Effective Psychological Therapy in Caversham, Reading and Online

Leathes Psychology offers psychological assessment and therapy to adults and young people suffering from a variety of psychological difficulties.

Our highly-qualified, friendly team of psychological therapists provide evidence-based therapy in a private, confidential and local practice in Caversham, North Reading and online using a bespoke and secure therapy platform - HelloSelf. Contact us confidentially today for an informal chat or to book an appointment.

Leathes Psychology offers psychological assessment and therapy to adults and young people suffering from a variety of psychological difficulties.

Areas we specialise in

We offer a range of therapies for adults and young people.

What we can treat

Anxiety, panic & stress

Anxiety disorders are increasingly common. Many people ‘suffer in silence’, not recognising that what they are feeling is anxiety – they just feel very ‘on edge’ and overwhelmed. Talking therapies are an effective way of bringing calm and a sense of coping back into your life.

Depression

1 in 5 of us will suffer from depression at some point. It’s not a choice, nor is it a sign of weakness. And it can’t be ‘gotten over’ by 'putting on a brave face and carrying on'. It can be hard to ask for help, but doing so is a major step towards overcoming that pervasive sadness and hopelessness; to finding personal meaning and purpose in our lives.

Personality difficulties

None of us have a ‘disordered personality’, but some of us, for several important & valid reasons, experience intense emotions that make going about adult life very hard at times. We offer several approaches, such as schema therapy, to help bring about healing & change, & a new way to go forward with your life.

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)

Many people use the word ‘OCD’ without really understanding what it means. It’s not a general preference for order in life, it’s an all-consuming, often paralysing intense fear that takes us over. Fortunately, there is very good evidence it can be overcome with psychological therapy.

Low self-esteem

With it’s roots often in early-life, or later on from a damaging personal relationship, self-esteem affects everything we do. If we believe we’re not as good as others, it stops us from realising our full potential, and can keep us feeling alone. We are all ‘good enough’, but some of us need help to know and feel that, and to go about our lives accordingly.

Body image difficulties

"It’s not what you look like it’s who you are that counts" – if only. We live in our bodies, we interact with the world through our bodies. How we view and care for our bodies is intimately related to how we view and care for ourselves. We help our clients dovetail the two for a more complete and compassionate sense of self.

Trauma

Many people think of trauma in terms of PTSD, where people suffer acute symptoms such as flashbacks, panic and avoidance following one or more traumatic experiences. Traumatic reactions can also occur from longer-term exposure to highly stressful experiences, often in earlier life. In both cases, sufferers can describe a ‘mis-match’ between what they rationally know to be true (e.g. "I know, technically, that I am safe") and what they actually feel to be true (e.g. “but I feel in great danger/very panicky”). We offer several therapies, such as Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprogramming (EMDR), that help bring these two apparently conflicting internal realities together, helping us feel, as well as know, that things are ok.

Call us for professional advice, our friendly team are here to help.

Why choose Leathes Psychology?

Choice

We have several different highly qualified therapists offering psychological help using varying methods. Some will be more suited to certain people and particular types of difficulties than others. The advantage of having a team is that we can think carefully with you from the start about which approaches and therapists would likely be best, to save you having to test out different stand-alone therapy models. We view each client as an individual - few people in the real world fit into neat diagnostic boxes. We are trained to work eclectically across a number of approaches, tailoring a bespoke therapy to meet individual needs.

Quality training

All our clinical and counselling psychologists have an undergraduate degree in psychology, or combined honours or conversion diploma (all must be accredited by the British Psychological Society), followed by a three-year postgraduate Doctorate. All our psychotherapists have an undergraduate degree in psychology followed by either a post-graduate diploma in counselling, psychotherapy or Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) or a Masters degree in the same. We are all full registered members of the relevant professional bodies including the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC), the British Association of Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapists (BABCP) or the UK Council for Psychotherapy (UKCP).

Flexibility

While the services of psychologists are offered by many NHS Trusts, there is a recognised shortage. If you are seeking assessment and/or treatment, you should contact your GP in the first instance. He/she should be able to let you know what services are available locally, and how long any waiting lists may be. Following such enquiries, and in some instances following initial treatment, some people decide to self-refer to a private clinical or counselling psychologist who may be able to see them sooner, offer different treatments and/or offer more sessions than might be available with the NHS.

Evidence-based therapy

We work exclusively using evidence-based therapies, either individually or integratively (combining elements from more than one model). We want our clients to know that what they are being offered is backed-up by many research trials as something likely to help them. Our focus on the evidence is also continued on into your individual situation. We review things with you as we go, looking for evidence of progress and change so that we can adapt if necessary to maximise results for you personally. We don’t offer purely 'off the shelf' treatments.