Tailored Psychology | Dr Thomas Clarke

Dr Thomas Clarke | Tailored Psychology

Hello, I'm Dr Thomas Clarke. I am a clinical psychologist. I have worked in the NHS for nearly 20 years, and have been a qualified clinical psychologist for over a decade. I specialise in physical health; this means that I am an expert in helping people work to understand, process, and adapt to the psychological impact of major health events. I have experience across a range of areas in including cardiology, respiratory, diabetes, genetic conditions, and critical care rehabilitation. I currently work across two specialisms within my NHS work; in adult Cystic Fibrosis and Critical Care rehabilitation. I also frequently work with people who have a range of challenges which may be unconnected to their physical health which include generalised anxiety, low mood, adjustment difficulties and trauma. In addition to my clinical work I have published work across the fields of cognitive psychology, neurodiversity and addiction. Furthermore I have been consulted on clinical guidance papers for Adult Cystic Fibrosis care, and Cystic Fibrosis related Diabetes. Beyond my career as a clinical psychologist I enjoy knitting (I'm not particularly good but learning!), a determined DIYer (so far nothing has fallen down), and like to think I have green fingers but still forget to water my houseplants. Health & Care & Professions Council Registration Number: PYL30859

Publications Clarke, T. and Costall, A. (2008), The emotional connotations of color: A qualitative investigation. Color Res. Appl., 33: 406-410. https://doi.org/10.1002/col.20435 Clarke T, Tickle A, Gillott A. Substance use disorder in Asperger syndrome: An investigation into the development and maintenance of substance use disorder by individuals with a diagnosis of Asperger syndrome. Int J Drug Policy. 2016 Jan;27:154-63. doi: 10.1016/j.drugpo.2015.06.003. Epub 2015 Jun 29. PMID: 26187185. Cystic Fibrosis Trust (2022). Management of cystic fibrosis diabetes Second edition. https://www.cysticfibrosis.org.uk/sites/default/files/2022-12/CF%20Trust%20Diabetes%20Consensus%20FINAL.pdf Frost F, Dyce P, Ochota A, Pandya S, Clarke T, Walshaw MJ, Nazareth DS. Cystic fibrosis-related diabetes: optimizing care with a multidisciplinary approach. Diabetes Metab Syndr Obes. 2019 Apr 26;12:545-552. doi: 10.2147/DMSO.S180597. PMID: 31118718; PMCID: PMC6499442. National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE). ID3834. Professional Organisation Submission. UK Psychosocial Professionals in Cystic Fibrosis. Dr Thomas Clarke. London: NICE; 2023

What is a Clinical Psychologist?

A clinical psychologist is someone who has been trained at doctorate level to provide psychological talking therapies to help people struggling with their mental health. I am trained in a number of different types of therapies. My doctoral training means that I am able to integrate these different therapies to best meet your individual needs. As our mental health needs varies so considerably between each individual, it is important that any therapy you receive is tailored to your specific needs and circumstances.

The types of problems I offer support for are: Low mood Health Anxiety Generalised Anxiety Disorder Depression Trauma Motivational issues Adjustment difficulties (e.g. major life transitions/health events) Obsessive Compulsive Behaviours Addiction Burn out Work related stress Management and adaption to health conditions (e.g. treatment adherence challenges)

What does therapy involve?

Assessment

The first session will be an assessment. During this session I will ask questions to get an understanding of what it is you are struggling with, how you understand the situation and what you would like to see change from engaging in therapy. I may ask about earlier life experiences in relation to the difficulties being explored and previous coping strategies used. If I am concerned about your ability to keep yourself safe I will also ask you about what support you have in place. Assessments usually take one session, however sometimes depending on the complexity of the issues discussed, further assessment sessions may be needed. At the end of the assessment I will discuss with you how many sessions I anticipate you may need to address your concerns. Sometimes you may need more sessions than your insurance can cover, or that is within your current budget. If this occurs we will discuss what is achievable within the number of sessions available.

Formulation

Once the assessment has been completed I will start to map out with you how the difficulties you are encountering have developed, how they have been maintained and how psychological therapy can be used to address these concerns. Because we lead complicated lives new events may unfold over the course of therapy. New information may become relevant and we may need to 'reformulate' the difficulties discussed, further broadening our understanding of what has been happening.

Intervention

After we have mapped out what has been happening, we will start to look more closely at the patterns you have become caught in, and how you can approach these patterns differently to improve your well-being. To do this I will pull upon various different psychological models to tailor an approach specific to your needs.

Ending Therapy

Experiencing a planned ending of therapy is important, it gives you the opportunity to review the work you have done, what you have learnt about yourself, and the changes you have made to help you move forward. Sometimes people underestimate the importance of endings, however giving yourself the opportunity to reflect on the work you have done helps you punctuate the end of therapy, signifying the end of one chapter, and the start of the next.

Therapy Models Used

A significant benefit of accessing support from a clinical psychologist is their ability to integrate various complex psychotherapeutic models. Equally I feel it's important that when choosing a clinical psychologist you have an understanding of what models they use and how they could help you. The list below is not an exhaustive list of therapies I use, but models I frequently pull upon when tailoring therapy to an individuals needs.

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) is a third wave cognitive behavioural therapy. Where ACT differs is its focus on the relationship between the individual and their thoughts and feelings. ACT explains that when we get 'hooked' by our feelings, they cause us to behave in a way that is not consistent with what is important to us (our values) we can find that our emotions dictate our lives in a way that becomes unhelpful. ACT works on developing a new way of relating to your thoughts and feelings, and how to identify what is important to you, facilitating you living a life that feels rich and meaningful.

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Compassion Focused Therapy

Compassion Focused Therapy is a model that looks at 3 emotional regulatory systems; the threat, drive and self-soothing system. When these systems become dysregulated we can struggle to get a handle on our thoughts and feelings; experiencing low mood, anxiety, lack of motivation in addition to a number of other presentations. CFT helps us understand these systems, and uses strategies to help rebalance and stabilise these 3 systems.

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EMDR

Eye Movement Desensitisation Reprocessing (EMDR) Therapy was developed for working with trauma responses such as post traumatic stress disorder. EMDR works through facilitating a method of recall of trauma memories whilst using bilateral stimulation. This helps the brain process the trauma from feelings as though it is occurring in the 'now', to being understood as a past event, so that you can start to move forward. Some patients have described this processing to me as akin to ‘untangling the knots’ in their mind.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) works by helping us understand the unhelpful patterns our thoughts, emotions and behaviours can get caught up in, and how our circumstances have contributed to the development of these patterns. CBT can help map out these patterns, and look at various strategies to help us step out of these unhelpful cycles.

Availability & Cost

I offer sessions throughout the week, remotely via Zoom, during the evening from 6pm onwards. Sessions are 1 hour long. Longer sessions are available at additional cost.

Costings:

Self Funding: 1 session costs £115

Insurance: Please see list below of insurance providers I work with. If your provider is not on this list please let me know.

I am only able to take on patients who are based within the United Kingdom

Insurers I work with:

Axa Health

Aviva

Allianz World Wide Care

Vitality Health

WPA

Self - Funding

If self-funding payment is required within 24 hours of booking to confirm appointment.