DR JESS RAYNER
CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGIST
THERAPY APPROACHES
I work with a range of different therapy approaches which I often integrate. Every person is unique in what they bring to work on in therapy, so we will discuss what sort of therapy might be most useful during our initial session/s.
EMDR
When we experience traumatic or distressing events, our minds and bodies can sometimes hold onto those experiences long after they have passed. They can continue to effect us in the here and now.
EMDR is a well-established, evidence-based therapy, recommended by leading health organisations for trauma and other difficult experiences. It helps your brain process distressing memories so they can feel less overwhelming and more firmly in the past.
Using gentle bilateral stimulation, EMDR supports your brain’s natural processing system while you safely work through difficult experiences. Over time, this can reduce the intensity of distressing thoughts, emotions and body sensations.
You won’t forget what happened. Instead, EMDR can help change the way the memory feels, including the beliefs you may have developed about yourself, such as feeling that you’re not good enough, unworthy, or a burden. It can help you feel more in control and less affected by the past.
EMDR can be particularly helpful for trauma, and can also support people experiencing anxiety, grief, chronic pain and phobias. Trauma can look different for everyone. It may come from abuse, neglect or a frightening event, but it can also develop through repeated experiences such as criticism, bullying, difficult relationships or unmet emotional needs.
ACCEPTANCE & COMMITMENT THERAPY
This approach recognises how easily we can lose sight of what truly matters when difficult thoughts and emotions take over. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) helps you manage these experiences without letting them dictate your actions. Through mindfulness, acceptance and taking action, ACT encourages you to observe your thoughts and feelings without being controlled by them, allowing you to focus on doing things that are important to you. This empowers you to take meaningful steps toward a more authentic and fulfilling life, even in the face of challenges.
COMPASSION FOCUSED THERAPY
Many of us have an inner critic that tells us we are not good enough, worries about what others think, or leaves us feeling anxious, ashamed, lacking confidence or down on ourselves.
We can find ourselves stuck on high alert, leaving us worried, tense or on edge. For others, it can feel more like shutting down, losing motivation or feeling low.
CFT helps us understand these patterns and develop a kinder relationship with ourselves. Through mindfulness, breathing, visualisation and compassion practices, we learn to reduce difficult thoughts and feelings, soothe the nervous system, and feel calmer and more confident.
The benefits of compassion are not new. Valued across cultures for centuries, there is now growing evidence from psychology and neuroscience supporting its benefits for our wellbeing.
COGNITIVE BEHAVIOURAL THERAPY
CBT explores how our thoughts, feelings, behaviours and physical sensations are connected, and how these patterns can sometimes keep difficulties going.
It can help you understand your experiences and develop practical skills to manage difficult thoughts and feelings, and make changes to patterns of behaviour.
I am trained in CBT and draw on it alongside other approaches, depending on what feels most helpful.