Kelly Abraham-Smith

I am an experienced HCPC-registered Clinical Psychologist based in St Albans. I understand that seeking psychological support can be a big step for people and that is why I place emphasis on creating a compassionate, confidential and relaxed environment in which I can support people to gain greater understanding of their difficulties and to establish new ways of coping to move forward with their lives.

I take a person-centred approach, working flexibly and collaboratively with clients to fit the therapy to the client, not the client to the therapy. I work in an integrative way, meaning I am able to draw on a range of psychological models to guide our work, including cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT), compassion-focused therapy, acceptance and commitment therapy, mindfulness, narrative therapy, systemic / family therapy, and psychodynamic therapy, amongst others.

I currently work as the Lead Psychologist in the Women's Health Psychology Service at The Whittington Hospital in London. Within this role I support women, as well as their partners and families, with psychological difficulties in the perinatal period (e.g. antenatal anxiety/depression and birth trauma) and the psychological impact of physical health issues, such as fertility issues and gynaecological conditions. 

I have previously worked in qualified and senior posts at:

- Great Ormond Street Hospital with children and their families.

- the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital in Stanmore specialising in working with people with chronic pain and other long-term health conditions.

However, I have years of experience working with people across the age spectrum and from a variety of cultural backgrounds, addressing difficulties which can be long-standing or have recently developed. These may include:

• Perinatal maternal / paternal well-being
• Depression
• Anxiety disorders
• Obsessive-compulsive disorder
• Panic disorder
• Anger management
• Stress management
• Low self-esteem / self-compassion
• Couples / family work
• Loss / bereavement
• Chronic pain
• Adjustment to / living with other long-term health conditions
• Brain injury

Very often clients will be suffering from one or more conditions. Whilst my specialist expertise include the above conditions, this list is not comprehensive.

I see clients at a clinic in central St Albans. Please see below for my fees and details of the initial assessment and ongoing therapy sessions.

Fees

Please contact me for further information regarding fees. My fees cover the cost of meeting rooms, professional indemnity insurance, my preparation time and the consultation.

Initial meeting

This session typically last up to 2 hours and will help me to establish how I can best support you based on your therapeutic needs and goals.

Follow-up sessions

Following an initial assessment I may recommend a course of further sessions. A therapeutic session lasts 50 minutes and we would usually meet at the same time every week. Although face to face sessions are preferable, I also offer FaceTime and phone sessions.

Payment for sessions

You can either pay me by cash or cheque at the end of each session. Alternatively, you can pay by bank transfer at least 3 days prior to an appointment.

Report writing

I charge an hourly rate for report writing and will always provide an estimate of my charges in advance. I may ask for a deposit on account of my fees prior to commencing work on a report.

Policy for cancellations and missed appointments

If you cannot make a session please let me know as soon as possible. The following policy applies to cancelled or missed appointments:-

• Cancelled with 48 hours notice – A full credit against future sessions
• Cancelled with 24 hours notice – A 50% credit against future sessions
• Cancelled with less than 24 notice – no credit