Hi, I’m Emma…
I’m a Cognitive Behavioural Therapist based in Northamptonshire.
I’m a lover of being outside, especially when it’s gloriously sunny. I enjoy cooking, going out for dinner, or staying in with a delicious spread of goodies that my friends and I have pulled together. To say I have a sweet tooth is an understatement, I’m one of those people that is already planning pudding when I’m half way through my main meal or checking the pudding menu before deciding on my actual dinner. I love the series F.R.I.E.N.D.S, and it is often the background noise in my house, I’m pretty sure I could mime the words to every episode as I’m watching. I’m also a Mum of 2 young children that I adore and they certainly keep me busy outside of work!
My Story
I’ve always loved being there for people, sometimes just listening, sometimes doing whatever I can to help. It felt very natural for me to follow a career path that led to me becoming a therapist.
I studied Drama and Psychology for my undergraduate degree at Bath Spa University and stayed there to study for my Masters in the Principles of Applied Neuropsychology (MSc). I graduated and felt the pressure to go straight in to a job in Psychology. I decided to take some time developing my skill set in other things first, and worked in retail for The White Company Customer Services for a few years and then for Bobbi Brown as a Makeup Artist. Then one day, something in me felt ready to return to mental health. I found out about an open day at a psychiatric hospital near where I was living and turned up to see what it was about and was lucky to be given an interview that day. I was offered a job as a healthcare assistant on a medium secure ward for women with personality disorders a couple of days later. So, my career in mental health officially started there.
My personal qualities
I’m a very caring person and I’ve always enjoyed helping people. I have always been someone that people come to when they need to talk and be listened to and I’ve always felt that people are able to open up to me and feel comfortable in my presence. I have a calm and relaxed nature about me, I am polite and always put 100% effort in to anything I do. I also like to use humour (where appropriate), I think it helps things to feel more relaxed and it is also nice when things happen that we can laugh about together.
Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT)
After a few years of working in a secure hospital, I started training in CBT within the NHS. The NHS service is very busy with a high case load, which means that I gained experience very quickly with lots of different difficulties, which has been great! I have also been provided with lots of development opportunities (CPD), training and supervision to enhance my knowledge and skills for delivering CBT. I’m a big supporter of what the NHS does, providing high quality care to anyone that needs support, closely following the recommendations from the NICE Guidelines for treatment of common mental health problems. It has shaped me in to the practitioner that I am today. I ensure that I am following protocols and guidelines for treatment as I would in the NHS. I work hard to build a solid therapeutic relationship with my clients, making them feel understood and comfortable to share their difficulties, sometimes being more honest and vulnerable than they have ever been. I take pride in being that person that my clients have confided in and I work hard to ensure that their treatment targets the areas that will help them to achieve their goals and improve their wellbeing. I attend regular supervision to ensure that my work is the best it can be and to get advice on how to maximise success in the interventions we are using.
More from me
I like to talk honestly about experiences that come up in life; the good, the bad and everything in between. I think it’s important for us to feel that we are not alone in some of the things that we go through. Click on the link below to have a read.
Emma Mills Therapy 