Dr Rich Jenkinson

Do you ever present a strong front to the world, while secretly feeling not good enough in some way? Part of you may wish to be your authentic self, whilst another part fears the consequences of letting your guard down. Perhaps you’ve spent so long masking that you’ve even lost sight of who you truly are.

You might be grappling with self-esteem issues, dissatisfaction with your appearance, or a general unhappiness with your life, burdened by feelings of guilt, regret, or frustration. It's possible that you're caught up in the past, the future, or are suffering due to a tendency to critique every action you take in an unforgiving manner. Does everything seem somewhat dull at times? You could be spending a lot of time in your thoughts, and you've probably developed methods to shield yourself or manage these feelings, which might be backfiring in ways you didn't anticipate. Understandably, you might yearn for a life filled with joy, connection, optimism, and purpose once more.

If this message strikes a chord with you, I encourage you to reach out. I aim to offer a nurturing and empathetic environment, promoting a sense of security, mutual-respect and support. By working together, we can explore your challenges and guide you towards a state of improved well-being and achievement of your aspirations. While I cannot promise the superficial happiness often portrayed on social media, I am committed to assisting you in discovering genuine serenity and fulfilment once again.

In my role as a clinical psychologist, I have the privilege of utilising a variety of evidence-backed therapeutic interventions and psychological strategies. Together, we will identify the most fitting approach tailored to your unique situation, guided by a mutual understanding of the factors contributing to your difficulties. We will proceed at a pace that you find comfortable, ensuring that we achieve progress together.

Specialisations:

• Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT): A very popular (and heavily evidence-based) approach, used to help clients identify and change negative thinking patterns and behaviours. I am trained in multiple types of CBT, including Enhanced CBT for Eating Disorders (CBT-E) and Trauma-Focussed CBT (TF-CBT).
• Compassion Focused Therapy (CFT): CFT is one of favourite models and it’s really helpful when there’s low self-esteem, shame or self-criticism in the mix (as clients with these difficulties typically report they can change thoughts using CBT strategies but that they don’t feel any different from doing so). CFT encourages a kinder, more compassionate relationship with oneself and is grounded in evolution theory and neuroscience.
• Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT): ACT includes mindfulness and values work to help clients live a more meaningful and rewarding life. People learn to step back from their thoughts so that they have less power over them. I love using ACT to help people connect with themselves on a much deeper level than the relentless mental commentary that characterises most of our minds.
• Systemic Approaches: I am trained in Family-Based Treatment and Family Therapy for Anorexia Nervosa. These approaches can be particularly useful for teenagers and young adults with eating disorders who, understandably, often struggle to find the motivation to make changes independently.
• Person-Centred Counselling: A non-directive style of therapy in which the therapist offers the client empathy, congruence and unconditional positive regard. Rather than trying to fix someone’s problems, the person-centred therapist recognises that the person in front of them already has everything they’ll ever need and, by helping them nurture the right conditions for change, healing often happens organically.
• Integrated Therapy: A combination of the approaches above that’s guided by a person’s formulation (a shared understanding between the therapist and the client of how the difficulties arose and the factors maintaining them). Clinical Psychologists are one of the few professions trained in working in this way (as approaches need to be fused carefully to ensure they complement each other).

I am registered with insurance companies including BUPA, WPA, Vitality Health, Axa and Aviva.