PAUL GRIMMER
PSYCHOTHERAPIST
PROFESSIONAL BACKGROUND AND EXPERIENCE
Hi, my name is Paul. I am a Psychotherapist t with 15 years of experience supporting people who are struggling with emotional and psychological distress. I offer a non-judgemental space to explore your difficulties with curiosity, compassion and sensitivity. I believe deeply that therapy can support healing, growth and recovery from adversity, trauma and distress, helping us to reconnect with feelings of safety in the present.
I trained originally as a fine artist and my journey to become a therapist began as a volunteer, supporting survivors of trauma through expressive arts. As a qualified therapist, I have worked in a range of NHS roles including the veterans complex treatment service, primary care psychotherapy and forensic services. Most recently, I have worked in a specialist trauma informed team providing consultation and training to local authority teams.
I am trained in a number of therapies including Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing (EMDR), Compassion Focused Therapy (CFT) and Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT). I am also trained in Dyadic Developmental Practice (DDP), an approach designed to work with the caregivers of young people who have experienced developmental trauma. My approach integrates elements of these therapies to create a bespoke intervention.
Therapy can feel daunting and confusing at first. We will begin by exploring together what brings you to therapy and creating a shared understanding of your unique life story. From here, we can begin to make connections between your history and your present difficulties, whatever they may be. My role is to empower you, offering choices and working together to plan the direction we take in therapy.
My approach is human centred, compassion focused, and trauma informed. I believe that every person is shaped by their life experiences and has their own unique strengths and challenges. As such, I do not use symptom lists, diagnostic labels, or manualised treatments. If you are looking for a therapist who works in this way, I may not be the best practitioner to support your needs.
I respect and admire the courage it takes be vulnerable with another human being and I feel honoured when someone chooses to share their story with me. I have taken this step myself a number of times in my life and know what a difficult decision it can be to reach out for support. If you choose to take this step, I look forward to meeting you.
Training and qualifications
- Post Graduate Diploma (PGDip) Cognitive Behavioural Psychotherapy
- EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing)
- Attachment Focused EMDR
- Compassion Focused Therapy (CFT)
- Dynamic Dyadic Psychotherapy (DDP) level 1
- BSc (Hons) Occupational Therapy
ACCREDITATION TO PROFESSIONAL BODIES
- BABCP Fully Accredited Cognitive Behavioural Psychotherapist
- HCPC Registered Occupational Therapist
- Member of the Royal College of Occupational Therapists (RCOT)
AREAS OF SPECIAL INTEREST
- Trauma (including complex, developmental and interpersonal trauma)
- Difficulties originating in childhood – abuse (including childhood sexual abuse), neglect, disrupted attachment and abandonment.
- Somatic (in the body) difficulties
- Relationship difficulties (self and others)
- Difficulties associated with shame and self-criticism.
- Therapeutic parenting for children who have experienced early life trauma and disrupted attachment.
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:
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- Degree-qualified to Masters or PHD (doctorate) level for clinical psychologists
- Full indemnity insurance
- DBS criminal record clearance
This means that the mental health professional you see will be qualified, experienced and competent.
We are a private mental health clinic and have a number of therapists with different specialities. Because of this, we can offer therapies to help with a wide range of mental health issues from Anxiety to PTSD and child psychology.
Accreditation to the relevant professional body:
- Clinical psychologists are Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) registered
- CBT therapists are British Association for Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapies (BABCP) accredited
- Counsellors are British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) accredited
First, we carry out a triage step during a 15-minute free initial telephone consultation. Depending on the challenges you’re facing, we will then recommend a counsellor, CBT therapist or clinical psychologist.
We also 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.