Dr Vicky Lewis BSc(Hons), Msc, DipHyp, DipCouns, DClinPsy, CPsychol, AFBPsS
Hello and welcome to my website.
My name is Vicky and I am qualified as a Clinical Psychologist, Counsellor, Systemic Practitioner and EMDR therapist.
I work from a clinic in Earlswood, Solihull which is easily accessible to people in the West Midlands and Warwickshire.
I am registered with the Health and Care Professions Council and Chartered by the British Psychological Society.
My professional journey in the field of counselling, psychology and mental health spans over 20 years and I am privileged to have worked with people of all different ages, cultures and backgrounds.
I am a warm, compassionate and empathic psychologist.
I appreciate how hard it can be to ask for help and I will do my best to help you to feel supported and understood. I am passionate about helping and empowering others and I genuinely care which motivates me to do what I do.
Rather than than a ‘one size fits all’ approach, I work flexibly and creatively to tailor therapy to suit your needs and circumstances.
Therapy has the potential to be one of the most helpful things that we can access for emotional wellbeing and mental health.
Finding the right psychologist can feel like a daunting task.
Choosing the 'right' psychologist is really important and not everyone will feel like the right 'fit' for you.
Whilst I can't promise to be the 'right fit' for everyone, I can assure you that I always aim to provide a safe, secure and empathic space and I treat every client with kindness, respect and compassion.
More About Me
Since qualifying as a Counsellor and a Clinical Psychologist, I have completed a variety of different courses including a two year training in Family Therapy and Systemic Practice. One of the benefits of this approach is that it aims to help those in close relationships to better understand and support each other. The knowledge I have gained from this training has given me an additional skill set for working with systems such as families, schools and communities and helps me to consider and understand difficulties through a much wider lens.
Diagnostic Assessments
I'm trained to assess and diagnose Autism and ADHD (official diagnostic terms rather than my preference of terminology) and I am passionate about helping people to embrace the strengths that come with being neurodivergent.
Whilst the majority of my work nowadays focusses on helping others therapeutically rather than diagnosing, my experience of carrying out diagnostic assessments has helped me to:
- Understand in detail what the process involves
- Recognise traits even when the presentation is subtle e.g. in those assigned female at birth
- Consider the psychological impact of undergoing diagnostic assessment
- Have a good understanding of the challenging and emotional journeys families often go through before even reaching the point of assessment
- Know how important it is for individuals and families to be able to access post diagnostic support with a therapist who embraces a neuro affirming approach.
I always work through a trauma informed lens and am qualified to use Eye Movement Desensitisation Therapy (EMDR) which is a type of evidence based therapy that aims to alleviate the distress associated with traumatic memories.
The Therapeutic Relationship
I aim to help people to feel as comfortable as possible, to feel able to talk honestly and openly, without fear of judgement, so that a positive therapeutic relationship can be established.
At the heart of good psychological therapy is the relationship between the therapist and the client(s). Although there are many different approaches and models of therapy, evidence shows that one of the most important factors in determining a successful outcome is the quality of the therapeutic relationship.
All therapists have different personalities, approaches and styles. This is why finding someone who is not only well qualified but also feels like the right 'fit' for you is really important. It is important to find someone you feel safe with, who 'gets you' and whose style aligns with your needs. Aim to find someone you feel comfortable with and can learn to trust and if you don't find that person straight away, try not to be disheartened.
AFBPsS
The title Associate Fellow of the British Psychological Society (AFBPsS) is awarded in recognition of several years' of experience and contribution to the field of psychology.
Important to know
‘Clinical or Practitioner Psychologist’ is a protected title in the UK. This means that professionals can only legally use this title after completing rigorous academic and professional training, which includes many years studying at University and working in the NHS.
Concerningly, the title ‘Psychologist’ is not protected and therefore can be used by anyone including those who have completed none or very little training in this field. Please always ensure that anyone you are considering seeing, who refers to themselves as a psychologist, is registered with the UK governing body who are the Health Care Professions Council (HCPC).
Qualifications & Training
After my BSc (Hons) degree in Psychology at the University of Essex in 2002, I completed a Masters in Sports Science with a particular interest in the psychology of sport and wanting to help athletes with performance anxiety. To help me with this I completed a short course in counselling and this is when I first became passionate about and really interested in supporting people with emotional wellbeing and mental health. The short course turned into a four year diploma which I completed and I qualified as an Integrative Counsellor accredited by the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy in 2008.
Working therapeutically with both adults and children, I wanted to know as much as possible about ways of helping and making a difference to people's lives. To develop and broaden my skills further, I began training as a Clinical Psychologist and was awarded a professional doctorate in Clinical Psychology from the University of Birmingham in 2015.
During my Clinical Psychology training, I gained experience in four core areas working in the NHS: child and family mental health, adults, older adults and learning disabilities. In my final year, I gained experience in specialist placements helping children with physical health problems at Birmingham Children’s Hospital and supporting adolescents with various mental health problems in a specialist youth support team. I also carried out research with adults with neurological conditions.
Since qualifying as a Clinical Psychologist, I have prioritised my continuing professional development by completing various additional courses, training in different types of psychological therapies for example Systemic Family Therapy and EMDR. I have also published my own research. As I am trained as a scientist-practitioner, I integrate science and practice into my work. This means that the way I work is influenced by research and methods that have been validated and proven to be effective.
Experience
My professional journey in the field of counselling, psychology, mental health and research, spans over 20 years and includes experience working in the NHS and local authorities.
My career began with counselling adults who were referred for help via the GP for problems such as anxiety, depression, low self esteem and relationship difficulties. Later, I worked in mental health teams with adults with more severe and enduring mental health difficulties many of whom had experienced traumas which contributed hugely to the difficulties that they were experiencing. I've also spent time working in the community with adults with a learning disability and supported families and staff teams with looking after loved ones and service users. This work included assessing for dementia, psychological therapy, carer support, staff training, reflective practice groups and working out and understanding what may have contributed to behaviours considered 'challenging' and how to help.
My experience working with children and young people comes from counselling in schools, mentoring young people at risk of becoming not in education, employment or training; supporting adolescents who were preparing to leave the care system and working in Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) both in the community and on an inpatient ward.
Working in CAMHS, I facilitated therapy groups and provided psychological therapy to children, young people and families with a wide range of mental health difficulties including coping with physical health problems and those with neurodevelopmental conditions such as Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). I was the clinical lead for a team of multi disciplinary professionals who assessed and diagnosed Autism. I also worked with children with attachment difficulties and those who had experienced developmental trauma both directly and indirectly by providing consultation to foster carers, social workers and education staff supporting looked after and adopted children (LAAC).
Since I began working in mental health, I have provided clinical supervision to different professionals including counsellors, psychologists, Special Educational Needs Coordinators (SENCO's) and school staff, as well as various mental health professionals.
What is Clinical Psychology and Counselling?
A Clinical Psychologist is a mental health professional trained to doctoral level who uses science, theory and clinical knowledge to improve the psychological wellbeing of others. Clinical psychology focusses on the emotional, biological, cognitive, social and behavioural aspects of human functioning.
Clinical Psychologists are highly trained in assessment, formulation and evidence based psychological therapies. Most people are familiar with the term diagnosis e.g. anxiety, depression but are less familiar with the term formulation which I will explain below. Essentially, our approach does not focus on what is wrong with you, it's about what has happened to you.
Formulation is something that clinical psychologists are trained in and is a way of understanding the detail about the difficulties a person is experiencing and working out where they may have come from. The formulation is then used to guide a plan for therapy, a bit like creating a shared road map to navigate where a person wants to get to.
In other words, formulation is a way of understanding the individual impact of a person's life story, a way of understanding the difficulties in the context of psychological theory and evidence; and a way of working out how to reduce the psychological distress.
The aim of counselling or psychological therapy is to initially help people to feel safe enough to open up and talk about what's happened to them and why they want help.
The next part is to begin to understand where the difficulties may have come from and how they are causing a problem.
Finally, the aim is to work together to make things feel better or more manageable.
The First Appointment
The first appointment is known as the initial assessment. This is an opportunity for us to explore the difficulties you want help with. Typically an assessment is completed in one or two sessions if things are more complex.
The assessment gives you the opportunity to talk about the difficulties and is for Vicky to assess whether she can help. It is also an opportunity for you to see if you would be happy working with Vicky in the future, if we decide that further sessions would be helpful.
Some of the questions you will be asked will be about the problem, when it first started and the impact it is having. You will also be asked about life in general and things that have happened in your life. Vicky may also ask you to fill in some questionnaires about the difficulties.
By the end of the initial assessment, the outcome could be that:
You may decide after talking things through, that you do not need to meet again at the current time.
Vicky will share with you her professional opinion, offer some sessions and will let you know how she may be able to help.
We may not be the right service to help and we will signpost you to support from a different professional.
Each client has different requirements and hopes; short and long term therapy is available
Sessions
- If you would like to go ahead with sessions, we will have a discussion about what we are going to work on during the therapy
- Sessions are 50 minutes long, this is known as a therapeutic hour and sessions usually take place weekly or fortnightly
- Some people may only want a few sessions and others find it helpful to attend for a year or more
- Every now and then we will review how things are going
- Reviewing how things are going is useful because it gives us an opportunity to reflect, discuss progress so far and plan how to move forwards
- One off consultations are also available
The Therapy Room
The therapy room is within a relaxed and calming farmhouse building, 5 minutes walk from Earlswood Lakes.
Parking is free directly outside Tri Wellness Club or in The Hungry Horse Store car park.
The location is within Solihull and on the border of Warwickshire and easily accessible from the M40 and M42.
Family members or friends who wish to wait are welcome to in the waiting room or just a few minutes away serving food and drink are: The Red Lion Pub, Wave Cafe and Ambleside Garden Centre.
Tri Wellness Club
Woodfield Farm, Norton Lane, Earlswood, B94 5LS
Online Therapy
If you prefer to relax in familiar surroundings while we work together, then online or phone therapy may be for you.
There is increasing evidence that online therapy has the same positive outcomes as face-to-face therapy.
Overall, people receiving online therapy have reported being satisfied with their experiences.
Many people state that online therapy is easy to use and means they don’t have to travel to appointments and is easier to fit in.
The comfort of being at home can be therapeutic in itself
You can access appointments without any specialist equipment or software
All you need is an internet connection, mobile, tablet or desktop device
Conversations are encrypted, meaning that only the people in the conversation can see and hear what is being said
Nothing is recorded or stored anywhere
The link you need to access the appointment will be emailed to you
Fees
Fees start from £150 per consultation
Please contact us for further details
Cancellation Policy
Due to the time lost, we require 24 hours' notice for cancellation of sessions, otherwise the full session fee will be owed.
Payment
Payment is required either before each session via bank transfer or at each session via cash or cheque.
To arrange an initial assessment appointment, we will require payment in order to confirm the appointment.
Therapeutic Approaches
- Attachment focussed
- Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
- Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)
- Compassion Focussed Therapy (CFT)
- Couples Counselling
- Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT)
- Developmental Dyadic Psychotherapy (DDP)
- Eye Movement Desensitisation Therapy (EMDR)
- Humanistic
- Mindfulness
- Motivational Interviewing (MI)
- Narrative Therapy
- Neuro Affirming Therapy
- Non Violent Resistance (NVR)
- Psychodynamic
- Solution Focussed Therapy (SFT)
- Systemic
- The Flash Technique
- Theraplay
- Trauma Informed
Standards of Care
We are committed to open and transparent clinical practice and want you to be confident that we are ethical, professional and our work is of high quality. All clinicians have an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check, professional indemnity insurance and are registered with the Health and Care professions Council (HCPC)
Dr Vicky Lewis Clinical Psychology and Counselling Services are registered with the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO).
The information you share with us is confidential and we will keep it private. The only time we may need to break confidentiality is if we have any concerns about risks to you or risks to other people or by law we have to inform others about what you have disclosed.
To check our registration please visit the HCPC website.
HCPC
Registered
BPS
Chartered
DBS
Enhanced
ICO
Registered