Samantha Mair
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This professional is available for new clients.
This professional is available for new clients.
About me
I am delighted to welcome you to my page! If you’ve arrived here, this tells me that for one reason or another you have been thinking about giving some extra care to yourself, and I’d love to be the therapist who helps you on this journey.
My Approach
I am a qualified and BABCP accredited Cognitive Behavioural Psychotherapist, and I run a digital private practise within the UK. At the moment I offer therapy via video-call. This works well for clients who have busy lifestyles and find it tricky to set aside time for self care, or those who prefer to attend therapy flexibly from their own environment.
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) is a form of talking therapy. It helps people to understand the links between their thoughts, feelings and behaviour, and offers a new way of understanding emotional problems. CBT has a very clear evidence base, and is recommended as first line treatment for many common mental health problems. The type of therapy I offer has been proven to work really well, and this means that there is a really good chance that you will recover from your difficulties, and within a short timeframe too.
I want to help you to get your life on track, break out of unhelpful patterns of behaviour, process difficult events / memories, and help you find meaning and satisfaction in life. Increasing your self awareness is the first step to understanding more about the problems you are encountering, so this is usually our starting point. I am interested in helping my clients to achieve a complete sense of well-being, so I include an exploration of your physical, mental, and spiritual health during our assessment at the beginning of therapy.
I have a particular interest in polyvagal theory, somatic (body-based) approaches and self-state processes, and compliment my practise with these therapeutic perspectives. It might also be helpful to know that I consider myself a neurodiversity-affirming practitioner, and have lots of experience working with people who are neurodivergent and may require an approach that differs from standardised CBT. Additionally, I am very excited to be training in EMDR in early 2025, which I hope will enhance my skillset in treating trauma.
How does therapy work?
During an initial consultation we will discuss what it is that you really want to get out of the whole thing, and we will start to think collaboratively about how we might tackle the problem that has brought you along. This might be a difficult relationship, or a work related problem. It could be that you feel you set your standards too high, or you feel dissatisfied and disappointed with yourself and/or others. Maybe your self-esteem or confidence is lacking, and this is having a big impact on the quality of your life by getting in the way of reaching your goals. Perhaps you are struggling with more significant clinical symptoms such as depression, OCD, or trauma. Some people aren’t quite sure what’s going on for them, but something just doesn’t feel right.
I can offer a safe and non-judgmental space that exists solely for you, to explore what it is that’s causing difficulty for you. We will go on to explore how your personal experiences impact on you in the here and now, making sense of how your current challenges developed in the first place. Once we have developed this picture, most of my clients gain a sense of understanding what it is that they need to work on changing in their lives that will help them get closer to living the rich and meaningful life they’ve been seeking. CBT is about learning new skills and ways of being to help you manage challenges, break free from pain and suffering, and live your best life. We can compliment this with the knowledge and understanding of alternative approaches that I have a special interest in, and develop a treatment plan that is really unique to your needs.
Training, qualifications & experience
I am an experienced therapist who has worked with both adults and young people across a range of different services/contexts, ranging from working with people who are experiencing serious enduring mental illness to people who are looking for a “lighter touch” approach for personal development. I will tailor your treatment package based on your individual needs.
I have worked successfully with a diverse group of clients from many cultural and socioeconomic backgrounds. My history includes working as a specialist autism practitioner, and I currently have a role within the BABCP Neurodiversity Special Interest Group committee, who are dedicated to making sure neurodivergent people are considered at all levels of the CBT therapy process including those who are training as practitioners and those accessing services.
I work with a wide variety of problems and mental health issues using evidence-based therapeutic interventions, including: depression, anxiety, OCD, PTSD and complex trauma, dysregulated mood / nervous system problems, anger, grief, and interpersonal problems.
Qualifications:
- Diploma in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (2013-2015)
- Certificate in Counselling Skills (2012-2014)
- BSc with Honours in Psychology (2008-2012)
BABCP Accredited
Member organisations
The BABCP is the lead organisation for Cognitive Behavioural Therapy in the UK. Membership is open to anyone with an interest in the practice, theory or development of CBT. BABCP also provides accreditation for CBT therapists. BABCP accredited members adhere to the Standards of Conduct, Performance and Ethics in the Practice of Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapies, and are willing to be scrutinised in this adherence as required.
Accredited register membership
The Accredited Register Scheme was set up in 2013 by the Department of Health (DoH) as a way to recognise organisations that hold voluntary registers which meet certain standards. These standards are set by the Professional Standards Authority (PSA).
This therapist has indicated that they belong to an Accredited Register.
Areas of counselling I deal with
Other areas of counselling I deal with
Complex PTSD
Childhood Trauma
Religious Trauma
Family / Relationship issues
Exam stress
Therapies offered
Photos & videos
Fees
£75.00 per session
Free initial telephone session
Concessions offered for
Additional information
Initial consultation (15 minutes) FREE
Initial full assessment (60 minutes) £75
Individual therapy session (50 minutes) £75
I may be able to offer reduced fees due to the current economic climate that affects us all, please enquire.
When I work
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I can offer accessible meeting times based on matched availability. Ask me about special requests.
Digital therapy offers ultimate flexibility; attend sessions from any private space.
Further information
I am formally trained to practise as a Cognitive Behavioural Psychotherapist. I have membership with regulatory bodies, both in the UK and Ireland. This tends to offer my clients reassurance that I am qualified to the highest of standards, that I have extensive clinical experience which has been closely monitored and supervised, and that I work within an ethical framework that focuses on your best interests at all times. What this means for you is that I only have a vested interest in you getting better, whatever that means to you!
Compliant with GDPR regulations.
Up to date with national policy.
Holds professional indemnity insurance.
Health and safety trained.
Experienced in managing risk and Safeguarding procedures.
