Carolin Williamson

Integrative psychotherapist
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About

Carolin works as integrative psychotherapist and eye movement desensitisation and reprocessing (EMDR) therapist on the addiction treatment programme at the Manor Ward, Priory Hospital Woodbourne in Birmingham. In addition to delivering a variety of therapeutic groups for inpatients, she specialises in the family support element of the programme.

Position at Priory

Carolin first joined Priory as an addiction therapist at Priory Hospital Nottingham in 2013, working on a specialist team for the dedicated addiction treatment ward. She has since worked in various settings and roles across sites, providing therapeutic groups and skills training on both child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) and eating disorder wards, managing the addiction treatment programme at Priory Hospital Woodbourne and working at the wellbeing centre.

Carolin has longstanding experience in working with outpatients with a variety of presenting issues, including substance and process addictions, trauma, loss and bereavement, anxiety, low self-esteem, emotionally unstable personality disorder (EUPD), and others. She also provides couples therapy for people whose relationship has been affected by addiction. 

Being an integrative therapist, Carolin uses a variety of different approaches to meet each client where they’re at on their personal journey. Carolin’s work is founded in attachment theory, with a person-centred core. She integrates elements of Gestalt therapy, dialectical behaviour therapy (DBT), cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), as well as creative work, drawing on her experience in art therapy. As working with trauma has always been an important aspect for her, Carolin has trained in EMDR therapy to be able to offer her clients a more holistic approach to dealing with these underlying challenges. 

Having each person’s recovery journey at the heart of her work, Carolin believes that building strong therapeutic relationships is key to successful therapy.

Training

  • Carolin trained as an art therapist at the Academy of Fine Arts Dresden, Germany. She graduated in 2010 with a German Post-Graduate Diploma (MA equivalent). 
  • In 2014, Carolin earned a distinction when completing her Masters of Science in Integrative Psychotherapy and Counselling at Derby University. 
  • Carolin is an accredited member of the British Association of Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP). 
  • Throughout her career, Carolin has had a great interest in learning and understanding addiction, dedicating both of her Masters theses to this topic, and attending addiction conferences (UKESAD), as well as engaging in further specific training since, like EMDR training, behaviour couples therapy for addictions (BCT-AD), co-dependency and others. 
  • She has engaged in ongoing professional development and further training beyond this topic (with an interest in trauma, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), autism, highly sensitive people, shame and vulnerability) and broadened her skill set in a variety of approaches. These include DBT training, chair work, action methods in Gestalt therapy and motivational interviewing.

Languages

  • English 
  • German 
  • Spanish

Qualifications

  • Graduate Diploma in Fine Arts/Sculpture (Germany) 
  • Master of Science in Integrative Counselling and Psychotherapy (UK) 
  • Post-Graduate Diploma, Art Therapy (MA equivalent, Germany)

Research has shown that the biggest factor for successful therapy does not lie in the type of therapy used, but in the therapeutic relationship between patient and therapist. Even though I am psychodynamically trained, I integrate other forms of therapy to best meet the individual needs of every patient and their unique circumstances. This two-way dynamic enables and promotes growth within the patient as well as the therapist, thus strengthening the relationship and possible outcomes of the therapeutic process.