About Me
DR ISABELLE MICKLEWRIGHT DCLINPSY BSC (HONS)
MY PASSION: HELPING PEOPLE THRIVE
Life can be challenging, overwhelming and stressful. At times we all find it difficult to connect consistently to things that can boost our general sense of well-being or unhook ourselves from old, unhelpful patterns of coping and ways of thinking about ourselves and our futures. This can mean that we are held back from living the life we deserve. Working for many years with people with health conditions has highlighted the interaction between our physical and emotional health. This experience has been the catalyst to my holistic approach to well-being. I am passionate about enabling people to learn ways to live well alongside their physical condition or emotional problems and proactively connect to and learn from their experiences so they can make positive changes to lead a richer, healthier and more meaningful life.
PROFESSIONAL QUALIFICATIONS
DClinPsy - Doctorate in Clinical Psychology - University College London (2011)
BSc (Hons) Psychology - University College London (2005)
WHAT IS A CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGIST?
I am a Senior Clinical Psychologist and I have worked as a Clinical Psychologist since 2011. Clinical Psychologists have specialist training in a range of therapeutic approaches grounded in psychological theory that focus on reducing psychological distress and promoting emotional well-being. What makes Clinical Psychologists unique is our 'scientist-practitioner' approach in which we have a grounding in understanding and applying evidenced-based psychological approaches and extensive knowledge of research methods and analysis. We are also trained to be able to carry out and interpret neuro-psychological assessments to assess cognitive functioning. As a Clinical Psychologist I am trained and have significant experience with: Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Compassion Focused-Therapy (CFT) and Mindfulness and often incorporate systemic theory, attachment theory and psychodynamic frameworks when understanding a client's difficulties and how and why they might have developed. This means that I can work flexibly, integrating ideas from different psychological approaches to make the therapy fit the client and their goals (and not the other way around).
I am registered as a Practitioner Psychologist with the Health and Care Professions Council (H.C.P.C.), the regulatory body for healthcare professionals. I abide by the standards of the H.C.P.C. and the code of ethics and practice of the British Psychological Society and Association of Clinical Psychologists. I am committed to continuing my professional development through regularly attending workshops to deepen my skills and knowledge and learning from each client with whom I work.
MY BACKGROUND
I have always wanted to be a psychologist and even changed schools when I was 16 years old just so I could study A Level Psychology. I would avidly read psychology books like ‘Profile of a Criminal Mind’ by Brian Innes, ‘The Gift of Therapy’ by Irvin D. Yalom and ‘The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat’ by Oliver Sacks and wanted to learn everything about the experiences that shape us and how we relate to other people. After a brief foray into Anthropology, which allowed me to indulge my interest in the history of humankind, I completed my BSc (Hons) in Psychology from University College London. On completion of my Undergraduate Degree I worked as an Assistant Psychologist and Research Assistant before attaining a place on the Doctorate in Clinical Psychology, again at University College London. The Doctorate in Clinical Psychology was an intensive and rigorous course that combined both academic teaching and clinical placements. I worked in an adult mental health service, sexual health, older adult mental health which included working with people with cognitive difficulties associated with acquired brain injury or dementia, child and adolescent mental health and with adults with learning disabilities.
My background includes 10 years experience as a Senior Clinical Psychologist in the NHS within physical health supporting people to reduce the distress associated with long-term health conditions and explore and identify ways to overcome barriers to behaviour change to facilitate adjustment. I have extensive experience working on an individual and group basis with older teenagers and adults with a wide range of emotional difficulties including (but not limited to) different anxiety-based problems, depression, low self-esteem, adjustment disorder, and loss and grief in addition to physical health problems such as fibromyalgia, hypermobility syndrome/EDS, cancer and diabetes.
It is a privilege to be a Clinical Psychologist and to bear witness to clients’ personal stories and experiences and be trusted to support them in understanding themselves and making positive changes to enable them to thrive.
Outside of the office I spend my time with my kind and supportive husband and our two joyful sons, wider family and friends. We moved to Buckinghamshire from London a few years ago and it is so great to return to my countryside roots having grown up surrounded by greenery and local village life. There are few things I love doing more than getting out for a long walk through the fields and woods and then curling up with a steaming cup of coffee and a good book or having a long chat with friends or family. My interest in the impact of connecting with the natural world on our emotional and physical health has led me to enjoy seeing the benefits to clients of taking the therapy space out into nature.
TRAINING WORKSHOPS AND CONFERENCES
Demonstrating my commitment to Continuous Professional Development, I have attended the following conferences and workshops:
Thriving when things get tough: in Covid and non-Covid times (January, 2021)
Diabetes UK Psychology Network Study Day (January, 2021)
Rainbow Badge Workshop (November 2020)
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy and Systemic Supervision Workshop (September, 2020)
Stuff that's stuck - ACT for difficult to engage teens with Dr Ben Sedley (September, 2020)
Focused ACT (September, 2020)
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy in the Workplace (March 2019)
Supercharging Your CBT Practice: Integrating the best of DBT, ACT and CFT for maximum effect (November, 2018)
Running mindfulness groups (October 2018)
Practitioner well-being and self-care (May, 2018)
Psychological approaches and services for functional neurological disorders (November, 2017)
Applying Cognitive Analytic Therapy (CAT) in physical healthcare settings (October, 2017)
Narrative therapy in physical health settings (2016)
ACT for long term health conditions (2015)
PUBLICATIONS (listed under my maiden name Taylor)
Channon, S., Fitzpatrick, S., Drury, H., Taylor, I., Lagnado, D. (2010). Punishment and sympathy judgments: Is the quality of mercy strained in Asperger's syndrome? Journal of Autism & Developmental Disorders, 40, 1219-1226.
Michie, S., Hardeman, W., Fanshawe, T., Prevost, T., Taylor, I., Kinmonth, A.L. (2008). Investigating theoretical explanations for behaviour change: The case study of ProActive, Psychology & Health, 23, 1, 25-39.
Shannon, S., Lagnado, D., Drury, H., Matheson, E., Taylor, I. et al. Causal Reasoning and intentionality judgments after focal brain lesions. Poster presented at Cognitive Neuroscience Meeting, San Francisco, April 2008.