Meet the Team

About Me

I am a Chartered Counselling Psychologist, Associate fellow of the British Psychological Society (AFBPsS), and a senior Mindfulness teacher

I have 3 decades experience of helping clients in a variety of contexts, from a wide range of ages, cultural, and socio-economic backgrounds. Having accumulated 16 years experience in the development, management and supervision of counselling services in HMP Brixton, London - where I also worked in the chaplaincy as Buddhist Minister - I now work here in Suffolk as a psychologist in independent practice offering counselling, psychotherapy, CBT, ACT, coaching, mediation, supervision, training and mentoring.

I am passionate about mindfulness in both my personal and professional life. I began teaching secular mindfulness on the summer camps and festivals scene in the late 80’s, developed it’s clinical application in the prison sector throughout the 90’s, and I’m now internationally recognised as a “peer-reviewed ACT trainer” - Acceptance & Commitment Therapy, ACT, being a cutting edge integration of mindfulness into the therapy/coaching process.

One to one, I work with a broad range of presenting issues - ACT is a trans-diagnostic approach that has ample empirical evidence base showing effectiveness with the majority of mental health conditions as well as being an effective approach for high-end coaching.

I relish working with groups of people - whether teaching mindfulness or ACT; or entertaining as a musician, singer & performer - I love to catalyse the “we” experience. I am deeply involved in a community building approach towards developing a more mindful way of being with each other - as a local and a global community working towards pro-social cultural change.

For more information on my journey to here and now, here's a link to my 'about me' page on my Flexible Psychological Solutions business website

↑ And you can book a free 15 minute consultation with me via the "BOOK A SESSION" button above ↑

How I Work

Practitioners within the BWIS group have differing skillsets and approaches. This tab refers to the individual’s ways of working rather than the group as a whole.

Although I now find myself at the cutting edge of contemporary developments in behaviour change therapy I still rely essentially on the healing power of establishing a genuine person-to-person, heart-to-heart relationship. The rapidly developing ‘3rd wave’ of the CBT tradition (In which I specialise as a clinician and trainer) honours the values of my earlier humanistic training, integrates the insights and practices from my involvement with the ‘mindfulness, acceptance & compassion’ traditions, and encourages me to conduct myself as a ’scientist practitioner’. This is key to providing all of my clients with an evidence-based treatment; in other words, working with what works.

In working locally with groups I aim towards building a self-sustaining community of like-minded mindfulness practitioners. To support this aim I supplement my professional (MBSR/MBCT) standard 8 week mindfulness training courses with ongoing opportunities for monthly 'drop-in' group practice sessions and day retreats (3 per year) and longer residential mindfulness retreats in nature (2 per year)

↑ And you can book a free 15 minute consultation with me via the "BOOK A SESSION" button above ↑

Fees and Costs

The BWIS group pages define the costs for events and services on the relevant pages. This page describes the fees and costs for this individual team member ONLY. Other team members may have different costs and fees.

One to one work:

Assessment fees: I charge £50 – that’s just over half my standard hourly fee – for an initial assessment meeting. I think of it as a mutual assessment, each of each other, and to check out if it feels right to work together. It’s also the time for me to assess whether I genuinely think I can offer the right sort of assistance for the kind of challenges you are intending to address.

Ongoing sessional fee: Thereafter, if we decide to work together, my fee is £90 per meeting for self-funding clients. I am an approved and registered service provider for most health insurance companies and in these cases fees are often set by the company’s expectations of the going rate for a psychologist’s consultation. I ask you not to quote the rates I offer to self-funding clients if you are intending to seek health insurance or other institutional assistance because – in many cases – that may result in insurance companies offering me ‘below market’ rates; this in turn would undermine my ongoing ability/willingness to be flexible with my fees.
Many insurance companies will charge you an annual Excess fee – they expect me to collect it and will deduct it from reimbursing my fees if I fail to do so! I will ask you clarify what is that excess fee and to settle up with me over the first two weeks.

Sliding scale fees: Self-funding people who – in circumstances of genuine financial hardship – cannot afford my full fee can engage with my sliding scale. We can have a more detailed dialogue about this and many other matters at the assessment meeting.

Couples/Family:

In this case my standard fee is £110 - with similar caveats to the above

Group training:

The 8 week course is currently offered at early bird, £230 - full fee, £270

The Woodbridge drop-in groups are £8 per evening with significant reductions for 6 monthly commitment The Ipswich drop-in group is currently a "free for all" - a combining a practice opportunity for regulars and a TASTER session for those who are curious about our forthcoming mindfulness training groups

Retreats work out around £60 per day and frequently include gourmet meals

↑ And you can book a free 15 minute consultation with me via the "BOOK A SESSION" button above ↑

Testimonials

Martin R, Essex

18 July 2018

Day Retreat

Just a few words to thank you for another wonderful day retreat last Saturday. An extra thank you to your wife for the wonderful food and (I’m assuming) your son and daughter for waiting on us. As always I came away more relaxed, inspired and feeling that I had taken another small step forward in my mindfulness journey. It was great to see such a good turnout and spend the day in beautiful surroundings with such lovely company and the wonderful weather (although my sunburnt shins may not agree entirely with my thoughts on the weather). Thanks again Martin R

Tamsin C

21 July 2015

Glastonbury Festival Healing field drop-in group

Hello Martin My name is Tamsin, I came to one of your mindfulness sessions at glastonbury festival and I found you very interesting. I was the blonde one saying I had a weird sensation of falling/dizzyness during the meditation that freaked me out, lol. Anyway I just wanted to say thank you for enlightening me, I am going to start a course in October by John Waller http://www.mindfulnesscoursesbath-bristol.co.uk/Home/index.htm I would have ideally liked to come to your sessions but I am from Bristol. I thought you were very good. Thank you, I hope to find peace through mindfulness.

Michael Svitak

26 January 2015

ACT experiential introduction training, London

Dear Martin, thank-you for your inspiring workshop. You are a wonderful teacher. You create a great learning atmosphere, with your calm and respectful way of interacting. Great work. The test to access personal motives I was talking about, is presently only explained on a german home page. I´ll see if I can get hold of English partners, offering the test in English. Best regards from snowy bavaria.

Janice Buck

10 June 2014

Mindfulness day Retreat, Otley hall

Dear Martin, A big thank you for the 'perfect' Mindfulness Retreat day at Otley Hall. To be honest, I didn't want it to end! I look forward to attending more in the future. Kindest regards Janice Buck

Jill R

11 June 2014

Day Retreat, Otley Hall

Thanks again for such an inspiring retreat day on Monday - it's helped me to renew my own mindfulness practices.

Hilary C

21 February 2014

ACT for anxiety & Panic Attacks

Martin I thought you would like to know that Gerry has been successful in his appeal for mitigating circumstances. I want to say a heartfelt thank you for the part you played in helping him on the road to recovery, and for the contribution you made to his appeal. I’m sure you can imagine the relief after some very dark weeks is enormous. It happens to be his birthday today – he could not have wished for a better present – and I can now sleep a little easier... A massive uplift from where he was in January which as I’m sure you will know was that he thought he had completely scre-w-ed any chance of getting a degree at all.

Jane K

14 October 2013

8 week Mindfulness Course

Hi Martin I just wanted to let you know i really enjoyed the session last evening. I feel like the group is developing together now, And also i know its 'what you do' but i just wanted to say im enjoying your teachings and style. Thankyou Jane see you next week

Phil A

06 September 2013

Family Counselling

I wanted to say a big thank you for the counselling that you gave my daughter and I on Wednesday. The session was simple but clever and the result was exactly what I had in mind - it allowed us to talk about issues in our past that we hadn’t been able to confront properly until then. The session cleared the air and we talked more on a walk home afterwards and already seem easier with each other. With all the gremlins out of the cupboard I think we now need to nurture the relationship and slowly become involved in each others lives again. I think we can do this ourselves so we won't need the appointment next Wednesday

Lynn C

10 November 2016

8 week Mindfulness Course

I found the mindfulness course a very nurturing experience, and over the 8 weeks I could feel a real change in my attitude to daily life. the meditation practices have given me time to be more aware of myself and the things around me. I have used some of the knowledge that I have gained with my own counselling clients and feel that sharing this experience has enhanced my own experience. LC

Joy L

15 November 2016

8 week mindfulness course

Thank you Martin for a wonderful course. I am trying to incorporate a longer Mindful Meditation every Monday evening, at the time I would normally have been at the classes in Ipswich. As well as shorter daily activities. I found the day retreat immensely beneficial, it consolidated all the practices of the previous classes and was truly enlightening. I shall book a retreat again next year and I hope to attend some of the Ipswich drop in evening sessions in the new year. Thank you so much for an inspirational 8 week course. Kind regards, Joy

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