Welcome…
On this page you’ll find recent news and general information about my therapy practice, including details of fees and how to contact me. I'm currently only offering online appointments; as soon as I make arrangements to resume offering face-to-face sessions again the location details will be added below.
Please use the links at the top of the page to find out about the approaches to therapy that I am trained to work with. More information about my background and training can be found further down this page in the 'About Me' section.
Call 07831 693684 for an appointment
(or send me an email using the link at the foot of this page).Appointment fees are £80.00 for up to 60 minutes, and £120.00 for up to 90 minutes, payable by bank transfer at the time of booking.
Please note:
At least 24 hours notice is required when rescheduling or cancelling appointments, otherwise the full fee will be charged.
I will always try to accommodate clients who have difficulty in affording my fees as I believe a lack of funds should not prevent people receiving professional therapeutic help. In these situations, I can offer reduced rates at certain times, please mention your needs when making an appointment.
I hold full Clinical Psychotherapist membership of the UK Council for Psychotherapy (UKCP), and adhere to their Ethical Code.
I'm an Anxiety UK Approved Therapist providing Hypnotherapy and Compassion Focused Therapy to the charity’s members and partner beneficiaries. I am subject to Anxiety UK’s regular monitoring of my professional qualifications, supervision, continual professional development, insurance and professional body membership in addition to complying with the ethical framework and professional standards set down by my registered governing body (UKCP).
I am a member of the National Society of Talking Therapies, and I've also been a member of the Brookhouse Hypnotherapy Group since 2017.
Please note, there are no testimonials on this site, as they are not allowed under the ethical code I follow. One reason for this is that the Advertising Standards Authority require testimonials to be verifiable, and this would compromise client confidentiality, a key requirement of the ethical code.
About me:
Before training as a therapist I had many years of work experience ranging from business to the arts, from employment in large corporations to small businesses and self-employment.
After initial training in counselling work, I studied Integrative Hypno-psychotherapy at the National College of Hypnosis and Psychotherapy (NCHP), on a course externally accredited by UKCP. An integrative approach to psychotherapy simply means that different therapeutic approaches can be employed to suit the specific needs of a client. I chose this training as it gives me an understanding of a range of theories, frameworks and techniques, enabling me to offer help that is tailored to the individual, rather than trying to fit their needs into a particular theoretical model.
Since qualifying as a psychotherapist I've concentrated on studying and working with Mindfulness-based and Compassion-focused approaches, which have become central to a lot of my client work. This was guided by my direct personal experience of mindfulness and compassion practices over many years.
I have trained to work with Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), a mindfulness-based behaviour therapy with a strong evidence base, sometimes described as the 'third wave' of CBT. This includes training in working with specific difficulties such as anxiety, depression, or trauma, and also specific aspects of the ACT model, (for more about ACT please follow the ‘Psychotherapy’ link above). I also frequently incorporate Compassion Focused Therapy (CFT) into my psychotherapy work. CFT was developed by Prof. Paul Gilbert, and can be particularly effective in helping to deal with harsh self-criticism and feelings of ‘not being good enough’.
I find the evidence-based therapy approaches of ACT and CFT can readily combine to provide an effective, short-term, solution-focused therapy that much of my client work is composed of. However, I do also work in longer-term client relationships when this is needed, including situations where someone needs on-going support through a difficult period of their life, or in their recovery from trauma.
My work is also informed by studying Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT), and although I don’t offer this therapy, I do find some of the DBT skills training can be really helpful too. I’m always interested to read about research findings in psychotherapy, and this informs my practice, giving me a preference for evidence-based approaches.
In addition, I am a registered clinical mindfulness teacher, enabling me to facilitate on 8-session courses such as Mindfulness-based Cognitive Therapy, (a NICE approved course shown to reduce the risk of relapse & recurrence of depression for people who have experienced multiple episodes of depression). Prior to the pandemic I regularly worked with Mindful Pathway in St. Albans, teaching courses and also developing course content.
My approach to therapy is driven by the belief that people are highly individual, each with their own particular combination of thoughts, behaviours, desires, hopes, problems and needs. Sometimes the complexities of life can generate stresses and anxieties, and these can be compounded by the way out our minds tend to focus on problems and negatives while ignoring positives. This can lead to a feeling of being blocked and unable to resolve problems and issues.
But I also believe that we all have strengths and abilities that give us the capability to develop, to progress, and to make the changes we want in our lives; something that’s validated by the discovery of neuroplasticity; the life-long ability for the brain to change and develop, based on how it’s used. Ultimately, I seek to help clients get back in charge of their lives, giving them the focus, confidence, calmness and self-sufficiency to progress and let their lives flourish.
William James Davies ADHP(NC) DCMT CHFP MNSTT UKCP reg.