DR REBECCA MCELROY
CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGIST
PROFESSIONAL BACKGROUND AND EXPERIENCE
Hi, my name is Rebecca and I’m a Clinical Psychologist with over 10 years’ experience working in NHS mental health services. Since completing the Doctorate in Clinical Psychology in 2019, I have worked across a range of settings, supporting adults with a wide variety of psychological difficulties, including anxiety, depression, complex trauma, and relational difficulties. I offer 1:1 therapy to adults, with face to face and online options available.
My primary therapeutic model and specialist interest is Cognitive Analytic Therapy (CAT), and I am an accredited CAT Practitioner. CAT focuses on understanding the patterns of thinking, feeling, and relating that can keep us feeling stuck, and how these patterns often developed as meaningful ways of coping earlier in life. I hold a compassionate and non-judgemental stance, recognising that the strategies we use today are often rooted in our attempts to survive difficult experiences in the past. If you are interested, you can find out more about CAT at the Association for Cognitive Analytic Therapy (ACAT) website What is Cognitive Analytic Therapy? | ACAT.
Within the CAT framework, I integrate ideas from various therapeutic models, including Compassion Focused Therapy (CFT) and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). This allows me to tailor therapy to each individual, supporting the development of self-compassion, emotional awareness, and more flexible ways of responding to difficult thoughts and feelings.
How I Work
I aim to provide a safe, collaborative space where we can explore your experiences at your own pace. Together, we will work to identify patterns in your relationships, thoughts, and emotions, and begin to understand how these have developed over time, often starting in your early life. From there, we can find new ways of relating to yourself and others that feel more helpful and sustainable.
I place particular importance on building a strong therapeutic relationship, as I believe this is central to meaningful change.
Approach
My approach is grounded in the belief that all difficulties make sense in the context of our life experiences. Therapy is not about “fixing” you, but about understanding you, so that change becomes possible in a way that feels compassionate and lasting.
Training and qualifications
- Doctorate in Clinical Psychology
- Cognitive Analytic Therapy Practitioner
- Acceptance and Commitment Therapy training
ACCREDITATION TO PROFESSIONAL BODIES
AREAS OF SPECIAL INTEREST
- Complex trauma
- Relational and interpersonal difficulties
- Patterns of self-criticism and low self-worth
- Anxiety and depression
- Emotional regulation
- Cognitive Analytic Therapy
INVEST IN YOURSELF AND YOUR WELLBEING
WHAT TO EXPECT FROM OUR THERAPISTS
We carry out rigorous checks and vet all our therapists before they join the team. They must meet with our high standards of professional specification which includes:
- Degree-qualified to Masters or PHD (doctorate) level for clinical psychologists
- Full indemnity insurance
- DBS criminal record clearance
FIND YOUR IDEAL THERAPIST
We’ll help you find your ideal therapist by learning more about the support you’re looking for. Based on your unique challenges, we’ll match you with the therapist best suited to your needs. To get started click here
We have clinic locations throughout the North, so there is usually one not too far from you.
As a result, we can usually offer an appointment quickly and at a time and place convenient for you. But, above all, tailored to your needs.