Who is The Listening Therapist?

May I wish you all a warm welcome to my mental health blog at thelisteningtherapist.co.uk

I'm Ben and I am the face behind The Listening Therapist.  I am a Mental Health Practioner and a Forensic Psychologist in Training. I also support adult students in further and higher education as a Specialist Mental Health and Neurodivergent Mentor and Counsellor.  

I have heard many people express that they have never felt believed or listened to by a therapist before!  This saddens me.  As someone who experiences mental health issues himself, I have unfortunately experienced this first hand. I have also witnessed discrimination in health care just because of the patients sex.  This has empowered me to be able to empathise and see my clients emotional pain in new ways. Apart from being an expert by experience in psychology, its is important to know that I have received the required training.

Qualifications

From January 2015 to June 2018 I studied for my Batchelors of Science with Honours (BSc (Hons)) in Forensic Psychology through The Open University. Then between 2021 and 2023, I completed my Masters of Science (MSc) at Coventry University - also within the field of Forensic Psychology (also known as Stage 1 to Chartership).  

Additional Training

I enjoy regularly take part in professional development training to keep myself abreast of new developments, techniques and try to keep up to date with scientific research.  These clinical and forensic training courses have covered topics such as violence risk assessments in both community and secure settings (HCR-20v3 & VRISK10*) and carrying out structured psychiatric diagnostics for both the clinical and personality disordered populations (SCID-CV & PD*). I am qualified to use Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) for clients suffering from Chronic Pain, Anxiety in adults and children/young people (CYP), Depression, Trauma, Childhood Abuse, Neurodivergence and other general clinical presentations (CBT-P, CBT-T & CBT). 

Sadly many today go through Domestic Violence (DV).  Thus I am able to support those clients to prevent further attacks, DV reduction risk assessments (DASH), Court report writing and assessments in Civil & Family Court.  I am also trained in PREVENT, terrorism risk assessments (domestic and international), complex negotiation skills and advanced safeguarding for children and adults.  I am also qualified in mentoring those who are 16+ years of age in further and higher education who are neurodivergent, disabled, leaving care or have a complex mental illness.

Providing Care

Over the years it has been an honour to assist people who are survivors of domestic violence, rape, carers, disabled individuals, hate crime victims & vulnerable court witnesses (prosecution & defence) and litigants in person (LiPs - a user of the courts who have no legal representation) who are unable to secure a legal representative within the criminal, family and civil courts.  I have experience in treating those with PTSD & C-PTSD, schizophrenia, personality, depressive and anxiety based disorders.  I do not discriminate against any client and support everyone in a equitable way no matter what their sex, age, beliefs, sexual orientation, race, disabilities, religion or gender you identify with may be.  In a world so full of hate, never has it been more important than now to reach out to those around us that are in need of care.  

Waiting for an NHS Appointment

Although our NHS in the UK is a God send, mental health provision is underfunded to a deplorable level.  Mental wellbeing has become something only attainable for those who can afford to pay for private healthcare.

That's why I have designed this blog.  It will:

• Provide up to date and relevant information on psychological wellbeing for FREE!  
• Offer discounted trauma informed psychological therapeutic support via online video conferencing or telephone therapy sessions lasting 60 minutes each that can be adapted to suit your needs at a time that is appropriate for you and your busy lives. 
• Offer FREE Clinical Therapeutic Assessments to screen and triage clients which last approx. 30 minutes long.
• These are available for all individuals no matter where in the world you live as long as you can understand English.  

I hold professional indemnity insurance as required by law and am registered with the British Psychological Society.

Being aware of ones own professional boundaries is so important.  So If you require a service that I do not currently offer or am not qualified to that level, I will endeavour to support you whilst you wait to see either local or if in the United Kingdom, NHS or private services to you no matter where you are in the world or refer you to another health care professional that offers the appropriate therapy and is qualified to do so.  

Please feel free to contact me via my email at:

benjamin.thompson@thelisteningtherapist.co.uk 

Jargon Free Please!

All my articles, book reviews and other information is written jargon free unless medical or scientific terms are needed, then they will be explained in simple and easy to understand English.  All pictures come with identifiers and read enabled along with the article itself.  If you have an accessibility issue and find that you can not read the text or picture information please reach out to me. ​

Please do not feel alone or un-listened to.  You will always be listened to and cared for above all else at The Listening Therapist.  Your welfare and emotional wellbeing is extremely important to me.  So feel free to reach out via the email above.  I look forward to meeting you in due course.

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Ben  

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The Listening Therapist 

*These assessments acronyms mean:

HCR20v3 - Historical, Clinical and Risk  Version 3

VRISK10 - Violence and Risk Assessment 10 

Both of these are scientifically structured violence risk assessments that can be used in forensic (criminal, civil or family court) or clinical settings such as in the community or in hospitals.

SCID - CV&PD - Structured Clinical Interview Assessment for Diagnosing DSM v5 and ICD 11 mental health disorders in both clinical or personality disordered individuals.  This screening assessment tool allows one to diagnose mental and personality disorders.

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