Abby Fenton

Abby has worked with a wide range of clients with complex psychological difficulties. She was the clinical lead for the Dialectical Behavioural Therapy (DBT) service at a privately-run hospital, before moving into NHS forensic inpatient services. She has particular expertise in working with people with severe and enduring difficulties in emotions and relationships, including people who might have had a diagnosis of personality disorder from services, or who experience complex difficulties related to early trauma. She also has an interest in autism and has provided consultation, training and advice to professionals on this topic. She is particularly interested in the interaction between our sensory experiences, our emotions and our relationships and how an adverse environment can affect our ability to self-regulate. As a forensic psychologist, she also has extensive experience of assessing and managing risk and delivering interventions to help people turn away from offending.

Some of Abby’s clients have come to her because they were struggling to manage very intense emotions including overwhelming shame, guilt, anger, rage, anxiety or sadness. She has also worked with many people who described themselves as feeling emotionally numb or empty inside, who perhaps had difficulties with dissociation or feeling cut off from their bodies.  They might have used self-harm or other harmful strategies to cope. The aim of the work has been to develop a therapeutic relationship that would allow them to explore their emotions safely and learn strategies to notice and manage them without becoming overwhelmed by them.

Abby is registered with the HCPC as a practitioner psychologist (forensic) and has an additional qualification in the therapeutic use of the arts.