Private CBT Referrals
Curian Medical Ltd is delighted to be able to offer a private counselling and therapy service to the general public, with no waiting lists or referrals required. We are an established and reputable provider of high-quality psychological interventions in the commercial and private health sectors. We are excited now to be able to bring our extensive skills and expertise to a much wider client base. Therefore, if you are looking for counselling or psychological therapy for yourself or a family member, let us help you find the best approach for you.
We have a wide network of therapists including Counsellors and Integrative Therapists, Psychologists, CBT Therapists, and EMDR Therapists. Our extensive network, range of therapists, and expertise means that we are able to select the best therapist and treatment approach to suit your needs. Our therapy services can be delivered in a variety of formats, from face-to-face (in-person) settings to remote (video or phone) options. This enables you to have greater choice and flexibility in terms of how you receive your therapy, in the way that best suits your needs.
More and more people are aware now of the need to foster and protect our mental health, just like we do for our physical health, and therapy or counselling can be part of that. Private therapy is now becoming even more accessible to all. We know the NHS can be overstretched and this means long waiting times and sometimes only a limited number of sessions are offered and for a specific ‘issue’. At Curian, we can offer immediate support, with no constraints on the number of sessions you might want or need at a very affordable cost. We will also provide you with a high standard of customer care, supported by our dedicated, in-house admin/support team.
Clinical Lead
Our therapy service is led by, Gemma Holmes, an HCPC Registered and Chartered Psychologist. Gemma is our National Clinical Lead for Psychology and Psychotherapy Services. Gemma is also a BABCP Accredited Cognitive Behavioural Psychotherapist and a qualified EMDR Therapist and a member of EMDR UK & Ireland. Gemma is an experienced Clinical Supervisor, having held various supervisory roles during her career. She has completed the Advanced Professional Practice Certificate in the Supervision of Counsellors and Psychotherapists at Strathclyde University and is registered with the British Psychological Society as a RAPPS Accredited Clinical Supervisor. Gemma is also on the BPS Register of Psychologists Specialising in Psychotherapy (ROPSIP).
In-House CBT Therapist
Our in-house therapist, Laura Gwilt, holds an undergraduate degree in Psychology and Counselling Studies and a Post Graduate Diploma in High-Intensity CBT. Laura is provisionally Accredited with the BABCP. Laura is a warm and knowledgeable cognitive behavioural therapist who has over 10 years of experience in IAPT, private therapy organisations, occupational health, and inpatient care. Laura has offered her expertise to many voluntary organisations throughout her career, enabling Laura to work with a diverse range of individuals. After completing undergraduate training from a Birmingham university, Laura worked as an Occupational Therapist assistant within hospital settings and began working with individuals living with eating disorders and complex trauma. Laura is experienced in the assessment and treatment of social anxiety, depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, panic disorder, and health anxiety. Laura is an integrative therapist, combining several models of counselling to fit the needs of each client. Laura has worked in a diverse range of settings, including NHS, Occupational Health, Addiction Services, Domestic Violence, and Inpatient Care.
Our Network
We have a nationwide network of therapists who support our in-house clinical team in providing therapy. All of our therapists are accredited and fully insured to practice, with an abundance of experience in delivering private treatment, in a convenient location to our clients.
Counselling
What is it?
Counselling is a type of talking therapy that can help individuals find ways to cope with emotional difficulties. Counselling allows individuals to discuss their worries and concerns in a supportive and non-judgemental environment, alongside a trained counsellor. A counsellor can support you in developing a deeper understanding of how you feel, whilst supporting you in finding ways of coping and finding solutions when things are difficult.
Some individuals find that they attend counselling throughout their life span, others may find benefit in having a set number of sessions and returning to counselling if needed in the future.
What is it helpful for?
Everyone’s experience of counselling is different. Your counsellor will introduce you to techniques and ways of coping that are tailored to support you and suit your needs. Counselling can help with many difficulties ranging from anxiety to bereavement and is often offered to individuals with specific mental health difficulties. However, you don’t need to have a diagnosed mental health concern, or a ‘specific problem’ to benefit from counselling.
Counselling can help with mental health difficulties such as:
- Mental health difficulties, such as anxiety, addiction, depression, or low mood.
- Eating disorders such as Anorexia, Bulimia, and Binge-Eating Disorder.
- Difficult life events, such as work-related stress, loss, and bereavement.
- Troubling emotions such as low self-esteem, anger, and aggression.
- Difficulties with self-harm and suicidal thoughts.
- Long-term health conditions.
- Other issues, such as sexual identity.
What to expect?
In your first counselling session, you and your counsellor will spend some time discussing some of the difficulties you have been experiencing and can be a great opportunity for you to ask any questions you may have. A counsellor will often explain the practical details, such as session length and frequency, during this first session. Depending on the difficulties you have been facing, it’s recommended that counselling sessions take place on a weekly basis and last between 45-60 minutes. A counsellor may suggest that you see them more often if they think it will benefit you.
Suitability?
Counselling can be provided in many ways. Not only is counselling effective on a one-to-one basis, but counselling has also been clinically proven to help families, couples and groups of individuals experiencing similar difficulties. Counselling also works as well for both children and young people as it does for adults and older adults.
Cognitive Behaviorual Therapy (CBT)
What is CBT?
Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) is a talking therapy that, by improving the way you think and feel, aims to help you in managing your problems. CBT is based on the premise that your thoughts, emotions, physical sensations, and behaviours are interconnected. You may be experiencing negative thoughts which have an impact on how you feel. Often our emotions can cause us to respond and behave in certain ways that maintain negative thinking patterns. When this happens, you may like you’re caught in a vicious circle of negative thoughts and feelings. CBT works to help you cope with daunting challenges, overwhelming experiences, and altering negative thinking patterns in a constructive way.
You and your therapist will work collaboratively to help you gain control of your thoughts by challenging negative assumptions you may about yourself or those around you. CBT is tailored to the individual receiving treatment and you and your therapist will work closely in finding out what works best for you in managing your thoughts and feelings. Where suitable, CBT can also be effective in facing phobias, fears, and anxiety in specific environments.
What is it helpful for?
It has been shown that CBT is an effective way to treat a range of different mental health problems. Besides depression and anxiety disorders, CBT may also benefit individuals with:
- Bipolar disorder.
- Borderline personality disorder.
- Attention Deficit Disorder and Autism Spectrum Disorder.
- eating disorders – such as anorexia and bulimia.
- Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD).
- Panic Disorder.
- Phobias.
- Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).
- Psychosis.
- Schizophrenia.
- sleep problems – such as Insomnia.
- problems related to alcohol and substance misuse.
If CBT is appropriate for you, therapy sessions usually take place once a week or once every 2 weeks. The course of treatment typically lasts between 5 and 20 hours, with a time frame of thirty to sixty minutes per session. You will work with your therapist during the sessions to break down your concerns into their distinct elements, such as your thoughts, emotions, physical feelings, and behaviours.
To find out whether they are unrealistic or unhelpful, and to assess the impact they have on each other and on you, you and your therapist will explore these areas in further depth. Your therapist will then be able to help you map out how unhelpful thoughts and habits can be modified. Your therapist will ask you to practice these changes in your everyday life after you have found out what you can do, and you can explore how you got there at the next session.
Suitability?
CBT is not only effective for adults but is also widely provided to children, young people and adolescents.
Effectiveness?
CBT alone is 50-75% effective for overcoming depression and anxiety after 5 – 15 modules.
63% of young people experienced significant improvements in anxiety conditions following CBT.
Eye Movement Desensitisation Reprocessing (EMDR)
What is EMDR?
EMDR therapy can help you in recovering from the psychological effects of trauma Trauma is described as something that has happened and continues to affect you today. EMDR is a clinically proven treatment that aims to enable you in processing and resolving any difficulties resulting from trauma, to psychological wellbeing.
To process and resolve difficulties resulting from trauma or other obstacles to psychological wellbeing in the care of a professional, competent therapist.
How Does it Work?
In a similar way to how a librarian stores books, our brains store recollections. In an appropriate location, they are catalogued and filed. Some experiences are so overwhelming, like an accident, tragedy, crime, or harassment, that our memories are not adequately stored; they remain unprocessed and are not filed away. This means that they are easily obtainable and triggered and the painful memory can be activated by more items, allowing it to repeat itself. This means that people continue to relive the distress they’ve experienced.
During sleep, particularly during rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, the mind can often process everyday emotional experiences and repair itself naturally. This normal process of healing will not always take place after a traumatic incident or occurrence occurs. EMDR is a therapeutic way to cope with the thoughts and feelings we have held on to. The memory is often described by individuals who have completed EMDR as less painful or severe.
How does it work/What to expect?
Your therapist will ask you to reflect on a specific event once EMDR is an appropriate therapy for you. The aim will be to pay attention to the negative images, beliefs, and physical feelings associated with this event, with the goal that more positive beliefs will be generated.
The therapist will begin sets of side-to-side eye movements, sounds, or taps while the client is concentrating on the troubling event. After each sequence, the client will be directed to notice what comes to mind. It is common for clients to experience changes in perspective images, emotions, or beliefs about the incident.
Suitability?
EMDR therapy is just as effective with children and young people as it is with adults. EMDR is a challenging yet beneficial process, requiring you to be willing and engaged throughout treatment.
What can it treat?
EMDR is not only effective in treating Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and other difficult obstacles you may have faced. You may also find EMDR helpful if you have:
- Difficulties with addiction or substance misuse.
- Difficult emotions arising from your childhood.
- Mental health conditions such as, anxiety, depression, eating disorders, and panic.
- Troubling emotions such as low self-esteem and anger.