Dr Jemma Boyd
Hello, I am Dr Jemma Boyd, Chartered Clinical Psychologist, EMDR Europe Accredited Practitioner, and Systemic Family Therapist. I have over 25 years’ experience working with adults with complex mental health difficulties, work which has frequently involved helping people to deal with the effects of traumatic events or relationships, important losses or changes, or symptoms which have significantly restricted people’s lives.
In my work, I draw from a wide range of effective, evidence-based psychological therapy approaches to develop individually tailored treatments to help people achieve more fulfilling lives. These approaches, which are all recommended in NICE (National Institute for Clinical Excellence) government guidelines for the treatment of psychological difficulties, include Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing (EMDR), Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT), Mindfulness, and Systemic Family Therapy.
About Me
I have an unwavering passion and enthusiasm for assisting people to lead more satisfying lives by helping them make sense of their difficulties, understand why their difficulties have persisted, and develop their ways of managing. I approach all my work with compassion and with sensitivity to each person and their needs.
I completed my Clinical Psychology Doctorate level training at the University of Southampton in 1999. I emerged from this training with a keen interest in considering people and their difficulties within their couple, family and wider systems. I undertook a four year Masters course in Systemic Psychotherapy qualifying with Distinction as a Family Therapist from the Tavistock and Portman Clinic, University of East London in 2007.
I have accrued considerable experience using psychological treatments to work with individuals, couples, families and groups. Over my career, I have also built substantial experience teaching, supervising, training and offering consultation to others in psychological approaches to mental health care.
Much of my work as a Clinical Psychologist over the last decade has been with people who have survived single or multiple traumatic events or relationships and other significantly distressing life events. In order to increase my effectiveness as a therapist and the repertoire of therapy approaches I am able to offer to people, I have undertaken further training and development in EMDR, Attachment Informed EMDR (AI-EMDR), Mindfulness, and DBT skills. More recently, I have been developing my interest in the effect of psychological difficulties on our bodies and our physiology, including training in Trauma Centre Trauma Sensitive Yoga, as well as working with chronic pain and sleep difficulties. I work with a Trauma-Informed Yoga Practitioner to offer small trauma sensitive yoga groups twice a year.
Through my work with a number of charities, I have developed my interest in palliative care issues, as well as supporting military veterans, asylum seekers, and people involved in public inquiries.
Research Interest
My research interests have been varied over my career and have included the role of friendships in women’s lives, depression in older adults, and behavioural and psychiatric problems in people with learning disabilities. In my former NHS role, I established, ran, and evaluated a yoga for trauma group, and I led a Quality Improvement project aimed at increasing empowerment in recovery from mental health difficulties. I have a number of published research papers.
Professional Membership
I am a Chartered member of the British Psychological Society (BPS), registered with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC), an EMDR Europe Accredited Practitioner, and a member of the Association of Family Therapy (AFT) and of EMDR- UK and Ireland. I am registered with all major health insurance companies.
Fees
Each 50 minute appointment is charged at £110.
Setting up an appointment with me
To contact me for initial discussion you may either email me at jemma.boyd@btinternet.com or leave a voicemail message for me on 0787 325 3222. I will endeavour to respond to you promptly.
Clinic Location
I work remotely and face to face. My consulting rooms are at 4 Goldington Road, MK40 3NF in Bedford town centre and Happy Body Project, West Park Farm, Wilstead MK45 3QS are accessible from Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Northamptonshire, Hertfordshire and Cambridgeshire. The clinics have free parking outside the building and public car park/on street parking a stone's throw away. There is disabled access and parking at both buildings and ground floor clinic rooms if required. You can view details of the clinics at: http://www.bedfordconsultingrooms.com and Happy Body Project | Health and Well-being Experts