Dr Sarah Crowley

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DClinPsych, BSc
Available for new clients
Available for new clients

This professional is available for new clients.

London EC2M & NW8
Available for new clients
Available for new clients

This professional is available for new clients.

About me

Welcome!

I understand that looking for a therapist can feel bit overwhelming and confusing. I hope the information below 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 Avenue Therapies by email (therapy@avenuetherapies.com) or phone (020 7112 8834).

About me

The first thing to say is that I am a Clinical Psychologist, registered with the Health Care Professions Council (HCPC). As a Clinical Psychologist I am trained to 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 by selecting aspects of therapy models that will be most helpful to you. If you want to find out more, I have written a little about how a Clinical Psychologist is different from a Counsellor, Psychotherapist and Psychiatrist below.

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. I have written more about the psychological models I work with below.

I value the role of the therapeutic relationship in enabling, mobilising and empowering people to move towards their full potential. The therapeutic relationship offers a collaborative space to explore and understand current difficulties from which change and new ways of being can grow. My intention as a therapist is to facilitate understanding and change that will ultimately enable the client to leave the therapeutic relationship and continue on their journey through life in their valued direction.

I am also part of Avenue Therapies, a community practice of highly experienced and qualified Psychologists and Psychological Therapists. We offer clinics over a variety of locations. For more details please visit http://www.avenuetherapies.com. Many of the team have attended advanced level training and have particular specialisms so, although I may not be an expert in the area you would like support with, it is likely someone within our team is. We offer a variety of different therapeutic approaches including Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT), Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing (EMDR), Schema Therapy, Cognitive Analytic Therapy (CAT), Compassion Focused Therapy (CFT), Psychodynamic Therapy, Mindfulness-Based Therapy and Systemic approaches. Was also have Occupational Therapy services and close links to local Psychiatric colleagues. All of the team at Avenue Therapies work in accordance with the guidance set by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE).

My Experience

I have worked in the NHS for over 9 years supporting adults of all ages and adolescents to explore and develop their psychological wellbeing.

I have experience working in a range of settings and with a broad range of difficulties such as, anxiety, stress, depression, relationship difficulties, low self-esteem, OCD, bereavement and early life traumas.

In my current role in the NHS, I work in a primary care service supporting people to overcome mild to moderate anxiety and depression and I have a specialist interest in supporting parents with difficulties in relation to conception, pregnancy, birth and beyond.

My Values

I value the importance of the therapeutic relationship and focus on creating a warm, safe and trusting environment where people are able to explore their difficulties and feel supported. My aim is to help people develop an understanding of their difficulties in a way that generates new perspectives and possibilities for change that feel personal and meaningful. I have respect for people’s individuality and always aim to work collaboratively to help people build on their own unique strengths and resources.

The models I work with

In my therapeutic work, I use Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Psychodynamic therapy, Mindfulness, Behavioural Activation, Schema therapy, Solution-Focused Therapy (SFT) and Systemic therapy to inform my approach. The model that we choose to work with together will depend on what you are hoping to gain from therapy and the type of difficulties you are experiencing. I always aim to provide a tailored approach and I can work flexibly to either use models in their ‘pure’ form or to integrate different models and techniques, depending on a person’s individual needs.

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 and I 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 be 50-55 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.

How is a Clinical Psychologist different?

Clinical Psychologists train to a doctoral level in a range of therapeutic models which allows them to tailor therapy. Formulation is a particular skill of Clinical Psychologists for making sense of individual difficulties and needs and tailoring therapy from different models to the person. 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.

Training, qualifications & experience

  • Professional Doctorate in Clinical Psychology - University of East London, 2014
  • BSc Psychology, University of Kent, 2007
  • Applications of Attachment Theory to Psychotherapy, Confer, 2016
  • The Nature of Trauma and Dissociation, Confer, 2016
  • Schema-Focused Cognitive Therapy, Oxford Cognitive Therapy Centre, 2015
  • Psychology and Health Conditions, East London NHS Foundation Trust, 2015
  • Working with Post Natal Depression, East London NHS Foundation Trust, 2015
  • Service User Experiences of Postpartum Psychosis, Barnet, Enfield and Haringey NHS Trust, 2015
  • Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (3 months), University of Hertfordshire, 2011

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

We also have therapists who specialise in supporting people to live with chronic health conditions such as asthma, diabetes, IBS, chronic pain, cancer, obesity, MS, ME/CFS and others. Do get in touch to know more and see if we can help.

Fees

£100.00 - £130.00

Concessions offered for

  • Low income
  • Students
  • Trainee counsellors
  • Refugees

Health Insurance/EAP

  • Aviva
  • Axa Health
  • BUPA
  • Vitality
  • WPA

Additional information

We provide a bespoke service that is designed to meet the needs of you, the individual, our charges vary depending on the nature of the assessment and any subsequent treatment. For an hour therapy session our fees are £100 with a psychological therapist (eg CBT, CAT or EMDR therapist) and £130 with a Clinical or Counselling Psychologist.  Some of our therapist do offer concessions and we also have Trainee Clinical Psychologists and Trainee CBT therapists working with us. They are completing training with time at University and time on placement seeing clients with close supervision. Whilst they are in training, their fees are reduced, so do get in touch if this is something you would like to know more about. We are always happy to discuss costs with you and are committed to try to make Clinical Psychology and psychological therapy as accessible as possible.

I work as part of a practice called Avenue Therapies where you can call to speak to our admin team on (020 7112 8834) or alternatively you can contact me directly on my email: therapy@avenuetherapies.com. You can also view further information at www.avenuetherapies.com.

I look forward to hearing from you.

When I work

Daytime, evening and weekends. Whilst I currently only work virtually, I work alongside other practitioners who offer in-person sessions and at other times and days.

Further information

As I mentioned above, I work as part of a larger practice called Avenue Therapies. This is great as we have a range of therapists to suit many different difficulties and can often be more flexible to when you want to be seen.

We also offer Autism assessments, diagnosis and support (http://www.avenuetherapies.com/autism-assessment) for adults and children.

London, Greater London, NW8

Type of session

Online
Phone

Types of client

Young people
Adults
Couples
Families

Key details

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.

Dr Sarah Crowley
Dr Sarah Crowley