Dr Laura Varnes
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This professional is available for new clients.
This professional is available for new clients.
About me
I am a Health Psychologist and CBT Therapist based in South West London. I specialise in offering evidence-based approaches to help people gain a greater understanding of their difficulties and develop new ways of coping. I work with people common mental health difficulties, such as anxiety disorders and depression, and have a particular interest in supporting people to adjust and cope with physical health conditions.
I understand seeking psychological support can be difficult therefore I aim to create a warm, confidential and empathetic environment in which I support clients to gain an understanding of their difficulties and develop new ways of coping to move forward. I take a person-centred approach whereby I work collaboratively and flexibility with clients to tailor therapy to individual needs.
I find Cognitive-Behavioural Therapy (CBT) an effective approach to help clients develop an understanding of their difficulties and develop strategies to manage them. CBT is an empowering approach as it helps clients develop knowledge, insight and skills that are taken away from therapy. In addition to CBT, I also incorporate ideas and strategies based on acceptance and commitment therapy.
I currently work as the Lead Psychologist in a Post-Covid Psychology Service in London. Within this role I support clients with long-COVID who are experiencing psychological difficulties such as frightening breathlessness, difficulty managing symptoms or treatment.
I have experience in working with adults with common mental health difficulties, and adjusting and coping with physical health conditions. This includes:
- Anxiety disorders
- Depression
- Health anxiety
- Low self-esteem
- Obsessive compulsive disorder
- Panic disorder
- Phobias
- Physical health conditions such as IBS, chronic pain, long-COVID, diabetes, heart conditions, etc.
- Social anxiety
- Stress
I see clients online or in person in Haslemere, Surrey. Please see below for details of my fees and information on the initial assessment and ongoing therapy sessions.
Training, qualifications & experience
Qualifications and education
- University of the West of England, Professional Doctorate in Health Psychology
- Royal Holloway, University of London, PG Dip CBT Therapies
- University College London, MSc Health Psychology
- University of Exeter, BSc Psychology
Clinical experience
I have over 7 years of clinical experience working within the NHS, private settings and the charity sector in the following services: community based adult mental health, older adults, clinical health psychology, and talking therapy services.
Non-clinical experience
- University College London, Research Assistant, 2017-2018
- King's College London, Research Assistant, 2018-2019
Selected publications
Farič, N., Yorke, E., Varnes, L., Newby, K., Potts, H., Smith, L., Hon., A., Steptoe, A., & Fisher, A. (2019). Adolescents talk about physical activity, exergaming and virtual reality: a qualitative intervention development study. JMIR Serious Games, 7(2).
Haslam, C., Morton, T. A., Haslam, S. A., Varnes, L., Graham, R., & Gamaz, L. (2012). “When the age is in, the wit is out”: Age-related self-categorization and deficit expectations reduce performance on clinical tests used in dementia assessment. Psychology and Aging, 27(3), 778-784.
Marlow, L., McBride, E., Varnes, L., & Waller, J. (2019). Barriers to cervical screening among older women from hard-to-reach groups: a qualitative study in England. BMC Women’s Health, 19:38.
Newby, K., Varnes, L., Yorke, E., Meisel, S. F., & Fisher, A. (2018). Beliefs underlying adolescents’ cardiovascular disease risk appraisals and the preventative role of physical activity. Manuscript submitted for publication.
Varnes, L. (2023). Using the theoretical domains framework and COM-B model in identifying barriers and facilitators to addressing smoking cessation in improving access to psychological therapies services: A qualitative study. (Thesis). Retrieved from https://uwe-repository.worktribe.com/output/10039226
Reports
Hagell, A., Shah, R., Viner, R., Hargreaves, D., Varnes, L., & Heys, M. (2018). The social determinants of young people’s health: Identifying the key issues and assessing how young people are doing in the 2010s. Health Foundation Working Paper. London: Health Foundation.
Member organisations
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.
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 have experience in working with people with common mental health conditions such as depression and anxiety disorders. I also have specialist interests in supporting individuals to cope with physical health conditions such as long-covid, IBS, chronic pain and diabetes.
Therapies offered
Fees
£90.00 - £120.00
Free initial telephone session
Additional information
The cost of a 50-minute individual therapy session with me is: £90 for online and £115 for face-to-face sessions. This may be adjusted if we agree to have a longer or shorter session for a clinical reason. My fees cover the cost of meeting rooms, professional indemnity insurance, my preparation time and the consultation.
When I work
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Further information
First step: Brief conversation
If you are interested in one-to-one therapy the first step is to have a brief conversation over phone or email. This is an opportunity to provide a brief explanation of the difficulties you are experiencing and the help you are after. This will also give you the opportunity to ask any questions you may have. We will decide together whether booking an assessment would be beneficial. If I do not feel I am the best person to support you at this time, I will make recommendations of another type of treatment.
First session: The assessment session
The first session involves an assessment. Here we aim to develop an understanding of your current difficulties, what factors have contributed to your current difficulties and what you want to change. At the end of the assessment we will discuss what goals you want to achieve in therapy and we will agree how many sessions you might need to meet your goals. I usually agree a block of sessions with the opportunity to extend if appropriate.
Therapy: What does therapy involve?
My aim for therapy is to help you develop an understanding of what is contributing and maintaining your current difficulties - this often involves understanding the vicious cycles we are stuck in. While therapy will tend to focus on your difficulties in the present moment, we will make links to the past to understand how patterns could have developed. We will agree tasks to do between sessions to develop strategies to manage your difficulties and break out of the vicious cycles we are stuck in.
Therapy practicalities
Sessions will last 50-minutes and most often take place on a weekly basis. I currently offer remote sessions or face-to-face sessions in Clapham North, London.
Payment for sessions
You can pay by bank transfer at least 2 days prior to an appointment or you can pay me cash at the end of face-to-face sessions.
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 more than 48 hours notice – no fee
- Cancelled with less than 48 hours notice - fee for the full session due
