Finding the right therapist for you is important, so to try to provide you with some of the information that you might want to know, here is a bit about me.
My name is Lorna Garner, and I am an NHS Consultant Clinical Psychologist. I have over 20 years’ experience in the health service working with adults within NHS community, secondary and primary care settings. I have been a qualified Cognitive Analytic Therapist (CAT) for over 12 years, and I am also trained in a range of other psychological therapies.
Due to the breadth of my training and experience, I can offer therapeutic support for a wide range of psychological difficulties, including anxiety, depression, acceptance and adjustment, low self-esteem and stress-related problems.
You may not identify with these terms, or want to put a label on how you are feeling but instead might recognise some of the following in your experience: –
- Feeling overwhelmed or stressed
- Being very critical of yourself and feeling not good enough
- Feeling low, lacking in self confidence and self-esteem
- Struggling with emotions
- Worrying about what has happened in the past, or what might happen in the future
- Generally feeling stuck and not knowing how to make changes
You may also have experienced significant life events in the past or in the present, which you are finding are impacting upon you and you are struggling to cope with. This might include events such as, (but not limited to): –
- Diagnosis of an illness, medical condition, or long-term health condition
- Relationship breakdown
- Loss
- Career or life changes
- Becoming a parent
- Adverse childhood experiences
Whatever you are seeking support for, I can offer you a safe space to talk and where we can build a shared understanding of the things you are finding difficult. We will also think about what you are looking for within therapy and whether I am someone who can help.
My therapy is strongly influenced by Cognitive Analytic Therapy, where the focus is on how our habitual patterns of relating to others, and to ourselves, can restrict our enjoyment of life and keep us feeling stuck. I also draw on other integrative psychotherapy models including sensorimotor psychotherapy and evolutionary approaches.
The therapeutic relationship sets the fundamental foundation for any effective therapy and it will be important that you feel we can work together and that we are a good ‘fit’. I view the relational frame of therapy as a co-created space in which change and new possibilities can emerge, alongside an increased sense of choice.
As well as being a psychologist and therapist, I am also a mum and have a strong love of nature and the outdoors: I enjoy walking and exploring the environment and have found this to be an effective way of allowing me to find a greater sense of spaciousness and peacefulness in what can be an otherwise busy world!
Please get in touch if you would like to talk with me about whether the therapy I offer may be helpful for you. I offer a free 15-30 minute consultation, where we can discuss what you are looking for and where you can have the chance to ask me questions about the kind of therapy I offer.
Dr Lorna Garner 