Helen Dalton

I have availability to offer consultation/ supervision to individuals on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. Sessions last 50 - 60 mins. I can offer on line supervision , but it would be good to meet in person at least once at the outset, if possible. 

My annual leave generally fits with the typical Christmas and Easter holiday period. My summer break is in August. I may also take a midterm break on occasion.  

I am an adult psychoanalytic psychotherapist and offer psychotherapy to practitioners trained, or who are currently training, or wish to learn this approach. I qualified in 2007, after a long and rigorous training. I have myself had intensive long term psychotherapy and I would expect practitioners in psychoanalytic /dynamic psychotherapy to also have had, or be in regular psychotherapy themselves at a minimum of once a week.  

I have worked in mental health for about 40 years and as psychoanalytic psychotherapist since qualification in 2007,  both in the NHS and in private practice. I have experience of working with a wide range of presentations, across the life span and in a range of settings - clinic and community based.  I am also qualified as a parent-infant psychotherapist. I teach and train in the field of psychoanalysis,  psychotherapy and developmental psychology and supervise other psychotherapists or trainees. I am a training therapist for qualifying courses in psychodynamic psychotherapy. My back ground is that following under graduate degree, and interested and curious about human behaviour, relationships, mental health and illness, I trained as a psychodynamic social worker and specialised in initially adult mental health and then child, adolescent and families. I have worked in NHS  multi-disciplinary teams, so am familiar with the perspective of other mental health professionals, and I know my way around the NHS mental health settings and systems.  

I usually suggest an initial meeting to discuss what you are looking for in supervision, and other practicalities. It is useful to hear about a piece of clinical work, and then we can both get a sense of how each other thinks and understands the work, and whether we think we can work together. Once agreed, we would usually keep to the same time and frequency, but I can try to be flexible if needed. I welcome feedback, and would prefer to hear about, at an early stage, any difficulties you are experiencing that you feel is impacting upon the work or upon your experience of supervision, so we can hopefully address them. 

I see individuals over the age 17 for assessment as to suitability for psychoanalytic/dynamic psychotherapy, and also I also offer  psychotherapy.   Individuals seek psychotherapy for a  range of mental health/emotional issues, such as mood difficulties, anxiety, difficulties with sleep, eating, daily functioning, identity issues, including concerns about gender identity.  I would consider a person's difficulties within the context of their past and present relationships and experiences.   Even if the individual has been assessed elsewhere, I would always do my own assessment and discuss my opinion with the individual at the outset.  Some individuals may have unrealistic ideas as to what psychotherapy can achieve, and if I don't think what I can offer would be helpful for them, I would always discuss other options . My therapeutic frame is typical for psychoanalytic psychotherapist in that sessions last 50 minutes with good notice of any breaks I intend to take. I  offer myself and my consulting room as a  safe, reliable space to enable a person to bring their thoughts and feelings, including their most difficult, and about which they may feel great discomfort.  

Some individuals sit, others use the couch. I tend to see people for long terms therapy, but this depends upon what the individual is seeking, and is discussed in the assessment period. . 

I offer a free, brief to potential supervisees - 15/20 minute  - phone conversation, and this is to ascertain the basics as to what you are looking for and what I offer. Should it seem indicated,  we would then meet, preferably in person if possible, and then discuss further as I have described above  I would charge for this second contact.