DR LOUISE DURANT

DClinPsy

Senior Clinical Psychologist, Family & Systemic Practitioner (AFT Foundation Level)

Professional Registrations: Health and Care Professions Council

What I Can Offer You:

EMDR for people who want to overcome the impact of trauma.

EMDR for people with feelings of self-doubt, self-criticism and inadequacy (sometimes referred to as ‘Imposter Syndrome’) that is holding them back from making important life decisions or taking action towards personal or professional aspirations.

Individual or couples therapy for people in or approaching the transition into parenthood: the impact on your own relationships, self-care, identity and self-to-self relating.

Individual therapy for people who want support to manage distress, anxiety and low

mood related to the Climate Crisis.

Clinical supervision and reflective practice for psychologists and allied mental health professionals.

My Training and Experience

Alongside my training as a Clinical Psychologist, I also have additional training in Systemic Practice, EMDR, CBT and Compassion-focussed Therapy.

I am a Senior Clinical Psychologist with over 12 years experience of working in the NHS, and for the last 10 years I have worked in NHS adult mental health services, specialising in supporting individuals and their families/carers who are navigating complex mental health challenges and life's different stages and challenges. I have extensive experience of working with people who have mental health challenges alongside neurodivergence.

I also support other psychologists and mental health professionals with supervision, formulation and reflective practice. I value working collaboratively with colleagues and clients and I am delighted, in addition to my NHS work, to be able to work in independent practice alongside Andrea.

My Specialities

1. EMDR for trauma

I have extensive experience in using EMDR for complex mental health presentations, including Complex PTSD and a range of associated problems. I offer EMDR for people who are experiencing PTSD symptoms or ongoing difficulties connected to either a single traumatic event or for multiple/repeated traumatic experiences. EMDR was first developed to treat PTSD and has a strong evidence-base for this. As a Clinical Psychologist, I can integrate other therapeutic approaches into EMDR to support your individual needs. I offer EMDR to help overcome distressing PSTD symptoms so that you can be more freed up to live your life without these experiences de-railing your hopes and goals.

To learn more about EMDR please visit https://emdrassociation.org.uk/discover-emdr/the-basics/

2. EMDR for self-doubt, self-criticism and feelings of inadequacy

Originally developed for treating PTSD, the evidence-base has increased to show that EMDR can be effective for a broad range of ways in which distressing experiences occur, including anxiety, panic and depression.

If you are finding yourself being held back by overwhelming feelings of inadequacy, self-criticism and a strong sense that you will inevitably get exposed/found out as a fraud or failure, then you may relate to the term ‘Imposter Syndrome’ and could benefit from EMDR. I can offer EMDR to help you overcome situations that trigger these feelings and beliefs so that you can move forward and overcome these obstacles and open yourself up to action towards your hopes and aspirations.

To learn more about EMDR please visit https://emdrassociation.org.uk/discover-emdr/the-basics/

3. Individual or Couples Therapy: The Transition Into Parenthood

Having become a mother in recent years, I am personally aware of the impact of the transition into parenthood or into a different family set up. If you would like space to think about this life-changing transition, therapy can be a safe place to explore this on different levels, to support you in your own wellbeing and navigate the challenges that parenthood can bring.

You may be anticipating the journey into parenthood and would like to think about how you’d like to parent or your concerns about how your own experience of being parented might bring up challenges in your relationship with your child.

Maybe you would like support to make sense of, or adjustments to, how becoming a parent has altered your identity, your relationship to yourself and your relationships with people you care about, or how to find some balance amongst the competing demands that parents face in the context of cultural and societal expectations and narratives. I can support you with this, drawing on a range of therapeutic approaches tailored to your individual needs.

4. Climate Crisis-related distress

Societally we are becoming increasingly aware and exposed to the impact of the Climate Crisis, either directly or vicariously through social media. It is normal for feelings of overwhelm, fear, hopelessness and anger to be present when engaging in the news, research and/or activism related to the climate crisis, and how global leaders and corporations are responding.

Engaging in this may be taking its toll on your mental health and wellbeing to the extent that it is intruding into your day to day life, preventing you from living your life how you want to, or having a negative impact on your relationships with family members or loved ones.

This is where therapy might be a helpful place to be alongside you in your concerns with a therapist who shares your concerns and is able to explore ways of coping so that you can live in line with your values and find balance without becoming overwhelmed or burnt out.

5. Clinical Supervision and Reflective Practice

I am experienced in providing supervision to Clinical Psychologists and Mental Health Professionals from other training backgrounds such as OTs, Nurses and Social Workers.

I also provide reflective practice and staff wellbeing support within my NHS work. Through my NHS role, I am trained in Critical Incident Support. I work integratively and can adapt my approach depending on your specific requirements.

My Approach

My professional training means I am able to use a range of evidence-based approaches. I draw flexibly on various models in my practice to ensure I best meet your needs and preferred way of working. These include EMDR, CBT, Compassion-Focused Therapy, Internal Family Systems Therapy and Systemic and attachment theories.

I am also passionate about the benefits of nature, particularly inspired by living close to the sea and the South Downs, and I can bring ideas about how to build more connection with blue and green spaces into therapy, depending on your interests and needs.

How We Will Work Together

I believe therapy is a partnership. I can bring my training and expertise to work collaboratively with you to acknowledge and understand your difficulties so that we can create shared understanding and find a way forward to make positive changes. The first stage of therapy is getting to know you and the areas you are seeking support for and depending on your needs, this may involve exploring your earlier life, beliefs, culture, and life experiences and your family and wider social context. I will also encourage you to identify and draw on your strengths, skills and successes, as these can often be overlooked when we are feeling stressed or overwhelmed. Once we have a shared understanding of your difficulties and needs, we can discuss what might be the most helpful approach.

Throughout the therapy process I encourage your feedback to check that we are working together in a way that meets your needs and can adapt accordingly.

I can see people for short term- or long-term therapy. You may choose to focus on a ‘here-and-now’, problem-solving approach and/or you may decide to explore issues from the past that are impacting on the present, depending on your goals and preferences.

I offer a warm and compassionate style and I appreciate the courage it can take to come to therapy and the commitment it involves. I hope to create a space that feels attentive, calm, respectful and empowering.

You can get in touch with Louise at louise.durantclinpsy@gmail.com

My practice opening time is Monday afternoons 13:00-18:00.

Session frequency can be negotiated to suit your needs. Typically in individual therapy, we tend to meet weekly or fortnightly to keep up the momentum but some people may find monthly is more manageable.
I would not recommend attendance less frequently than monthly.