Dr Amy Cantwell, HCPC Registered and Chartered Counselling Psychologist and Founder of CANTWELL PSYCHOLOGY SERVICES LTD

About me

Hello, I am Amy, I am a HCPC Registered and BPS Chartered Counselling Psychologist, EMDR Therapist and DBT therapist. I am passionate about helping people to positively move forwards in their lives by helping them to heal from difficult experiences.

I have over 8 years experience of working in private services and the NHS and I specialise in autistic burnout, neurodiversity and trauma, including complex-PTSD. I  use an evidence based and integrative approach drawing on the following evidenced-based modalities: Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing (EMDR), Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT), person-centred therapy and Compassion Focussed Therapy. This means that your therapy approach will be individually tailored to meet your needs. I am also trained in the DIVA for ADHD assessments, the ADOS-2 and the Autism Clinical Interview for Adults (ACIA) for Autism assessments.

I specialise in neurodiversity, particularly in autistic burnout. I also specialise in abuse trauma. 

I offer supervision to other Practitioner Psychologists, trainee psychologists and other therapists.

I offer evening appointments to accommodate your busy schedule.

What to expect

First we will meet for a free 15 minute discovery call which is where you will get to meet me and chat to me about what your main goals are. This will help you and I explore whether we can work together. If we both feel that I can meet your goals then we will arrange to meet for an assessment of your needs. The assessment typically takes between one and four sessions, though can take longer than this, depending on your circumstances. During the assessment, we will work on a plan together and decide which therapy (that I am trained in) will work best to suit your needs. Assessment and therapy typically takes place on a weekly basis at the same time, though I can be flexible where possible to meet your needs. Your sessions are confidential, though in order to maintain high quality work, I do receive twice monthly supervision from other professionals. This is to ensure that you are getting high quality therapy from me. 

My Qualifications & Additional Training

The title of Counselling Psychologist is a protected title in the UK and we are regulated by the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC), whereas other titles such as 'counsellor' are not protected in the UK. You can easily check if someone is on the HCPC register by typing in their surname and their profession. Counselling Psychologists in the UK draw upon Psychological theory and research in order to have a deeper understanding of complex emotional difficulties. We use a non-pathologising approach to understand psychological distress as a normal and painful reaction to difficult life experiences. This does not mean that we do not understand complex mental health diagnosis and does not mean that we cannot diagnose certain conditions ourselves, because we can with additional training and typically we involve other professionals. Humanistic theory is at the core of our training which emphasises on personal growth and individual potential. It takes a minimum of six years to train as a Counselling Psychologist in the UK, and this typically involves a three year Undergraduate degree, or a Master's conversion, followed by a three year Doctorate of Counselling Psychology. As well as this, Counselling Psychologists need to have work experience such as working as an Assistant Psychologist in the NHS, the private sector or in charities. When they are completing the Doctorate this involves working in various placements with adults and children in various different settings. The doctorate requires Counselling Psychologists to complete 450 hours of client facing contact. It importantly requires Counselling Psychologists to participate in their own personal therapy, so rest assured I know how difficult and how rewarding therapy can be. 

Services

Please be aware that I am not able to offer you crisis services and if your are feeling suicidal and/or thinking about harming yourself or others please contact NHS 111 or 999 or phone Samaritans 116 123.

07949123460

dr.amycantwell@gmail.com

Individual Therapy

Individual Therapy: Personalised support for self-exploration and healing. Explore your inner world and find peace within. I help you to focus on your personal strengths as well as things you might find difficult and want help changing. I provide evidence-based therapies and use an integrated and neuro-inclusive approach meaning that therapy is tailored to your personal needs. I am an EMDR therapist and I draw from CBT, CFT , DBT and person-centred counselling. The aim of therapy can be to support with: experiences of trauma, anxiety, depression, bereavement, hopelessness, self-esteem, work stress such as burn out.