About
Catrina Lewis is a chartered counselling psychologist and integrative psychotherapist with over 20 years’ experience. Catrina has worked in clinical settings in the NHS, private and voluntary organisations and with individuals, groups, couples and families across the lifespan.
As well as being a skilled practitioner, Catrina is an experienced clinical supervisor, manager and consultant. Catrina has also been involved in clinical research trials and also teaches at postgraduate level.
Catrina has worked at Priory for three years on a sessional basis, alongside a senior role in a specialist NHS service.
Therapeutic approach
Catrina’s doctoral level training equips her to work using cognitive behavioural, humanistic/existential and psychodynamic approaches. She has also undertaken additional training and is experienced in the following evidence-based ways of working:
- Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT)
- Dialectical behaviour therapy (DBT)
- Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT)
- Compassion focused therapy (CFT)
- Mentalisation based treatment (MBT)
- Eye movement desensitisation and reprocessing (EMDR)
- Narrative exposure therapy (NET)
- Dynamic interpersonal therapy (DIT)
- Motivational interviewing (MI)
She also has a strong interest in other approaches, including mindfulness-based therapies, incorporating spiritual/faith beliefs held by an individual into their recovery, sensorimotor psychotherapy, somatic experiencing and internal family systems - in both community and coaching psychology.
Catrina regards the therapeutic relationship as key to a successful experience of therapy. She places great emphasis on forming collaborative, empathic relationships with clients and because of the breadth of her training, is able to work in flexible, creative and culturally competent ways to find the right approach for those she works with.
Experience
Catrina has extensive experience of working with individuals experiencing a range of difficulties. These include depression, anxiety (generalised anxiety disorder (GAD), obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), body dysmorphic disorder (BDD), phobias and social anxiety disorder) as well as difficulties, sometimes described as personality disorders, dissociative identity disorder (DID), bipolar disorder and psychosis.
Catrina’s main area of expertise is working with individuals affected by traumatic experiences and supports individuals with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) caused by specific events, e.g. sexual assaults, specific events such as the Hillsborough disaster, bombings, the Grenfell Tower fire, road traffic accidents, and traumatic bereavement. She also supports those affected by events which may relate to difficult childhood experiences e.g. attachment difficulties, adoption, difficult parent/sibling relationships, death/divorce of parents, childhood illness and bullying.
Catrina has a particular interest and extensive experience of working with individuals experiencing difficulties with emotional regulation and with interpersonal relationships, including those who may use addictive/compulsive behaviours, such as alcohol, drugs, gambling, gaming, compulsive sexual behaviour, self-harm and eating disorders (anorexia/bulimia/binge eating disorder (BED)) to manage.
She also has experience of designing and delivering group work programmes as well as working with individuals. Catrina has held leadership roles in NHS and voluntary sector services for individuals experiencing addictions and eating difficulties.
Training
- BPS Chartered and HCPC Counselling Psychologist
- UKCP registered psychotherapist
- BABCP accredited CBT therapist
- EMDR Europe Accredited Practitioner and Consultant in Training.
- BPS approved training at the National Centre for Eating Disorders