Brighton Psychotherapy and Counselling Practice

Dr Anne Marie Salm

I am an experienced Psychotherapist and Psychologist and I am now offering my services in Brighton and Sussex, after working for a long time in London. Being bilingual in German and English, I am able to offer psychotherapy in both languages, and several of my current clients are German speaking. I offer

• Clinical assessments and consultations
• Individual, couple, and group psychotherapy
• Help with resolution of current life crisis
• Supervision for psychologists, psychotherapists and other health professionals
• Academic consultancy
• Training

My career in Psychology and Psychotherapy spans more than 30 years and has allowed me to acquire a wide range of clinical experience in a variety of contexts. I trained and worked initially in Germany, but have been living and working in the UK for the last 20 years. I am qualified as a Chartered Clinical and Counselling Psychologist with the British Psychological Society and registered with the Health Professions Council. In addition, I trained as Group Analyst and I am a qualified member of the Institute of Group Analysis.

Throughout my career, I have maintained a balance between working directly with people who need help for psychological difficulties, and teaching, research and training. This is also reflected in my current work, which includes part-time employment in London in the NHS (as a Consultant Clinical Psychologist and Specialist in Group Analysis) and at Roehampton University (as a Principal Lecturer on the Practitioner Doctorate in Counselling Psychology), and private practice and consultancy. I offer teaching, training and supervision within the NHS; I teach on the Qualifying Course for Group Analysts at the IGA; I am an Academic Consultant at the Metanoia Institute for their Professional Doctorate in Psychotherapy; I have acted as internal and external examiner for professional doctorates.

I feel that my clinical work and my work in teaching and training mutually enrich and stimulate each other. Being involved with trainees and supervisees keeps me on my toes in my own practice!

In my NHS work in adult mental health I see people with a wide variety of difficulties, mostly with more severe and long standing problems. Most patients I see suffer from anxiety and/or depression, and are stuck in relationship patterns which maintain their difficulties, and the help I provide may be individual and group psychotherapy.

Depression, anxiety, and relationship problems are also the main focus in my private practice, but I also see people who struggle with current stressful life issues and would like just one or a few consultations to help them think through their situation and find a resolution. Having been involved for many years in doing assessments and short-term counselling for an Employee Assistance Programme has enriched my experience in working with people with current life issues. I do not believe that everybody who seeks help needs long-term psychotherapy.

Working with couples is a particular interest of mine which goes back to my training in Germany. I have worked successfully with couples who struggled to resolve conflicts in their relationships.

Another one of my special interest are psychological issues in medical contexts. I have worked for many years in Medical Psychology, doing collaborative research with Cardiologists, teaching medical students, running Balint groups for junior doctors, supporting nurses and doctors who are involved in the care of people with degenerative neurological diseases. On the basis of this experience, I can offer support for people who experience stress in connection with medical problems and long-term illness, as well as for health professional and relatives who care for them.

With training and supervision as a long standing part of my career, I am available to provide supervision, individually or in groups, to psychologists, psychotherapists, counsellors, and other health professionals.

I work primarily from a psychodynamic perspective, but I am able to integrate elements from other approaches if needed, in particular in short-term work. Before agreeing on a contract with any client, I carry out a careful, collaborative assessment to find out what the specific needs of this person are and how best to address them. My practice is to share my assessment and to think together about best ways to help.