Hello!

I’ve had this blurb here for a few years saying I was ‘real’ and ‘genuine’ using a load of decorative words (including the very long and fancy word: “experiential-existential” lol, who even knows what that is outside of me and the little group of peculiar humans who decided to school themselves in it?! I’m sorry, I did it to tell you I know my stuff. There are better ways to do that, I know that now.). I’m guessing that you’re here, on this page, either because you are a professional looking at other professionals trying to figure out how one write an ‘about me’ page (not easy, hey?), or a prospective client trying to figure out whether I’ll be able get you, and if I know what I’m talking about …right?

I’ll see if I can help in answering those questions…

Will I be able to get you?

Maybe! I’ve been in the field for a good few years and have heard and seen most things, leaving me unshockable and non-judgemental. Want to leave (or save!) your marriage? Had an affair? Can’t stand parenting? Complicated relationship to sex? Anger problems? Drug issues? Money problems? Can’t get out of your head? Secretly convinced you’re going mad (you’re probably not, it’s more likely your threat system running amok making you believe that you are, a common symptom of anxiety)? Hate your boss?

Whatever it is you’re facing and wish to work on, if it is within my scope of expertise, and I believe I can see a valid therapeutic route forward, then I will fully commit to supporting you.

So, what is it like to be therapised (new word!) /in therapy with me?

My experience leaves me with some pretty good BS radar. I won’t let you sit and do ‘pretend therapy’. For those who never been in therapy this means you ‘have a nice and pleasant chat’ for 50-minutes. Nope dude, I dig deep. During those 50 minutes I’m there with you. And I will probably make you cry. Not because I have a sadistic gene that I bring to the therapy room, but because I am good at finding the root cause to people’s distress and work with their core problem rather than at surface level. And you know, sometimes, therapy is friggin’ painful, because life can be messy, and being human can be bloody hard. Having brains that can get stuck in loops of fear and worry doesn’t make it any easier.

But why do you dig deep? I just wanna learn a few techniques. No need to talk about anything else really.

Just like when you go to the doctor with a broken arm, and you fiercely cover the wound behind cloths not really wanting to take a look, similar processes are often in operation in psychotherapy. In order to move towards healing there is a need to take a detailed look (or at least allow the surgeon to do so).  This so that we can assess the situation fully, and start to, in an organised and constructive manner informed by science,  apply the appropriate treatment so that your body gets a chance to heal effectively. Putting your arm in a cast, without making a full assessment, may heal in a harmful way that in the long run, may cause you more pain. Does that make sense?

But you’re expensive, why should I choose you when there are others on Psychology Today charging half your rate?

Excellent question!

• Level of training

As the years gone by, I have trained in many different therapy forms. I have five different therapeutic approaches in my toolbox that I lean on. Why? Because not every client is the same. In total these studies amount to 9 years of university studies, five of which were done at a postgraduate level. And that is not counting all the continues professional development (CPD) courses I’ve attended. Most trained psychologists and counsellors don’t have this level of training.

• Continues commitment to the field

I take pride in doing a good job and have high standards on my clinical practice. I also believe it to be of utmost importance to stay up to date with advancements in the field once having graduated, so I continue to receive training and consultation from top experts within the field.

• Onsite Psychiatrist

As a clinic we also have a psychiatrist connected to us which means that, if needed you, will be able to access this service with a much shorter waiting list than most other places.

Ok great, so you know what you are talking about, and you may be worth it. But what about pain? Have you ever even felt it? Have you even been in therapy yourself?

I don’t just dish it out, I see therapy as something essential to my personal well-being, along with a range of other things. It helps me to slow down. To pause. To ground. To reflect. To connect to myself and what I value. Other years it has helped me work through some really shitty Trauma that I was unlucky enough to experience. To answer your question: yes, I have felt pain.

Ok, ok so not everything has been perfect in your life. But are you one of those therapists who just refers everything back to their own experience and overshares about themselves in order to heal their own stuff?

Absolutely not. Metaphor: just because the doctor who is treating your broken arm had a similar facture on their leg a decade ago it doesn’t necessarily mean that they will incessantly talk about their facture or the pain of it, right? First of all that won’t heal yours, and probably won’t be very helpful to you. Secondly, if the doctor still experiences problems in relation to their fracture the wise thing is not to seek support from the patient, but to go to an expert who can help them heal it, agree?

Alright, but what if I don’t like you? Or if it just doesn’t feel right?

The most important thing for a psychological therapy to be successful is the therapeutic alliance. This is psycho-babble for whether we vibe or not, that is: if we are a good match. You will probably not be able to determine this until you met me a few times. We will have an open discussion about this, and talk about if we feel that we can work together. I will present you with what I believe to be the best and most effective therapeutic route forward, and I will leave it with you to decide if you feel you like to start that journey.

If not, what other options are there?

I have a large referral network of colleagues and usually I have an idea of what service may be better suited with what you are hoping to achieve, and I will always strive to find a suitable referral source for you.

Fine, lets book a session, how do I do that?

You may pop me an email on emely@bellyardpsychology.co.uk, or send me a text on +44 77 2219 4506 and we’ll get something in the diary. You may also use the form here on this website.

Copyright © 2023 Emely Ostberg