The Alvee Practice offers consultant-level EMDR and CBT therapy for a wide range of psychological difficulties. We have particular expertise in complex and treatment-resistant presentations — including those where previous therapy has not worked.
Post-traumatic stress disorder develops when the brain's natural processing of a traumatic event becomes disrupted, leaving memories vivid, intrusive, and distressing. Symptoms include flashbacks, nightmares, hypervigilance, avoidance, and emotional numbing.
EMDR is a first-line NICE-recommended treatment for PTSD and is highly effective — often producing significant improvement in fewer sessions than traditional talking therapies. Christopher Spanton has over 10 years of specialist EMDR experience, including in NHS trauma services.
Complex PTSD develops from prolonged, repeated trauma — often in childhood or in situations where escape was difficult, such as abuse, neglect, domestic violence, or war. Alongside PTSD symptoms, C-PTSD involves profound difficulties with emotional regulation, identity, and relationships.
Working with C-PTSD requires significant clinical experience and specialist adaptation of standard EMDR protocols. This is a clinical area of particular depth and expertise at the Alvee Practice.
Developmental trauma refers to adverse experiences in childhood — including neglect, emotional, physical, or sexual abuse, loss, or growing up in an unsafe or unpredictable environment. These experiences shape the developing brain and nervous system in lasting ways.
Attachment trauma affects how we relate to others and ourselves, often showing up in adult relationships and emotional life. EMDR is well-suited to this work, addressing the underlying memories that continue to drive present-day difficulties.
Persistent physical symptoms (PPS) — including fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS/ME), long COVID, IBS, functional neurological disorder, and chronic pain — are real, often disabling conditions with strong links to psychological factors including trauma and stress.
Christopher Spanton has specialist NHS experience in this area, working at a national specialist unit and training with world-leading experts. EMDR and CBT both have evidence for improving quality of life and functioning in these conditions.
Anxiety disorders include generalised anxiety disorder (GAD), social anxiety, panic disorder, health anxiety, OCD, and specific phobias. While anxiety is a normal human experience, anxiety disorders involve persistent, excessive worry or fear that significantly impacts daily life.
Both EMDR and CBT have strong evidence for anxiety disorders. CBT helps identify and change the thought patterns and behaviours that maintain anxiety; EMDR addresses the underlying experiences that may have contributed to its development.
Depression is one of the most common mental health difficulties, affecting mood, energy, motivation, sleep, concentration, and sense of self. It can range from mild and episodic to severe and persistent, and is frequently linked to loss, trauma, or relational difficulties.
CBT is one of the best-evidenced treatments for depression, helping to identify and change patterns of thinking and behaviour that maintain low mood. EMDR is increasingly used for depression, particularly where traumatic experiences are a contributing factor.
Relationship difficulties may show up as communication breakdown, loss of intimacy, conflict, trust issues, or a pattern of relationships that feel unsatisfying or painful. These patterns are often rooted in earlier attachment experiences and respond well to therapy.
We offer Behavioural Couples Therapy for couples, and Dynamic Interpersonal Therapy (DIT) for individuals wanting to explore how their relational patterns affect how they feel today.
Low self-esteem — a persistent negative view of oneself — underpins many mental health difficulties. It often develops from early experiences of criticism, neglect, or abuse, and shows up in self-critical thinking, people-pleasing, difficulty setting boundaries, and a sense of not being enough.
Therapy can help explore where these beliefs came from, challenge them, and build a more balanced and compassionate sense of self. EMDR can directly address the memories that gave rise to these beliefs.
If you're unsure whether your difficulties are something we work with, please do get in touch. We offer a free initial phone consultation to all new clients, and are happy to answer questions before you commit to anything.
Book a free phone consultation