Dr Laura Onens

Introduction to my Services (in person appointments or online)

You may be feeling daunted about the prospect of confiding your thoughts and feelings. Alternatively, perhaps you are feeling frustrated about making limited progress in previous therapy. Whatever your position, your courage to take that first step to contact me will be met with the greatest respect. Following an initial consultation to ensure therapy is suitable for your needs, you will receive a commitment from me to support you in making positive change in the shortest possible time.

As a fully qualified doctor of clinical psychology and HCPC registered clinical psychologist I aim to offer the highest quality of psychological care and consultation services. As a mental health professional, my practice and conduct is reviewed and regulated by the Health and Care Professionals Council (HCPC). I adhere to the British Psychological Society (BPS) Practice Guidelines and Code of Ethics for practitioner psychologists.

What can I help with?

As a clinical psychologist I am trained to work across the life span with a broad range of mental health difficulties.

• I offer offer 1:1 psychological therapy services to adults/young people (16+).
• I am a trained diagnostician for Autism Spectrum Disorder and ADHD. I work within a wider multidisciplinary team offering Neurodiversity-affirmative assessments for children and adults (aged 7 and over).

Regrettably, I do not offer psychological therapy for younger children as they often benefit from a broader approach e.g. a service that can offer continued input to the child's family and/or school. If your enquiry relates to therapy for a child, I would advise seeking an organisation that specialises in working with children and adolescents who can offer a systemic approach.

Here are some suggestions about the types of difficulties I support:

Anxiety (e.g. generalised, health anxiety, social anxiety, performance anxiety etc); Phobias; Panic Disorder; Obsessive Compulsive Disorder; Disordered Eating (BMI must be stable); Overeating; Body Dysmorphia; Relationship Difficulties; Self Esteem; Body Image; Infertility; Perinatal and Postnatal Mental Health; Sleep Issues; Living with Pain or Long Term Health Conditions; Long Covid; Chronic Fatigue; Women's Health (e.g. menopause); Unexplained Physical Symptoms (e.g. Irritable Bowel Syndrome; Sexual Dysfunction; Skin Conditions; Migraines; Tinnitus; Chronic Fatigue Syndrome); Depression; Occupational Stress; Bereavement; Role/Identity Change; Job Loss; Trauma; Survivorship; Post Traumatic Stress; Family Conflict; Emotional Difficulties (e.g. anger); Childhood Trauma; Neurodevelopmental Concerns (e.g. Autism/ADHD).

Specialist Interests

In addition to general NHS mental health services, I have several years of specialist NHS experience working in physical health settings supporting people with both acute and long term health conditions (e.g. chronic pain, cancer, inherited conditions, stroke, diabetes, fibromyalgia, multiple sclerosis, COPD, dermatological conditions). More recently I have seen an increased number of individuals seeking support for managing aspects of 'long covid' including anxiety, depression, 'brain fog' fatigue, relationship difficulties and challenges returning to work. 

I have undertaken specialist training in working with single event and complex trauma. I am fully trained in Eye Movement Desensitisation Reprocessing. 

My Therapeutic Approach

As a psychologist, my aim is to do more than just be a listening ear. I am trained to help you to get to the absolute root of your difficulties and work actively to support you to achieve permanent positive change. As every difficulty is as unique as the person experiencing it, I use an integrative approach that draws from evidence based models of psychotherapy and the latest research.

I currently utilise the following therapeutic approaches:

Attachment theory, CBT (Cognitive Behavioural Therapy), ACT (Acceptance and Commitment Therapy); EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitisation Reprocessing); Emotional Focussed Approach; CFT (Compassionate Focussed Therapy); Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction, Psychodynamic approaches; Transactional Analysis; Biofeedback Therapy (HeartMath)

Location:

I am based at The Moat House, in the heart of Sutton Coldfield. This is a large, spacious clinic room where social distancing can be offered where required. My therapy room has a warm and welcoming home from home feel (please see the photo below). If you have any additional needs, please inform me prior to arranging your appointment. 

The clinic has good links to the M6 and motorway network and public transport. If travelling by car, there is plentiful local parking with the closest car park being situated behind Sutton Coldfield Police Station/The Royal Hotel on Anchorage Road (a one minute walk to the clinic).

Please visit my website for further details and to book my next available appointment. www.fouroakspsychology.co.uk

Why see a Clinical Psychologist?

Private therapy is an investment of your time and finances so you need to be sure you are employing a suitably qualified clinician.

The term 'Clinical Psychologist' is a protected title (it is illegal to describe yourself as this unless you are a regulated doctor of clinical psychology). All clinical psychologists are trained and rigorously assessed through a competency based framework to provide evidence based psychological assessment and therapy across the lifespan. They also have extensive experience working in the NHS as part of their standard qualification. This includes a variety of specialist settings with different client groups including children, adults, older adults, people with learning disabilities and neurological conditions.

By choosing to see a clinical psychologist you can be confident that your clinician possesses both breadth and depth of knowledge. A clinical psychologist is both legally and professionally recognised as an expert in assessing and treating mental health conditions.

What will an initial consultation be like?

The process of the initial consultation will be collaborative, as we work to explore and make meaningful sense of your experiences and understand more about what may be contributing to emotional difficulties or limiting your capacity for growth and change. Depending on the complexity of your difficulties, this may take place over one or more sessions.

Once we have established a shared understanding of your difficulties, I will be able to recommend appropriate treatment. On occasion, it may be the case that I identify that I am not best placed to help. Due to my extensive training I will be in an ideal position to be able to offer further advice or signpost you to where you will find most benefit.

I am a recognised health care provider for a number of private health insurance companies including AXA PPP, Aviva, Vitality Health, Healix, Allianz Care. Please note that you must check with your insurance provider that they will meet my full rate of £110 per session. 

See website for details www.fouroakspsychology.co.uk

I am a recognised provider for several health insurance companies e.g. AXA, Aviva, Vitality Health and many more. Please contact us for details at admin@fouroakspsychology.co.uk

Visit www.fouroakspsychology.co.uk to learn more about my services.