Dr Jack Closs - Clinical Psychologist
About me
Welcome!
About me
The first thing to say is that I am a Counselling Psychologist, registered with the Health Care Professions Council (HCPC). As a Counselling Psychologist, I am trained to a doctoral level to deliver researched and evidence-based therapy from a variety of therapeutic models. This allows me to tailor therapy to your individual needs.
How is a Counselling Psychologist different?
Counselling Psychologists train to a doctoral level in a range of therapies, including CBT and more relationship-focus therapies, which allows them to tailor therapy. We develop particular skills in making sense of individual difficulties, which help us then tailor therapy to the person. Counsellors and Psychotherapists are also qualified therapeutic practitioners but are generally trained in one therapeutic model and do not always offer skills. Psychiatrists are also doctors but they work with people experiencing mental health difficulties using medications to help manage these difficulties rather than talking therapies.
My Experience
I have worked in mental healthcare since 2010. Pre-training I worked in an NHS mental health hospital as a support worker, as a charity mental health helpline worker, and in mental health research settings. Whilst training, I gained experience in using psychological therapies across a broad range of NHS mental health services, with adults, adolescents and families. I have worked both in outpatient and inpatient settings. I have worked as a counselling psychologist in the NHS primarily as a therapist, offering CBT, CAT, and MBT (see below for acronyms), to adults with anxiety, mood, trauma, and personality related difficulties.
My Values
As a Counselling Psychologist, as well as learning multiple psychotherapeutic approaches, my training was based on the importance of understanding an individual’s unique experience, and on how this can be explored in a therapeutic relationship. Although there are many things that shape who we are as individuals, it is, I believe, our relationships, both with ourselves and others, that often influence us most profoundly. By developing our awareness of these relationships, we can develop valuable and compassionate self-understanding. I aim for my clients to be able to use this understanding to help them to find ways of improving the quality of their lives.
The Models I Work With
I have experience of using Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT), Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Compassion Focused Therapy (CFT), Cognitive Analytic Therapy (CAT), Mentalization-Based Therapy (MBT) and psychodynamic therapy. I tailor my therapeutic approach according to what the client wants to work on, integrating different approaches as appropriate.
Professional Registration
Registered Practitioner Psychologist, Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC), Registration Number: PYL35334.
Taking the next steps
I appreciate that looking for a therapist can feel a bit overwhelming and confusing. I hope the information above will help to answer some of your questions but if you would like to know more, please contact me in confidence via our team at Avenue Therapies by email or phone (020 7112 8834) by email (therapy@avenuetherapies.com)
Training, qualifications & experience
- Mentalization-Based Treatment: Basic Training, 3 days, Anna Freud Centre, 2019.
- A Compassionate Approach to Recovering from Shame-Based Trauma and PTSD, 3-day workshop, Compassionate Mind Foundation, 2019.
- Introduction to Cognitive Analytic Therapy, 2-day workshop, Association for Cognitive Analytic Therapy, 2019.
- Professional Doctorate in Counselling Psychology, City, University of London, 2013-2017.
- Psychology, MSc, University of East London, 2009-2010.
- Philosophy and Politics, BA, University of Leeds, 2005-2008.
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
Therapies offered
Fees
We provide a bespoke service that is designed to meet the needs of you, the individual, our charges vary depending on the nature of the assessment and any subsequent treatment. For a 90 minute therapy assessment fees range from £80 to £140. Individual sessions range from £65 to £120 and are usually 50 minutes with time for admin at the end of the appointment. Some of our therapist do offer concessions. We are always happy to discuss costs with you and are committed to try to make Clinical Psychology and psychological therapy as accessible as possible.
Further information
As I mentioned above, I work as part of a larger practice called Avenue Therapies. This is great as we have a range of therapists to suit many different difficulties and can often be more flexible to when you want to be seen.
We also offer Asperger / Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) assessment, diagnosis and support (http://www.avenuetherapies.com/autism-assessment).
