Nicholas Wakefield

I think that every person’s therapy journey is different. Some people need skills and coping techniques to help deal with things in their current context. For others it is important to address the underlying psychological mechanisms that give rise to the problems or symptoms at different points in life. For some it is important to address childhood origins of problems so that they can break free of repeating, destructive life patterns. I want to help people find the journey that is right for them.

Trained in the UK both academically (University of Liverpool Doctorate in Clinical Psychology) and by the clients I have met along the way, I’ve spent 15 years developing my therapy style; how I relate to the person in the room is just as important as the psychological knowledge I bring. I try to take a person centred approach, first trying to understand not just the problems a person presents with but the person themselves so that the current issues can be put into the context of the whole person. Through this approach I aim to help a person deal with their psychological, emotional and relational difficulties in a way that best suits them.

My background in the UK was working with complex presentations and trauma, as such I have substantial experience in working with a range of psychological difficulties including personality disorder, psychosis, anxiety, depression, trauma, grief, self-esteem, anger and interpersonal difficulties. I have spent the last 5 years working in the Middle East learning from my clients about a wide variety of different cultures and cultural experiences that contribute to psychological distress and resilience.

I have a passion for learning and to continue to develop my theoretical knowledge and therapeutic skills. I believe that no one psychological theory or model can fully explain the human condition. And working in the NHS for many years I have been fortunate enough to be trained and supervised in a range of psychological therapies for both individuals and groups which include:
Schema Focused Therapy
Mentalization Based Therapy,
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy
Dialectical Behavior Therapy,
Eye-movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing (EMDR).
More recently my explorations have taken me down the Existential therapeutic and philosophical path, whilst I do not claim to be an Existential Psychotherapist I try to incorporate these ideas into my therapeutic approach.

Teaching and Training
I have extensive teaching and training experience (I’m just showing off now, you probably don’t need to know this) having taught on the University of Liverpool, Doctorate of Clinical Psychology program, and University of Nottingham, Doctorate of Forensic Psychology program. I have been responsible for the supervision of assistant psychologists, Trainee Clinical Psychologist and Qualified Clinical and Forensic Psychologists. I have delivered training to a range of professionals including medical professionals, psychologists, nurses and probation officers, as well as delivering numerous Dubai Health Authority Continuing Medical Education courses.