Dr Sophie Ann Clifton
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This professional is accepting new clients but may have a waitlist. Please enquire with them directly to discuss availability.
This professional is accepting new clients but may have a waitlist. Please enquire with them directly to discuss availability.
About me
Hello, I'm Dr Sophie Ann Clifton, a HCPC-registered Chartered Clinical Psychologist and EMDR Therapist, with extensive academic and clinical experience in the field of psychology.
I offer online (UK-wide) and in-person (Brighton & Hove) psychological assessment and therapy sessions to individuals from a variety of backgrounds, experiencing a broad range of mental health difficulties.
These include depression, anxiety, social anxiety, panic disorder, phobias, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), workplace stress, attachment and relationship difficulties.
I believe in taking a genuine empathic and non-judgmental approach to others, which contributes to the building of positive, trusting relationships that are central to therapy. I also believe each person, and their difficulties, deserves a psychological approach tailored to their own, personal experience and preferences.
So I take an eclectic approach to therapy, drawing on multiple psychological theories - cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT), acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), eye movement desensitisation and reprocessing (EMDR), compassion-focused therapy (CFT), cognitive analytic therapy (CAT), dialectic-behavioural therapy (DBT), and psychodynamic/relational approaches - to build an individualised and holistic approach, empowering each individual to embark on recovery and achieve their therapeutic goals.
I also believe joy, fun and laughter to be fantastic remedies for distress, encouraging those I work with to inject this back into their lives! As a practising Buddhist, I also enjoys drawing on relaxation, meditation, imagery and mindfulness techniques in therapy, where appropriate.
Outside of psychological work, I have experience working as a Buddhist Chaplain in prison settings, leading study groups and meditation sessions with prisoners, creating safe and calm spaces for the exploration of personal values and spirituality. In my spare time, I like to meditate, keep fit, spend time with friends and bake them vegan delights.
Training, qualifications & experience
Sophie has over a decade of academic and clinical experience in the field of psychology.
2010: Psychology BSc University of Birmingham (1st class honours).
2013: Forensic Psychology MSc at the University of Surrey, working simultaneously as a Healthcare Support Worker in an inpatient psychiatric unit.
2014: Assistant Clinical Psychologist for NHS Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (2014).
2014-2016: Part of the Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) scheme, progressing from Trainee to Senior Psychological Wellbeing Practitioner (PWP). This included attaining PGCert in Evidence-Based Psychological Therapies (2015), while also delivering psychological interventions rooted in Cognitive-Behavioural Therapy (CBT) to a broad range of individuals. IAPT service lead for computer-based CBT interventions, working alongside physical healthcare teams, treating individuals with weight management difficulties and long-term health conditions, such as Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD). Simultaneously provided supervision and line management to junior PWPs.
2017-2020: Coventry and Warwickshire Doctorate in Clinical Psychology (DClinPsych).
2022-2023: EMDR training to become a qualified EMDR Therapist, through the EMDR Academy.
Member organisations
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
Therapies offered
Photos & videos
Fees
£100.00 - £120.00
Free initial telephone session
Concessions offered for
Health Insurance/EAP
Additional information
Fees (online & in-person):
Initial assessments (50 minutes): £120.
Follow-up/ongoing therapy sessions (50 minutes): £100
Also a recognised practitioner of insurers BUPA, AXA, Aviva, WPA and others.
Concessions negotiable.
When I work
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Please contact me for further details on availability.
