About
Annabel Robb
I am a Psychotherapist trained in EMDR and Art Psychotherapy. Alongside my private practice I also run a therapy space called The Therapy Studio and work part-time as a Specialist CAMHS Practitioner with adolescents in the NHS.
Over the past 10 years I have worked within the private and public sectors with adults and young people. Such settings include community based clinics, schools, social services, rehabilitation units, acute hospitals, forensic settings, therapeutic communities and supported housing placements. In the past 6 years I have also provided Clinical Supervision to fellow psychotherapists, trainees, as well as Reflective Practice to mental health and education teams.
I have a great deal of experience working with individuals who have been exposed to trauma in their lives, which in turn manifests in a felt separateness from others and complex emotional responses to the world around them. I have specific experience working with young people who have experienced neglect or abuse, along with adult survivors. I have experience of working with children and adults with Autism, ADHD and learning difficulties.
I tend to work integratively using a combination of talking therapy and EMDR or Art Psychotherapy. Often people can approach Art Therapy with an assumption that artwork must be created in each session which can feel a daunting and intimidating prospect. However, there are no set expectations other than building a therapeutic relationship and navigating your challenges together.
My practice is based both in Central Brighton and West Sussex.
Qualifications:
Level 4 - EMDR
Clinical Supervision
Post Graduate Diploma - Family Interventions
Masters MA - Art Psychotherapy
BA Hons - Fine Art
Foundation in Art Psychotherapy & Fine Arts
Diploma in Health & social Care
Trained in:
Sensorimotor Psychotherapy, Bereavement and Loss, Trauma Informed Psychotherapy, Boarding School Syndrome, DBT, Clinical Supervision, Reflective Practice, Internal Family Systems, Body Informed Therapy, Eco Therapy, Art Psychotherapy Formulations, Motivational Interviewing, SEN Communications.
What is EMDR
EMDR stands for Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing.
Unlike other treatments that focus on unveiling the emotions, thoughts and responses resulting from traumatic experiences, EMDR therapy focuses directly on the memory, and is intended to change the way that the memory is stored in the brain.
With the use of eye movements and other forms of rhythmic left-right (bilateral) stimulation (e.g., tones or taps), the client briefly focuses on the trauma memory, anxiety or fear and simultaneously experiences bilateral stimulation (BLS). This process aims to reduce the vividness and emotion of the memory including targeting any problematic symptoms that have manifested as a result.
What is Art Therapy
Art Psychotherapy is a form of therapy which allows the client to express, communicate and process their experiences through the use of art materials.
It does not require any previous experience of art making or expertise. Making 'good' art is a foreign concept in Art Therapy as clients are often encouraged to channel their instinctive uses of materials.
Artwork can sometimes be made individually, with the therapist or sometimes not at all in sessions. The emphasis remains on the relationship between the client and therapist, discovering and thinking together in the space.