Dr Matthew Rosen-Marsh

I am a Clinical Psychologist who has worked in the NHS for twelve years. I have experience working with a range of problems including, depression, anxiety, complex trauma, psychosis, stress and bipolar disorder. I have worked with children, adults, older people and people with learning disabilities both individually and in groups.

As a Clinical Psychologist I am trained to integrate and apply different therapeutic models to meet the needs of the individual. That might include elements from Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, Compassion Focused Therapy, Psychodynamic and Narrative approaches amongst others. I am drawn in particular to Compassion Focused Therapy (CFT), this is a system of psychotherapy  that integrates techniques from cognitive behavioural therapy with concepts from evolutionary psychology, social psychology, developmental psychology and neuroscience. One of its key concerns is to to help people develop the ability to self soothe and feel safeness. This year I trained to become an accredited EMDR Therapist and have integrated a focus on trauma into my approach.

As Eleanor Longden says: 'The important question isn’t “what’s wrong with you?” but “what happened to you?” I often say to clients that I am a cross between a student and a detective. I am a student because you are going to be teaching me about your life and I will ask lots of questions! I am a detective in that I am trying to piece together the reasons for why things happened the way they did. Through developing such an understanding I can create a psychological intervention which is best tailored to your needs.

​​One thing I always do is to take a comprehensive history of a client. In effect we will be writing your autobiography. Just the act of telling your story can be very therapeutic.  Evidence shows that the therapy is most effective therapy when client feedback is asked for and I may do this verbally or through simple feedback sheets.

I often refer clients to books or concepts that that might help them understand their situation better. Recently I have recommended 'Educated' by (Westove) to a client who was physically abused by her brother and 'King, Warrior, Magician, Lover (Moore & Gillette) to a client who wanted to explore his masculinity.

From Jan 2024 £120 per session and £160 for an hour and a half assessment

Before we meet for the first time we will have a telephone conversation when I can find out a little about you and this is a chance for both of us to decide whether we are the right fit. We would then arrange a regular day and time to meet. Normally I work once a week with people but it might also be possible to meet more often. In our first session we would go over important practicalities such confidentiality and how I keep my notes secure. I do not offer fortnightly sessions to starting clients.

The first few sessions are a chance for me to take a full history and develop a 'formulation' - this is a framework that psychologists use to understand the client and make connections as to when, why and how things have happened. Through doing so I can then tailor an intervention to which is focused and effective.