We all want to enjoy the lives we have, not be bogged down in self criticism, overwhelmed by emotions, stuck in spirals of negative thinking, or be haunted by the past. Therapy can help us find our freedom and enjoyment, in ourselves and our lives.

THERAPY - Caring for you

If you're struggling with difficult emotions, depression, anxiety, low self esteem, self criticism, trauma, PTSD, complex PTSD, ‘personality disorder’, obsessive-compulsive disorder, social anxiety, grief, loss, or finding yourself confronted with difficult life changes, then you're in the right place. We have expertise and experience in helping people through these difficulties.

Whilst things might feel hard or even unbearable at the moment, they don't have to stay this way. Change is possible for you, especially when we start by understanding you and the difficulties you're experiencing.

You don't need to struggle alone with this any longer. This is where we can help. We will draw on our specialist training in CFT, DBT, CBT, ACT and FAP and our years of experience as Clinical Psychologists to develop an individualised therapy program tailored to you and your hopes for change.

If you are suffering at present and need warm, professional support, or if you’re just curious about the benefits of therapy for you, please reach out and let’s see how we might work together to support you.

Get in Touch

What You Can Expect...

How can I contact you and when will I hear back?

When and how can we meet?

We have therapy spaces available at various times Monday to Friday, including two evening clinics on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Janet is also able to offer some therapy appointments on the weekends.

Once a time is agreed, we will reserve this for you so you have the option to meet regularly at this same time every week.

Our DBT group program runs on Thursday evenings.

There may be a wait for therapy. This can be longer if your availability is limited and you need an appointment at a certain time. In these cases it is usually possible for us to add you to our waiting list and be in touch when a slot is available. If it looks like we're not going to be available in a helpful timeframe, we're often able to suggest for you some trusted colleagues you can contact who may have availability sooner than we do, so please still reach out and we'll see how we can help.

Throughout the pandemic we transitioned to working mostly online (via Zoom) and this has remained really popular with our clients.

Shelley also has the option of a few in-person therapy spaces in Southville, Bristol.

What will our sessions involve?

We usually begin by considering what has brought you to therapy now, understanding your difficulties in more depth, and working together to make sense of your experiences.

We will bring our curiosity, knowledge, and experience to helping us figure out how things are working for you. We hope you will bring the same.

In this initial assessment we will rely most on your descriptions of your experiences, though we might also use some assessment measures to help us understand specific difficulties. Occasionally it helps to include important others to share information. The result will be an individualised understanding of you and your experiences that will continue to evolve and develop over the course of our work together.

Our understanding of you and your difficulties (psychologists call this a ‘psychological formulation’) will guide the recommendations we make for you and the therapeutic approach we choose.

You might also have a sense of the kind of therapy you’d like. You might have been drawn to working with us because of my expertise in a certain area, and we will take this into account too.

What matters is that we are making decisions about your care, together.

What kind of therapies are available?

The therapeutic models we use most and have specialist training and much experience in are CFT, DBT, CBT, ACT, and FAP. You can click on each of the links below to read more about each way of working and what to expect:

We might also choose to draw on the wisdom of a combination of these models to create a bespoke therapy journey to meet your needs.

How long can I see you for?

We will be available to you for as long as we're helpful. Ideally, we can help you get to a place where you've achieved your goals and feel ready to end therapy.

How long you will need to spend in therapy will depend on the difficulties you're experiencing and your goals for therapy. There may be other realities that are important to consider, such as your financial situation or the limits of your insurance policy.

At Compassionate Change, we offer short- and long-term evidence-based psychological therapies. Shorter term courses of therapy (e.g. 10-20 sessions) tend to be more skill-based, whilst long term therapy (e.g. a year or longer) often allows space to explore and integrate your discoveries about yourself and your experiences into your life.

Our DBT program is an intensive therapy that runs for about a year, including both weekly 1:1 sessions and group skills training. When you're signing up for DBT, it's best to commit to the whole program. You can read more about this specialist therapy here: DBT

We find it is helpful to review therapy periodically, so we can make sure we're remaining helpful to you.

How much do you charge and can I use my insurance policy?

Sessions range from £120-130/ 50min session. DBT sessions are charged at a higher rate due to the extra time commitment of phone coaching that we make available between sessions.

We accept self-funding clients. Shelley is also registered as a provider with various insurers (e.g. BUPA, Vitality, AXA, Cigna), so you can use your policy to fund treatment if need be. Check with your provider around what your policy includes and any limits to funding.

Is there anyone you don't work with?

Where can I find out more?

Have more questions? We'd like to help. Get in touch and let's talk about what you need.

Get in Touch

What Our Clients Say...*

"Shelley is not just someone who listens, but someone who helps you to listen to yourself. At the time, in a depressed state you feel like none of this is actually going to make any difference, you think “this isn’t going to work for me” - because you desperately want a magic sticking plaster to feel better. Then, a few weeks in and you start to notice small changes to the way you approach thoughts and feelings, you’re a bit surprised by this, but maybe it’s just because you’ve got someone to talk to who listens and understands. You see Shelley again, and she tries another exercise with you, you leave the session relieved and uplifted, but think “I’ll never remember all of that or actually be able to do it in the real world” and then a few days later, you find your brain starting to adapt that technique Shelley taught last week without even realising it, or reacting to something differently because you’ve approached it from an entirely different perspective without even realising.

Truthfully I felt guilty about the way that I felt. I felt guilty for the dark mornings when I couldn’t face the day, or the tears that would arrive and remain all day, and just feeling that every task was beyond me. The guilt was because I had a good life and really shouldn’t have anything to cry about. Shelley let me know that it was okay to feel this way, the work we did on breathing and safe spaces really helped me take the joy and positives from small things and realistic achievements and slowly, the small things turned into bigger achievements. She taught me to self-congratulate and see the good in the things I did. I’m 14 months on from my last session with Shelley and they haven’t been easy times! But I feel like I’ve got my own back, it’s as simple as that. The imaginary voice of compassion and reason we used to pretend existed, now does, and it’s me.

How easily some of the techniques I thought were a bit balmy at the time have stuck with me and have just settled into my mindset. The safe space work has translated to a real place that I go to just exist and breathe and reflect. I don’t even have to consciously do this - as soon as I’m there it just happens and the breathing slows. I’ve also had many people comment on how my approach to others have changed. When you are not constantly thinking “it must be something I’ve said” or “something I’ve done” you can see a way to treat others more compassionately and patiently."

CFT Client

"I would recommend Shelley to anyone who is looking for a psychologist. Shelley is extremely kind and compassionate, and a great listener. She made me feel so comfortable straight away - I could be completely and unapologetically myself and tell her anything. She listens openly, without judgment, and offers practical support and guidance."

Client

"I have appreciated how patient, kind, and compassionate you have been throughout my journey. I appreciate your guidance and dedication towards my success in achieving any breakthroughs and goals during my therapy. I've appreciated your continued support (even after our sessions "ended") and the tangible tools you've given me to better manage the parts of my life that felt so imbalanced and out of my control."

Client

"Shelley has helped me grow as a person, to grow from feeling so down and out, to being optimistic and hopeful. Shelley helped me face my fears and challenges which have led me on a path of continued growth."

CFT Client

"Shelley sees you for who you are, and what you are going through. That's the best starting point anyone could wish for, going into any session with a professional.

Life is rough at times. We will be challenged constantly throughout our lifetime. I feel I have way more tools to deal with the next challenges life brings, thanks to Shelley."

CFT Client

"Things were very unsettling and volatile for me before I started therapy. I felt hopeless, depressed, anxious, and just generally stuck in a low place. It only took a few sessions with Shelley before I started to feel better, more hopeful, and more comfortable with my feelings and how to manage my emotions. Two and a half years later, I'm still on this continual path to self-improvement, but because of Shelley, I have been given the proper and lasting tools to manage the things that I felt unable to manage years ago. Overall, I feel so much more confident, self-aware, and balanced."

CFT Client

"Therapy was helpful for me in many ways. First, it taught me to recognise the physical symptoms which are often easy to miss when I was in an emotional state of mind. It taught me a discipline to apply a multiple of techniques to avoid escalating destructive behaviours. Once I had understood this I was encouraged to regularly practise each skill or technique until it became an integral part of my daily life. For many people in society, these techniques are a natural part of sub-conscious behaviour but for me it was a real change in my usual brain pattern of thinking. Not easy to change but with hard work and perseverance it became easier and easier for me.

As I became more skilful, I was asked to chain events, in other words looking right back to the root cause of a behaviour or emotion. This enabled me to recognise not just emotions leading to destructive behaviours but even earlier feelings and thoughts which in most cases triggered secondary emotions.

For those who want to understand why they are the way they are the pain of coming to terms with the past can be the hardest of all but whatever we need to achieve from therapy, it can be done.

I have a much richer life now and can deal with pain without hurting those closest and dearest to me."

DBT Client

"I wholeheartedly cannot recommend Dr. Kerr (Shelley) enough. In short, she gave me my life back or more accurately, she helped me take it back. I will forever be unbelievably grateful to her. My OCD was very specific and as much as I tried, I could not tackle it on my own. Shelley taught me about what was happening, coupled with practical sessions, helping me to overcome it head on. She is attentive, caring, never judgemental but also practical and makes you work at it. It was a process (that it is still on-going) but was exactly what I needed. It was the most important money I've ever spent.

I was in crisis mode when I first came to Dr. Kerr. I'd tried pretty much everything I could on my own, including other NHS therapy (which was great! but I needed a more specific, personal approach at this point). In my case I needed focussed work on my specific OCD. It was something that took time and consistent work and that will continue but far less frequently. I now have the understanding of what is going on and why + the tools of how to tackle it on my own. My OCD will always be there but it very rarely takes over my life now.

Specifically, I was always so pleasantly surprised about how much you remembered of the small things I had mentioned. As a patient, especially with OCD, it's so scary saying everything out loud but you always made me feel safe and listened to + remembered what I had said. I also always appreciated the kindness on email outside of the sessions too, building that long term trust was so valuable for me. I also really appreciated that you'd bring in specific research that you'd found for me and that there was never any pressure to 'book another session' (always a balance as multiple are most effective but I never felt pressured which was so nice).

I remember we had a folder during our sessions, that was quite helpful for me at the beginning just to have a record of my progress. In those early stages, when my brain was so overwhelmed, that was really helpful to remind me we were working on a long term plan. Maybe that could be useful for other people too.

Honestly, just thank you so so much. When I think back to how it was when I first arrived, I am in SUCH a better, happier place and I can now help other people too, as I talk about it more. I cannot thank you enough, keep being awesome and I'll keep working at it too!"

CFT/ CBT Client

"If you think it’s all a big load of bollocks its natural. You have been dealing with something shit your entire life in most likely a shitty, but comforting way – self-harm, alcohol, drugs, fucking people you find repulsive etc. Suddenly someone comes along who the docs think will genuinely help you. You’re thinking a personification of diazepam right? No, instead you get someone telling you to ”breathe” and “be aware but not alert” and you start to think – this is gobshite. Hold on though. Nothing else is working long term is it? You don’t like your past behaviours or you wouldn’t be here – it wouldn’t be a problem.

If I was told last summer that next summer a) It will be really hot b) you won’t have visited the hospital once for psych reasons, and c) you will look forward to going to therapy - I would have said “Can I please have the tablet you took too?” Now I realise this therapy isn’t about raking over crap, it’s about new tools that I am, very gradually, learning how to use.

You will be resistant, even when you don’t want to be. I found myself making excuses even when I knew It was crap. Eventually a wise woman told me “A “but” always comes before bullshit.” Now I remember that every time I feel an excuse coming on. It has helped me become a lot more willing. Just remember that group is the best place to practice things that make you feel a bit of a twat. At some point you will catch yourself saying cornily to an outsider “That’s a judgment!” and half-die, however still be secretly pleased that it’s all finally sinking in and becoming the “new“ natural."

DBT Client

*Directly quoted feedback shared with the generous permission of some of my former clients

Get in Touch