ABOUT JULIE GIBBS

I have had a lifelong involvement in psychological therapies, mental health work and social care, starting out working as a Care Assistant in an acute psychiatric ward at the age of 17 years.

I have always been more interested in human beings and what makes us tick than in any other subject I can think of! I like to think that as a therapist I work with skill, care, respect, warmth and humour.

CBT QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE

I trained in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), as part of the Government’s Increasing Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) programme. I was awarded a Post Graduate Diploma in Psychological Therapies (CBT) in April 2011 and am a qualified EMDR therapist.

I have worked as a CBT therapist for the past 9 years, initially training and working within the NHS IAPT programme and for the past 2 years working solely in private practice in my clinics in Addlestone and Weybridge.

I am a fully accredited member of the British Association for Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapies  and am registered with the Health and Care Professionals Council.
My previous training courses, work and life experiences (see below) have informed and enriched my practice as a CBT Therapist and, whilst I work within the CBT model, I am flexible and integrative in my approach, tailoring the therapy approach to your needs as a person to the best of my ability.

BACKGROUND EXPERIENCE AND TRAINING

After obtaining a degree in Sociology in 1983 I began working as a Mental Health Social Work in South London and continued to work here for 24 years. I have worked in many different teams and settings, including residential and day care projects, hospital and community based mental health teams. I learned a lot from my experiences in Social Work and was often working with people experiencing severe mental distress, in addition to other challenging problems such as homelessness, drug and alcohol abuse, social stigma and isolation.

I became a professionally qualified Social Worker in 1988 when I completed my Certificate and Qualification in Social Work (CQSW).
Throughout my career in Social Work, I pursued my interest in talking therapies, self care and in improving health and well-being. In 1993 I qualified as a Holistic Massage Therapist (ITEC). In 1998 I completed a 4-year training in Transpersonal Psychotherapy.  I went on to train in Cognitive Hypnotherapy and Neuro Linguistic Programming in 2003.

I have also attended trainings in Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and Compassion Focused Therapy (CFT).

I also work as a Mental Health Consultant- this has included research work in the Hypnotherapy field and Mental Health Awareness Training in the Corporate Sector.