We want to find out a bit more about our team!
Here, Katy speaks to her fellow Co-Director, Lindsay-Jo about why she chose a career in Psychology.
Why did you want a career in Psychology?
I think, like most people who choose a career in a ‘helping’ profession that I wanted to do just that – ‘help’ people! I’ve also always been interested in people’s behaviour and how their minds work, so psychology seemed like a good career for me.
Why did you choose to be a Clinical Psychologist?
When I started my Undergraduate degree, I didn’t even know what a Clinical Psychologist was! During my degree I started to understand the different ways you can build a career in psychology. I love research, and was once offered a PhD in neuroscience, but I always knew I wanted to be able to do a mix of clinical work and research. Clinical Psychology was the perfect career for me – I am able to use my therapy skills and different therapeutic approaches to best support my patients. I also have skills to do research so I can develop services and therapies to try and make things better for all who access psychological services.
If you hadn’t gone into Psychology, what other profession would you have chosen?
As a child, I thought I wanted to be a vet, but at the time all animals either ran away from me or bit me, so I gave up on that idea! I don’t think I would have been a vet, but I still love animals and nature, so something in conservation probably.
What is your specialist area and why did you choose to specialise in this?
My specialist area is working with people with physical health difficulties. I have had my own struggles with my physical health over the years, and I really love being able to come alongside my patients, help them to focus on what is important to them and support them to live with their health condition in a way that gives the best life possible. Within this area, I have a couple of specific areas I work in. I specialise in working with people who struggle to go to the dentist, whether this is because of anxiety, historical trauma or a gag reflex. I also specialise in working with people who have had Covid and have long term psychological consequences of this, sometimes due to Long Covid, other times due to the trauma of being hospitalised with Covid.
What book do you most often recommend for clients?
That’s a tough one. The thing I most often recommend are YouTube videos by Brené Brown, I think she is a really great speaker and people often connect with her ideas. The book I most often recommend is “A Liberated Mind” by Steven Hayes. This is a self-help style book version of the main therapeutic approach I use, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy. I’ve had patients give hugely positive feedback about it.
Tell us something about yourself other than your work?
Even though I’m not very good at it, I love to go running. I really notice that when I can’t go for a few weeks how it affects me; I’m more irritable, more tired and more stressed. I don’t run far, only a mile or so at a time, but it gives me a great sense of achievement and I love having that time to be out in nature.
