Dr May Sarsam
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This professional is available for new clients.
This professional is available for new clients.
About me
Hi, I'm May.
After 20 years in the NHS, I now work privately as a Specialist Consultant Clinical Psychologist in adult mental health, providing psychological therapy, executive coaching and clinical supervision. I am Liverpool based for my face to face sessions but can provide support nationally via Zoom, MS Teams or Google Meet.
Specialising in acute and community mental health services in the NHS, I have spent the last 10 years in senior clinical leadership roles alongside my ongoing clinical work. My specialist skills lie in supporting adults experiencing the impacts of anxiety, panic, depression, trauma / PTSD, paranoia, workplace stress, moral injury, burnout, OCD or combinations of the above. I am passionate about providing top quality, accessible, jargon-free, evidence-based psychological interventions, supporting my clients to overcome their difficulties and move forwards with their lives with confidence.
Please scroll down below for a more detailed explanation of my approaches. If you think I might be a good fit for you then please do contact me with some details of what you would like help with. The first step would be to arrange a free 20 minute initial telephone consultation. Following this, we can book in for an online appointment.
I look forward to hearing from you.
May
Dr May Sarsam - D Clin Psychol, HCPC, BABPC, EMDR UK, EMCC EQA.
Psychological Therapy with Dr May Sarsam:
Having experienced the therapy process myself (after I found myself struggling with anxiety and panic after the birth of my youngest), I know that deciding to embark on talking therapies can be daunting. It is normal to feel this way, and it is important that you feel comfortable with the person you sit down with. Taking this step can also be empowering and life changing. Just the fact that you are looking through this site now is an example of you beginning to take control of your wellbeing. You’ll be amazed what you can accomplish. It’s exciting!
Your time in therapy with me will be a safe, non-judgemental space, allowing you to explore, make links, express emotions and talk about the things that might be difficult to talk about in everyday life. I also believe that good therapy is a collaborative process. It invites you, in your own time, to take an active role in the process of change. It will hopefully inspire you to recognise and utilise your own unique strengths and skills along the way. There might be challenges and unexpected hard bits (in my experience life tends to throw everything at you just when you’re already struggling) but we will tackle those together. The therapy I provide draws on very well established psychological models with a strong evidence base, so it is likely that you will see some benefit even if you feel your problems are complex.
I am qualified to provide Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, Cognitive Analytic Therapy, EMDR, Compassion Focused Therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, and psychodynamic models and hold Advanced Practitioner status for most of these. I tend to work ‘integratively’ – that is – I draw from different models as required to fit the needs of each individual client. However, some clients come with a preference for one approach or another, which is also absolutely fine. I am proud to say I am very successful in my work and it brings me great pleasure to play a part in someone’s recovery journey.
Flexibility of Face to Face or Online Working:
My most recent NHS role involved designing and leading a regional service to support health, social care and emergency services staff with their mental health during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. As a result, I began (as a novice) to explore the merits of online therapeutic approaches. What I found was that not only was this just as effective as face to face therapy in the majority of cases, but that it had many unexpected benefits, particularly for busy clients who sometimes struggled to find the time to prioritise travelling to attend sessions. Part of our initial telephone discussion would be to assess whether this approach would be suitable for you in terms of confidentiality, psychological safety, risk management and individual needs.
Training, qualifications & experience
Current position: Private Practice (March 2024 - current)
Most recent previous positions:
Consultant Service Lead for Cheshire and Merseyside Resilience Hub, NHS England, leading a regional multidisciplinary team working with health, social care and emergency service colleagues experiencing mental distress. Dec 2020 - Mar 2024.
Consultant Clinical Lead for Acute Care Services in Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust, leading psychology colleagues working with adult inpatients experiencing severe and complex mental health difficulties. Oct 2012 - Dec 2020.
18 years post-qualification experience with adults of working age with mental health difficulties from recent onset to very long held problems, at all levels of severity.
- HCPC registered practitioner psychologist.
- Member of British Association of Behavioural Cognitive Psychotherapists (BABCP)
- EMDR advanced practitioner, EMDR UK, 2017.
- EMCC EQA Award Workplace Coaching, 2023.
- Compassion Focussed Therapy advanced practitioner, Compassionate Mind 2014.
- CBT advanced training, BABCP 2012.
- Acceptance and Commitment Therapy accredited practitioner, 2019.
- Doctorate of Clinical Psychology, University of Liverpool, 2006.
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.
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
Fees
£135.00 per session
Free initial telephone or online session
Health Insurance/EAP
When I work
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