Chris Williams

PGDipCBT, RMN, BABCP Accred.

Psychotherapist

Available for appointments at our Chiswick Clinic and Online Counselling via Video

Works With Ages 10 and over

Philosophy

Thank you for taking the time to look at my profile. I appreciate how difficult it can be when feeling
distressed, low, desperate, or just unhappy to reach out for help. It is a big step and I have respect
for anyone doing it.
I’ll do my best to help here by describing how I work, the skills I have and saying a little about myself.
I have worked in different areas of mental healthcare for 30 years and have adopted a number of
principles which inform my work, which, incidentally, I continue to develop. I only use techniques
which sit well with me, that make sense and are respectful and compassionate. I appreciate
therapeutic principles with a grounding in research and that have an evidence based approach.
Central to my practise is the reality that each person’s experience is unique and that by working
collaboratively, we can implement an approach that is right for you and that will continue to be
effective long after our time together has ended.

Approach

I am a firm believer in action orientated therapy and believe in you being the expert of yourself. The
phrase, helping you to become your own therapist, is often used but it’s true and I want to pass my
skills onto you to improve the quality of your life. To this end I use regular review sessions so we can
check that our time together is meeting your needs. I also feel it’s important to dedicate time to
preparing for endings, in part, as this allows a clear summary of therapy gains and future application;
also, because endings are a part of life, they can be hard, so to focus on a good ending to therapy
will help in other parts of your life.
My training includes, amongst many others, CBT (Cognitive Behavioural Therapy) which is helpful for
anxiety and, CFT (Compassion Focused Therapy) and ACT (Acceptance and Commitment Therapy) all
of which have proven records of being effective and time efficient methods. These approaches may
incorporate mindfulness, if appropriate, which can be helpful in many ways as it is a meditation
based technique which can be applied with a specific intention(s).
EMDR ((Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing)) is a technique which can be particularly
helpful with trauma based problems, which I have used effectively for PTSD and developmental
trauma. My CAT training is an approach developed for people experiencing personality complexities.
It’s an approach which gives space for expression of life experience, therapist response,
collaborative development, and a series of co-constructed tasks to test out different ways of relating
to others and life choices generally.

Motivation

My motivation comes from several areas, in the main though, it’s an insatiable curiosity to find out
how to help people who need it. The approaches I offer are because I believe in their effectiveness
and my capacity to deliver them well.
I consider the therapeutic relationship to be a very special one and am constantly amazed and
respectful of people’s bravery, tenacity, and preparedness to share the stories of their lives.

About Me

Outside of the therapy room I absolutely love music. I play guitar and enjoy experimental cooking (a
work in progress). These sit alongside fitness activities like cycling, running, martial arts and I really
enjoy a good movie! Travel is wonderful and I’ve been to many places with family and friends with
so many more places to visit!

Registered With