I am interested
in what works
for you and
your clients...

About

ABOUT - MATT

I co-wrote The Straight Talking Introduction to Therapy and co-write the blog: "Get Some Help!"

I am a supervisor, psychotherapist and coach. And the co-Director of The London Centre for Applied Psychology.

Previously, I was Chair of The Bowlby Centre. Before that, I worked for two decades in government.

I am an associate member of The BPS, an ILM-accredited Coach and a member of the British Association of Sports and Exercise Sciences. I have studied at the London Business School and have a masters degree from Warwick Business School.

I have a BPS-Approved Certificate in Clinical Supervision and you can read more about my approach to supervision below.

My Approach

I provide evidence-based supervision and one-off case consultation (online or in-person): for therapists, counsellors and coaches - working with individuals, couples and young adults over 18.

Whether you come for a single-session about a difficult case, or for ongoing support, my aim is for supervision to extend your range of skills and choices - by looking at different models and techniques to help you help your clients. Supervision should be challenging, interesting, supportive, and above all, useful.

About Supervision

I am not attached to any particular school of therapy, coaching or supervision. Instead, I am interested in what works for you and your clients. What's more important than how we were trained is working out what is most useful to our clients.

In supervision we will look at the problems you and your clients are experiencing through different lenses and frameworks. Doing so allows you to expand your options and gives you and your clients more choice. Using different models won’t tell you what to do, but different lenses help you see things afresh and present your clients with alternative ways to view their problems and new techniques to reduce their distress.

Good supervision is about offering fresh perspectives, new ideas, alternative frameworks and second opinions. Often when we are ‘stuck’, we need new ways of seeing and different approaches to try. I want supervision to have a positive impact on you and your work. I aim for supervision to be supportive and enjoyable, but above all, useful to you and your clients.

More about Supervision...

Therapy, counselling and coaching can be hard, lonely and complex. Supervision helps you cope with the challenges of a difficult job. In good supervision you drop the professional mask and together we are realistic, honest and practical about your work and your limits.

Supervision is about three things: (1) introducing you to new ways of thinking about problems and the skills that go with that (2) making sure you are working to a high standard, and (3) supporting you, in what can be a lonely and difficult job.

This model has been around for a while and is one of the clearest frameworks for understanding supervision. You can read more about it here.

Sometimes that might be as simple as introducing you to a new skill or idea. Sometimes it might be inviting you to reflect on why you choose a particular approach and what you might have done differently. At other times, it’s support when you’re feeling overwhelmed.

The primary skill of supervision is the same as the primary skill in delivering good therapy or coaching: getting the balance right between challenge and support.

Some supervision can be stiff, formal or strict; telling you what to do and taking clinical responsibility for your work. That’s not my approach. I am as interested in what you’re doing right, and what’s going well, as well as your difficulties.

I am also interested in what makes you tick - not just your caseload. Not just how you are working - but also the impact it's having on you. Are you acknowledging what’s hard, referring out cases when necessary and charging enough for your time? Are you over-scheduled or working outside of your scope of practice? In other words, are you taking care of yourself and your clients?

Good supervision is about being open, honest and curious as we work through problems together - learning from mistakes, building on your strengths and leaving you with new ideas to take into your client work. Supervision is seldom improved by a rigid attitude and I try to offer an approach tailored to your needs.

This way of working seems to strike a chord with most therapists and coaches. When surveyed, more than 85% of counsellors in the UK said they don’t take a pure-form approach. And the figure in the U.S. was even higher, with more than 90% of clinical psychologists saying they embraced several orientations. Figures from coaching suggest similar.

Experienced practitioners tend to favour a flexible, integrated and pragmatic approach. So, if that sounds like you, feel free to reach out or book a session.

Getting the right supervision in place is critical to any effective therapy and coaching. It’s a non-negotiable requirement of every professional body, for good reason. Many practitioners and academics regard it as the single most important element of their practice. And many more acknowledge that it’s often the hardest relationship to get right.

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