Dr Robyn O'Connell

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Pronoun: she
Limited availability
Limited availability

This professional is accepting new clients but may have a waitlist. Please enquire with them directly to discuss availability.

Banstead SM7 & St. Albans AL1
Limited availability
Limited availability

This professional is accepting new clients but may have a waitlist. Please enquire with them directly to discuss availability.

About me

Hello, pleased to meet you.  I am a Chartered Clinical Psychologist, registered with the Health Care Professions Council (HCPC). As a Chartered Clinical Psychologist, I am trained to a doctoral level to deliver researched and evidence-based therapy from a variety of therapeutic models. This allows me to tailor therapy to your individual needs.

Who I work with

I currently provide online talking therapy to adults via Zoom.

Together with my team, I also provide autism assessments for children, young people, and adults. These assessments are usually completed face to face either in Banstead, Surrey, or St Albans, Hertfordshire. If you are interested in pursuing an autism assessment for you or a family member, please contact me at robyn@mindtomindtherapies.co.uk to arrange a free telephone consultation.

My Values

At the core of my approach is holding the people I work with in mind with compassion and kindness. I provide a safe, confidential space, where people are met with warmth and understanding. I think it’s important to understand clients within their wider social and cultural context. I work collaboratively with clients, empowering them to identify and achieve their goals and develop lifelong skills to carry with them long after therapy has finished. I am passionate about promoting wellness and a healthy mind-body connection.

What to expect from your therapy sessions

I work to provide a safe, contained and confidential space on a weekly basis in which you can share the difficulties you want to work on, at a pace, you feel comfortable, so we can work together towards understanding and change in the direction of your values.

The first session is the assessment where we will explore what you have come to therapy for, what you have tried in the past, what helped and what didn't help. At the end of this session, I will try and make some recommendations around what may be most helpful for you. Following our meeting, I'll summarise our conversation in a letter which I will email to you.

After the assessment session, the sessions will last approximately 50-60 minutes. Each person I work with is very different so it is difficult to predict how many sessions will be needed. From a personal therapeutic perspective, my aim is only to work with a person for as long as it is helpful and to empower the person to leave therapy with the skills they need.

Taking the next steps

Looking for a therapist can feel a bit overwhelming and confusing. I hope the information above will help to answer some of your questions but if you would like to know more, please contact me in confidence via our team at Mind to Mind by email and we will do our best to get you the help you need.

How is a Clinical Psychologist different?

Clinical Psychologists train to a doctoral level in a range of therapies, including CBT and EMDR.  This allows us to tailor therapy to your specific needs. A particular skill for Clinical Psychologists is our training in understanding what is going on for you and why. By being aware of why we are struggling, we can then make steps to overcome those difficulties. Counsellors and Psychotherapists are also qualified therapeutic practitioners but are generally trained in one therapeutic model and not to doctoral level. Psychiatrists are also doctors but they work with people experiencing mental health difficulties using medications to help manage these difficulties rather than talking therapies.

Why do people choose to have therapy?

People look into therapy for a variety of reasons including psychological, emotional, personal or relational difficulties. I am passionate about understanding each person as an individual and tailoring therapy to their unique needs. I have trained in a breadth of psychological models, which allows me to adapt therapy appropriately by selecting the aspects that will be most helpful to you.

Training, qualifications & experience

  • Professional Doctorate in Clinical Psychology, University of East London, 2009-2012
  • BSc Psychology (Hons), University of Nottingham, 2001-2004
  • EMDR Training (Richman EMDR Training), 2021
  • Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule 2 (ADOS-2), 2019
  • Dialectical Behavioural Therapy; Essential Skills, 2019
  • Therapeutic Assessment of Self-harm (using Cognitive Analytic Therapy); South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, 2016
  • Mindfulness Training; IOPPN, 2014.
  • CBT for Children and Young People; Anna Freud Centre, 2012.
  • The Development of Psychoanalytic Theory; The Tavistock Centre, 2011-2012.
  • Professional Registration
  • Practitioner Psychologist; Health Professionals Council. Registration number: PYL28735.
  • Chartered Status; British Psychological Society. Membership number: 492547.

Member organisations

Registered / Accredited

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.

HCPC
Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC)

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.

Other areas of counselling I deal with

Autism assessment.

Fees

£100.00 - £110.00

Health Insurance/EAP

  • Aviva
  • Axa Health
  • Vitality
  • BUPA

Additional information

Online therapy sessions for adults cost £100 per session and take place over Zoom. I am not currently offering face to face sessions, but please enquire if this is something you are pursuing, as my colleagues within Mind to Mind therapies may be able to meet your needs.

My team and I currently have availability for online and face to face autism assessments for adults and children. Please contact us directly to make an enquiry about this.

When I work

At Mind to Mind therapies we can usually offer days and times to suit most people. If I can't help, one of my colleagues will be able to.

Further information

I work as part of a small team called Mind to Mind Therapies. We have a range of therapists to suit many different difficulties, and so if I don't have availability, one of my colleagues may be able to help. We also offer autism assessment for children and adults.

Castle House, Park Road, Banstead, Surrey, SM7 3BT

St. Albans Rooms, 21 Victoria Street, St. Albans, Hertfordshire, AL1 3JJ

Type of session

Online

Types of client

Adults

Key details

DBS check

In England and Wales, the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS, formerly known as CRB) carry out criminal records checks for individuals working with vulnerable groups, such as children. To find out more, visit gov.uk , or contact this professional directly

Wheelchair user access
Wheelchair user access

Wheelchair-accessible premises should have step-free access for wheelchair users and individuals who are unable to climb stairs. If a Counsellor's premises aren't step-free, they may offer alternative services such as telephone/web-based appointments, home visits, or meeting clients in different location, so you can choose the option that suits you best.

You can contact the Counsellor to discuss the options available.

Under the Equality Act 2010 service providers have a duty to make reasonable adjustments to ensure that individuals with disabilities can access their service. You can read more about reasonable adjustments to help you to access services on the CAB website.

Online platforms

Zoom
Dr Robyn O'Connell
Dr Robyn O'Connell