DR LYNDSEY HALL

Hi, my name is Lyndsey. I am a Clinical Psychologist with over 16 years of experience supporting people who have faced emotional and psychological distress. After completing my undergraduate Psychology degree in 2007 I began to gain clinical experience working within a variety of care settings, including supporting people with Learning Disabilities, and those with severe and enduring mental health needs.

During my Doctorate training and since qualifying I have worked in a range of NHS settings including, maternal mental health, primary and secondary care mental health services (including children and young people, adult, and older adult services), clinical health psychology, and learning disability teams.

As a Clinical Psychologist my training included Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) (including third wave therapies; Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT), and Compassion Focused Therapy (CFT)), Cognitive Analytic Therapy (CAT), Systemic Practice, and Psychodynamic Theory. Following completion of my Clinical Psychology Doctorate I completed further training in Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing (EMDR), and Perinatal Mental Health.

I integrate aspects of the therapies listed above to ensure a person-centred approach to treatment for everyone that I work with. Personally, I understand how difficult life events can lead to psychological distress and this has led me to value the importance of self-care and compassion in day-to-day life. I am passionate about meditation, mindfulness, and other somatic practices, and have an interest in how the affects of trauma can manifest physically in the body. This means I integrate the importance of health and well-being into my work, and I am thoughtful about the positive affects of nature on our wellbeing.

I take a compassion focused, and trauma informed approach within my work as I believe we are all bound by the common experience of human suffering, but that we can live meaningful and fulfilling lives in the face of this. I strongly focus on psychological formulation, rather than diagnostic labels as this can be more helpful in understanding how our early experiences and life events shape us into who we are in the present. This means a focus on what has happened to you and not on what is wrong with you. Another important part of my practice is the consideration of the impact of change and loss, and how this can affect psychological wellbeing.

I understand that coming to therapy can be a daunting and exposing experience, and that it can take time to build up trust and to feel safe enough to share. I want to offer reassurance that I will be here to support you through this and when you are ready, I will work with you to develop a shared understanding of what is going on for you. From here we will work together to figure out ways in which you can heal and make positive changes to help you to live the life that you want based on your unique goals and values.

Asking for help can be daunting, especially when we live in a society that encourages us to “just keep going” no matter what. But I want everyone that I work with to know that for me asking for help can be the bravest thing you ever do. I would feel privileged if you were to choose to share your story with me and to trust me to support you to heal and regain your strength.

• Doctorate in Clinical Psychology