Birmingham & Bristol Therapy
About Me
Wendy Hooker
Meet Wendy Hooker
I am a registered, accredited and experienced psychotherapist practising for over 19 years both privately and in the health care sector.
I am also a registered and approved BUPA provider.
In addition I have run psycho-educational groups teaching people how to increase positive mental health, build emotional resilience and delivered well-being workshops at conferences.
Alongside private practise, I currently work part-time for the NHS in a Physical Health Psychology Service working with people experiencing and affected by Cancer and other life limiting illnesses.
I believe in the importance of working from an authentic and transparent standpoint connecting with people on a meaningful level, with a genuine understanding of some of the difficulties they may be facing. I have found that having a stammer myself gives me a good insight into working through challenges, whether physical or emotional. My therapeutic practice focuses on enabling you to work through the issues that may be holding you back and move towards a brighter future.
My Qualifications
MSc Integrative Counselling and Psychotherapy
(BACP Accredited) (Distinction)
Post Graduate Diploma Integrative Counselling and Psychotherapy
(BACP Accredited) (Distinction)
Post Graduate Certificate Integrative Counselling and Psychotherapy
(BACP Accredited) (Distinction)
Higher National Diploma Integrative Counselling
(Merit)
Certificate Psychodynamic Counselling
(Distinction)
I provide psychotherapy from an integrative stand point which means I incorporate all three of the major psychotherapeutic approaches depending on an individual's need.
These are:.
Humanistic Person Centred Therapy
This approach originates from the work of Carl Rogers who believed that by the therapist actively demonstrating what he termed the three core conditions; authenticity, empathy and an unconditional positive regard then change, progression and development towards an individual's full potential will naturally occur. The therapist is neither directive nor acts as an expert on somebody else's life, instead trusting that by demonstrating the core conditions and facilitating an environment of warmth and safety together with the employment of therapeutic skills, individuals will start to find their own solutions.
Psychodynamic and Attachment Therapy
Originally based on the work of Freud and later John Bowlby, this approach looks at how our past and in particular early relationships with significant others can affect us in the present day. Sometimes we may unconsciously play out early attachment patterns which can cause difficulties in adult relationships. This therapy seeks to increase awareness and understanding of learned unhelpful ways of relating to others and identify how we can change these so we can have more satisfying, equal and healthy relationships in the present day.
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)
Originating from two separate approaches; Cognitive Therapy and Behavioural Therapy, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy looks at the link between how our cognitions (thoughts) can affect how we feel, behave and our physiology. This approach in contrast to the above two can be quite directive and educational with the use of collaboratively agreed homework assignments to further learning in between sessions. The aim of CBT is for the client to learn a new set of skills to manage their issues enabling them to become their own therapist.