provide a truly person-centred approach. My passion lies in supporting people to build on their own strengths and develop additional tools to weather life's storms.
How are appointments held?
- Telephone
- Video
- Outdoors in nature (sitting or walking). I believe strongly in the mind-body-nature connection and bringing the benefits of nature into the therapeutic space.
My work in the NHS
I have over 10 years' experience in the NHS as a Senior Clinical Psychologist, specialist experience in physical health. In 2018, whilst working at the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital, I was privileged to be nominated by patients for a Patient Choice Award for compassionate care.
What psychological problems do I have experience working with?
- Social anxiety
- Obsessive-compulsive disorder
- Health anxiety
- Panic disorder
- Generalised anxiety disorder/worry
- Low self-esteem
- Loneliness/isolation
- Depression
- Adjustment difficulties
- Chronic and/or complex health conditions
- Loss/bereavement.
Training, qualifications & experience
Education
- University College London 2008-2011 Doctorate in Clinical Psychology
- University College London 2002-2005 BSc Hons Psychology
What did the Doctorate in Clinical Psychology involve?
The Doctorate in Clinical Psychology is a demanding and rigorous full-time 3 year postgraduate training programme (I worked for 2 years as an Assistant Psychologist in the NHS and 1 year as an academic Research Assistant before being offered a place on the course). It blends intensive academic teaching with several clinical placements in a range of specialist areas under supervision from experienced Clinical Psychologists. I worked in an adult mental health service, sexual health, older adult mental health which included working with people with cognitive difficulties associated with acquired brain injury or dementia, child and adolescent mental health and with adults with learning disabilities.
Why choose a Clinical Psychologist?
Clinical Psychologists are unique in that we hold a 'scientist-practitioner' approach. This means we have a grounding in understanding and applying evidence-based psychological approaches and extensive knowledge of research methods and analysis. Therefore we are able to provide psychological interventions that have been shown in clinical research to be effective at addressing psychological problems. We are also trained to be able to carry out and interpret neuro-psychological assessments to assess cognitive functioning. Our training equips us with the knowledge and experience of a range of therapeutic approaches so we can work flexibly, integrating ideas from different psychological approaches to make the therapy fit the client and their goals (and not the other way around).
Continuous Professional Development
It is a requirement of our profession to engage in a minimum 40 hours of CPD, as directed by the British Psychological Society. Workshops I attend and my own self-directed learning focuses on expanding my knowledge, skills and practice of my preferred therapeutic orientations.
Member organisations
Registered / Accredited
Being registered/accredited with a professional body means an individual must have achieved a substantial level of training and experience approved by their member organisation.
Health and Care Professions Council
The HCPC are an independent, UK-wide health regulator. They set standards of professional training, performance and conduct for 16 professions.
They keep a register of health professionals who meet their standards, and they take action if registered health professionals fall below those standards. They were created by a piece of legislation called the Health Professions Order 2001.
Registration means that a health professional meets national standards for their professional training, performance and conduct.
Areas of counselling I deal with
Other areas of counselling I deal with
I am a registered provider with AXA Health, AVIVA, Aetna, Vitality Health, Cigna and WPA. I can request to be registered with an additional provider if clients have a policy with a different insurance company.
Therapies offered
Photos & videos
Fees
Additional information
Initial, no obligation short telephone call (approx. 15 minutes) - free of charge
Psychological therapy sessions - self-funded (50 minutes) - £105
Psychological assessment - self-funded (up to 120 minutes) - £160
Payment of Fees
Payment is to be made using bank transfer in UK pounds within 24 hours of arranging your session to secure your appointment with me. This avoids us having to use any of our therapy session time to do this. My fees cover the cost of professional indemnity insurance, my own professional clinical supervision, my preparation time and the consultation.
In addition to working with self-funded clients I am a registered provider with AXA, VitalityHealth, AVIVA, Aetna, Cigna and WPA. Please contact me if yours isn't listed here as some insurance companies only register a healthcare professional once they are chosen to provide treatment to someone with a policy with them. Please note, if you are paying for sessions through an insurance company the fee may vary so please liaise directly with your provider for details.
Availability
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I am available currently during the day on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays.
Please visit my website for more information.
Further information
Initial no-obligation, free of charge telephone call
If you would like an initial no-obligation telephone call I will call at a time that is suitable for you. We can have a brief chat about what challenges you are facing and what support may help you bring about the changes you wish to make.
Initial assessment appointment
Please allow up to 2 hours for the initial assessment. It is always conducted over Zoom or telephone and enables us to establish a joint understanding of the problem(s), how they have developed, what is maintaining them in the here and now and how they are getting in the way of how you want your life to be. We will discuss and agree what approach may be most appropriate for you to meet the goals you have identified for therapy and how many sessions may be needed so you can make an informed decision about how to proceed.
Psychological therapy sessions
Psychological therapy sessions usually last 50 minutes and take place at the same time and day to offer consistency and so you know you can rely on that time being protected for you. Therapy sessions combine the expertise you bring about your life and experiences and my knowledge of psychological theory to help you understand them and how they are impacting on your life now. Sessions are active and collaborative enabling us to work together to help you identify and practice implementing tools to overcome your life challenges. To maximise the benefits of therapy we will identify ways that you can apply the learning into your daily life in between our sessions through the use of different psychological exercises.
