When working with families, Hamish first seeks to develop a shared understanding of the concerns they bring to therapy, as well as agreeing on the goals and tasks of the work. In the context of a safe therapeutic relationship, children, young people and their families are able to reconnect with their own capacities and strengths, as well as make use of ideas, practices and skills from evidence-based treatments. Hamish’s aim is to help families create and sustain the conditions which allow children and young people to recover and thrive. To this end, while he often offers a confidential therapeutic space for young people, Hamish sees his role as involving parents and other supportive adults wherever possible.
Hamish draws on a range of therapeutic models in his work with families, including Mentalization-Based Treatment, Attachment-Focussed Family Therapy, Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing (EMDR), Trauma-Focussed Cognitive Behavioural Therapy and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy. He also has an interest in practices that integrate psychotherapy with contemporary knowledge about the brain.
Hamish is registered as a Clinical Psychologist with the UK Health and Care Professions Council (registration number PYL33168) and is a Chartered Member of the British Psychological Society (member number 431819).