ALEXANDRA DENCH,
COUNSELLING PSYCHOLOGIST,
BSc, MSc, PGdip

Bedford Consulting Rooms

Alex qualified as a Counselling Psychologist in 2016 and has since worked in the NHS with young people, families and adults, and is registered with HCPC and IPTuk. Alexandra offers various therapy approaches to suit the individual young people (age 8-19) and families she is supporting. She is a trained adolescent interpersonal psychotherapist (IPT), and also support adults with depression and anxiety using IPT. Alex uses a range of age appropriate therapeutic and evidence-based interventions to help young people and adults to identify, understand and process their emotions. Alex supports her clients to learn the skills of managing emotions, problem solving and perspective taking. She has a caring and person-centred approach to children, families an adults of all backgrounds.

 

Alex offers CBT and brief goal solution focused therapy to address difficulties with low mood and all aspects of anxiety - social, OCD, phobia, panic. Interpersonal Psychotherapy is geared towards supporting adolescents with moderate to severe depression. It focuses on reducing conflict and improving quality of relationships to relieve depressive symptoms. Alex has specialism in bereavement counselling. Alex supports her clients to gain the most of therapy and rediscover their strengths. She promotes self-care and effective, healthy coping strategies. Parents are recommended to join sessions with younger children. When working with adolescents, parents are provided with resources, offered feedback when appropriate and involved with the child's consent.

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Memberships

Health Care Professions Council (HCPC)

IPT UK

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Skills & Experience

Alexandra specialises in: 

- Work with children, adolescents, their families and wider network

- Conducting mental health assessments

- Interpersonal Psychotherapy for Adolescents with moderate or severe depression

- Brief solution focused CBT for anxiety, depression, OCD, phobia

- Person Centered Therapy

- Bereavement counselling

- Providing clinical supervision

 

NHS experience

Counselling Psychologist, CHUMS CIC - Charitable Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service, Bedfordshire, 2016-present

Triage Manager, CHUMS CIC, Jan 2022-present

 

Relevant qualifications & training:

Supervision in clinical practice, University of Herts, 2022

Family based IPTA, Anna Freud Centre, 2021

Safeguarding training, LSBC, 2021

IPT-AST, Anna Freud Centre, 2020

Diploma in Interpersonal Psychotherapy, IAPT training, UCL, 2019

Enhanced-Evidence Based Practice, IAPT training University of Reading, 2016

Bereavement training – workshop and individual support, CHUMS,  2013

MSc in Social Psychology, Sofia University, Bulgaria (Distinction), 2012

Certificate in general counselling, University of Veliko Tarnovo, Bulgaria (Pass), 2011

BSc in Psychology, University of Veliko Tarnovo, Bulgaria (First-class degree), 2010