Alexandra Dench, Counselling Psycholo

Alexandra Dench

Counselling Psychologist BSc, MSc, PGdip

Bedford Consulting Rooms

(Weekday daytimes and evenings)

Alex qualified as a Counselling Psychologist in 2016 and has since worked in the NHS with young people, families and adults with mild to moderate and severe mental health difficulties.

Alex is registered with HCPC and IPTuk. She offers various therapy approaches and tailors these to suit each individual she is supporting. These are evidence-based interventions to help young people and adults identify, understand, process and express their emotions and difficult experiences.

Alex works with neurodivergent individuals and has a good understanding of supporting clients with Autism or ADHD and their families, adapting her approaches to meet their needs in a neuro-affirming way.

Alex supports her clients to learn the skills of managing emotions, problem solving and perspective taking. She has a caring, trauma-focused and person-centred approach to children, families and adults of all backgrounds.

Alex supports her clients to gain the most of therapy and rediscover their strengths. She promotes self-care, rebuilding of self-efficacy and learning effective and healthy coping strategies.

Alex also offers specialist bereavement counselling to support people of all ages to manage their feelings and experiences of grief in response to a recent or past losses. The sessions help empower and support clients on their journey towards healing and personal growth.

Alex's core models are CBT and IPT-A:

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) for low mood; social, separation, generalised anxiety; OCD, phobias, trauma and panic disorder. CBT can be adapted for neurodevelopmental conditions including Autism and ADHD and focuses on the neuro-affirming model for neurodiversity, celebrating the client’s strengths and using these and their interests as instruments for positive change.

Interpersonal Psychotherapy for adolescents and adults with depression (IPT) is a form of psychotherapy for people who are suffering from moderate/severe depression. It focuses on improving quality of relationships and social functioning to relieve symptoms of depression. It is a structured approach of up to 16 sessions which supports clients to process events which have caused the onset or contributed to the depression, build healthier connections and enhance their communication skills. Parents are recommended to join sessions with younger children. Working with adolescents, parents are provided with resources, offered feedback when appropriate and involved with their child’s consent. Alex also offers parent support for young people who express strong emotions in an outwardly way through physical escalations using Non-violent Resistance Parent Training.

Memberships:

Health Care Professions Council (HCPC)
IPT UK

Key skills & experience:

Working with children, adolescents, their families and wider network
Conducting mental health assessments
Interpersonal Psychotherapy for adolescents (IPT-A) and IPT informed work for adults with moderate/severe depression
CBT for low mood, anxiety, social anxiety OCD, phobia and panic
Person Centered Therapy
Specialising in bereavement counselling for all ages
Providing clinical supervision

NHS experience:

Counselling Psychologist, CAMHS Emotional and Behavioural team and Autism Assessment Pathway, May 2023-present
Counselling Psychologist and Triage Manager, CHUMS CIC, Bedfordshire - April 2016-April 2023

Relevant qualifications & training:

Trauma Focused CBT - 2025
ADI-R training, NATP training - 2024/5
ADOS Assessment Professional Training, NATP training - 2024
Non-violent Resistance Parent Training NVR - 2023
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