Dr Jennifer Leonard
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This professional is available for new clients.
This professional is available for new clients.
About me
I have resumed face to face sessions but remote consultations are still avilable for those that prefer the convenience that this offers. It also enables me to work with you no matter where you live.
I am experienced in working with many different issues (see below). However, I my specialism is working with insomnia, anxiety and work related stress. I use use evidence based tools and practical strategies for for boosting resilience and well-being. I am also experienced in working with senior business leaders and entrepreneurs.
I am a Registered Counselling Psychologist based in Bradford on Avon in Wiltshire,. I provide a safe and supportive environment to explore thoughts and feelings while working towards positive change. In this space you will be really heard.
I work in an integrated way. This means that I am trained in a number of different approaches which in turn means that I can respond flexibly and skillful to to whatever you bring.
Our work together may include talking therapy, mindfulness, cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), or Holigral coaching. I am one of a handful of practitioners in the UK that is trained to use Holigral, a cognitive method of guided self-discovery that enables deeply embedded issues to be healed and released from their root cause. The methods are powerful yet gentle, fast and effective.
What is CBT?
CBT helps us to recognize and then change unhelpful patterns of thinking and behaving and this can have a positive effect on our mood. NICE (National Institute of Clinical Excellence) recommends CBT for many psychological difficulties included anxiety and depression. This means that research has show CBT to be effective for some people. However, CBT is not right for everyone. Therapy will be tailored to you as an individual, depending on your needs.
What is Mindfulness?
Mindfulness is about being aware. It is not about stopping your thoughts! Some people like to think of it as a kind of attention training. NICE recommends Mindfulness for anxiety and preventing depression. Research has shown that regular practice can decrease feelings of anxiety and depression and increase happiness and well-being. It is also good for our physical as well as our mental health. For those of you that have a Buddhist background to mindfulness I can support you with this practice.
About Stress, Anxiety and Depression
We really shouldn't be suprissed that 25% of us in Britian experience common mental health problems each year. We are under more pressure than ever before with relentless demands on our time from our work, our electronic devices and phones as well as social media. We are stressed out Britain. This means that many of us are finding it increasingly difficult to switch off, and this can impact on our sleep, with insomina increasingly becoming a problem. But there are things that can help.
Symptoms of stress and panic are very common and can be brought on when we feel overwhelmed by our life's circumstances. It can be just a small thing that "break the camel's back".
Depression can follow stressful life events that involve change and usually loss of some kind. If our inner and outer resources become over stretched things can start to get on top of us. One of the first signs of this is irritability. One of the symptoms of depression is the escalation negative thinking. Are you aware of negative and critical voices inside your head? Most of us have these inner critics to some extent, but when we start to give these voices too much attention they can escalate and become troublesome. This is when we need to take action to prevent them tipping us into a negative spiral of anxiety and depression.
I am trained and experienced in working in many areas, below are just some examples:
- Low mood and depression
- Worry, overthinking and stress, including work related stress
- Lack of self-acceptance and low self-confidence
- Insomnia
- Phobias
- OCD
- Social anxiety
- Health anxiety
- General anxiety
- Panic attacks
- Relationship issues
- Coping with long term health issues
- Ageing
- Chronic pain
- Medically unexplained symptoms
- Loss and bereavement
What happens in the first session?
During the first and session we will explore together what has brought you to therapy and consider how your difficulties stared, what is keeping them going, and what you would like to achieve. The therapy will be tailored to you as an individual and together we can decide the best way forward and develop a plan.
How might I benefit from therapy?
- Reduce worry, anxiety and depression
- A tool kit for handing difficulties that will last you a life time
- Insight
- Sustained change
- Release past issues and negative ways of thinking that no longer serve you
- Enriched relationship with yourself and with others
- Bring life back into balance
- Peace of mind
- Better sleep
Can I try a single session?
Yes. The first session will give you a feel of whether or not you feel comfortable with me and I can also assess how I might be able to help you. If we both feel happy to proceed I usually suggest that we initially work together for 4 weeks and then reassess at that point. We are all complex human beings, and each person is different. Some people can benefit from just 6 sessions, while others need 10 weeks or longer. The first session is charged at the usual rate.
Is therapy expensive?
The best way to think about the expensive of therapy is to see it as an investment in you. These days, people spend thousands of pounds on gadgets and holidays, but your emotional well-being so so much more important than things. An investment in yourself for the short term will stand you in good stead in the longer term, helping your to live a happier and healthier life.
What next?
I am happy to talk things over with you before you make a decision about whether this therapy would be right for you. Please feel free to give me a call, I look forward to hearing from you.
Professional registration
- Associate Fellow of the British Psychological Society (BPS)
- Registered with the Health Care and Professionals Council (HCPC) the Government regulatory body established to protect the public by ensuring that members meet their standards and training for a Counselling Psychologist
Training, qualifications & experience
- Chartered Counselling Psychologist
- Associate Fellow of the British Psychological Society (member since 1986)
- Registered with the Health Care Professions Council (HCPC)
- Doctorate in Psychology (Bath University)
- Degree (Hons) Psychology (Reading University)
- Diploma in Therapeutic Counselling Level 4 accredited by the Counselling and Psychotherapy Central Awarding Body
- Diploma in CBT/REBT
- Training in TEAM-CBT
- Certificate in Counselling Studies
- Bereavement trained with Dorothy House
- Addiction trained with SWADS
- Human Givens guided visualisation
I am also trained in Yoga Nidra, an excellent way to deeply relax.
I have studied and taught mindfulness meditation
Member organisations
school 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.
British Psychological Society
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
Mindfulness Mediation teacher
Positive Psychology and Happiness
Buddhism and non-duel approaches to spirituality
Transpersonal
Therapies offered
Fees
£90.00 per session
Free initial telephone session
Health Insurance/EAP
Additional information
Psychological Therapy
Fees from £90 - £110
Sessions last for 50 minutes
I offer a free short introductory call so that we can explore what you would like support with and how I may be able to help you.
I accept private medical insurance.
When I work
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Making the decsion to contact a therapist can be daunting. Please feel free to email me in the first instance so that we can arrange a time for a free initial chat, Monday to Thurday 9-5.
Further information
Thank you for visiting my profile
If you would like to talk about therapy or making an initial appointment, please email me to arrange a time for an short inital and free consultation.
I look forward to hearing form you.