Get to know us - Dr Gail Freedman

I am a Chartered Counselling Psychologist with the British Psychological Society (BPS) and registered to practise with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC: PYL38107). I have extensive experience working with a wide range of mental health difficulties. I am passionate about improving the mental health of individuals and helping them get to where they desire to be and feel.

I believe that one size does not fit all. I take an integrative approach to therapy, drawing upon various models of therapy founded in a Humanistic Rogerian Philosophical approach, where the therapeutic alliance forms a place of safety for change to occur. I can offer therapy modalities such as CBT, Person-Centred, Systemic, Narrative, and Psychodynamic approaches.

Having many years of experience working in various settings means I am skilled in working in one-to-one, individual therapy, as well as group settings and multidisciplinary teams (MDTs). I work with a range of presenting difficulties for people across the lifespan, both in-person and online. Fundamental to my identity as a Counselling Psychologist, following the scientist-practitioner model, is the development of individual formulations to understand a person’s difficulties and inform therapeutic practice in an evidence-based fashion.

In addition to working with various mood and anxiety issues, I offer particular expertise for people on the spectrum, having worked in Autism support and diagnosis (for under 18 years of age).

I am currently furthering my professional development and working towards accreditation as an Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) Practitioner.

A wealth of research has been conducted in the field of EMDR, demonstrating its benefits in treating psychological trauma arising from experiences as diverse as violent conflict, natural disasters, physical assault, road traffic and workplace accidents, and childhood sexual and/or physical abuse or neglect. EMDR is increasingly proving itself across the breadth of psychological disorders and has been found to be of benefit in a range of anxiety disorders such as OCD, Social Anxiety, and Panic Disorder.

Since training in EMDR in 2017, I have been a member of the EMDR UK Association and have practised as an EMDR Therapist. During this time, I have gained experience and undertaken further training in EMDR for OCD, Attachment-Informed EMDR, and Complex Trauma. This is a stand-alone therapy but can also be integrated with other approaches such as CBT, Narrative Therapy, Systemic, and Internal Family Systems.

As an EMDR Therapist, I first spend time getting to know your history and understanding the kind of distress you are experiencing to determine if EMDR is appropriate for you. Following this, I develop a formulation and treatment plan to guide therapy. As the distress decreases with EMDR, people often report feelings of relief. At the end of EMDR therapy, many people say that they are no longer disturbed by their memories and that this liberation enables them to live more fulfilling and happier lives.

I have experience treating and can offer help for the following conditions:

I have experience treating and can offer help for the following conditions:

• Mood issues, such as Depression
• Anxiety
• Panic Disorder
• Social Anxiety
• OCD (Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder)
• Health Anxiety (Hypochondria)
• Specific Phobias
• GAD (Generalised Anxiety Disorder)
• Anger Issues (within the context of other presenting issues)
• Sexuality and Sexual issues
• Physical Health Problems
• Addictions
• Children/Adolescents
• Children ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder)
• Adult ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder)
• Trauma & PTSD
• Relationship Difficulties
• Stress
• Bereavement
• Work-related issues
• Low Self-Confidence and Self-Esteem
• Bipolar
• Sleep Therapy

Insurances she works with: AXA, Aviva, Cigna, Simply Health, WPA and others.

Gail offers therapy online and in-person