Dr Oonagh Koppel
BSc DClinPsych Clinical Psychologist

Life can be a challenge, and there can be times that meeting with a qualified professional can help to develop a new perspective. Having worked as a clinical psychologist, both within the private sector and in the NHS for close to 20 years, I can work with you to support you in developing the skills needed to cope with whatever difficulty it is that you are facing.

Clinical psychologists hold a doctorate degree, and have studied for at least seven years before qualifying. I draw on cognitive behavioural principles, which is a rigorously researched model of therapy, widely recognised to be the treatment of choice for a number of psychological difficulties, including anxiety and depression. Whilst using the more traditional model CBT when it is helpful, the therapies that have emerged more recently out of CBT can help to develop healthier ways to relate both to ourself and to the thought patterns that can dominate our lives. I have also trained in Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing (EMDR) which is a therapeutic approach that can be hugely helpful for settling symptoms that emerge following trauma and am an accredited EMDR Europe practitioner (https://emdrassociation.org.uk/map-member/dr-oonagh-koppel/).

I am a chartered clinical psychologist registered with the British Psychological Society (BPS) and the Health and Care Professionals Council. I qualified as a clinical psychologist in 2005, and have worked in a number of NHS settings since this time, including primary care and more specialist physical health settings both in London and in Bristol.

Areas of Specialist Experience

I have had close to 20 years of experience working as a clinical psychologist within the NHS, and have developed expertise in working with a range of difficulties that any of us can encounter over the course of a lifetime, including depression, anxiety (including panic, social anxiety and health anxiety), work related difficulties, sleep difficulties, bereavement and post traumatic stress disorder. I am skilled in working with both single event traumas, such as car accidents, as well as trauma related to early childhood experiences. I have a particular interest in the field of clinical health psychology, which focuses on helping people overcome psychological difficulties associated with physical health problems, including coming to terms with a new diagnosis, and managining long term conditions including long term pain.

Therapeutic Approach

I am an empathic clinician, and have been told that I have a warm and gentle approach. I understand that for many, seeking psychological support is a brave step, and I work with my clients to develop a shared understanding of the difficulties they face in order to map out the most helpful way forward. I draw on the therapies that have emerged from cognitive behaviour therapy, including Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and Compassion Focused Therapy (CFT), both of which incorporate a mindfulness based approach. I am trained to offer Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing (EMDR) for the treatment of trauma symptoms and am accredited with the EMDR Association. There is emerging evidence to suggest that EMDR can also be helpful to reduce the impact of long term pain.

Here is a list of the type of difficulties I can help with, although our struggles are not always possible to describe in single words. If you would like to discuss your hopes for therapy with me, do send me an email and we can explore if and how I can help.

Session and fees

My fee per 50 minute session is £120. I am registered with the major insurance companies, and their rates are set with the provider so may vary.

I will do my best at our first meeting to give you a sense of how many sessions we may need. I tend to work in a focussed way to ensure that each session is moving you forwards, and therefore tend to work with people for between four and 20 sessions.

Sessions cancelled with less than 48 hours' notice (two working days), or are not attended will be charged at the full rate.

Confidentiality and privacy

It is of course important that you feel free to discuss whatever you need. Most of the time this information remains confidential, however there are some limits to this. If I have concerns about you I have a duty to share this, in order to help you access services that you might need. Wherever possible I will let you know that I am planning to do this.

I adhere to the General Data Protection Regulation guidance. For further information on the above, please see my terms and conditions here.

I work from

For any questions or to contact me to make an appointment, you can send me an email to the address below.