emdr psychotherapy
About me • Kesta Desmond
MY BACKGROUND AND INTERESTS
I have a passion for psychology and mental health and started working in NHS mental healthcare in 2010. During that time I trained and qualified as a mental health nurse, a cognitive behavioural therapist and an accredited EMDR therapist.
I have spent most of the last 15 years working with adults with mood and anxiety problems, and I am very interested in helping people overcome trauma. Trauma can include a formal diagnosis of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) but smaller traumas can also drive other mental health problems such as depression, low-self esteem, panic, OCD, crippling worry, social anxiety, health anxiety and perfectionism.
These smaller traumas can include misattuned, critical or neglectful parenting, discrimination, undermining or humiliating behaviour from others, to name just a few. Smaller or "micro-traumas" can stack up over time without us being aware of them, but the result is engrained self-critical beliefs and distressing emotions such as sadness, shame, guilt and anxiety. I am dedicated to finding out how past experiences might be affecting you in the present, and helping you process difficult material with EMDR.
MY APPROACH
My way of working is friendly, collaborative and entirely non-judgemental. I feel very glad that my clients tell me that they feel supported and understood. I work hard to get to know clients as individuals and to really understand the difficulties they are having. It is very important to me that clients have a good and positive experience of therapy. I also want clients to come out feeling better, have a new perspective and feel able to make meaningful changes in their lives. I love EMDR in that it taps into our innate wisdom and healing mechanisms.
QUALIFICATIONS
EMDR Europe Accredited Practitioner • Post-graduate diploma in cognitive behavioural therapy from the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience • Post-graduate diploma in mental health nursing from King's College London • BSc Hons in Psychology from the University of Birmingham
FURTHER TRAINING
Internal Family Systems Trauma Treatment with Frank Anderson • Integrated EMDR & IFS workshop with Beth Parris & Claire Van den Bosch • CBT supervision training at the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience • CBT for long-term persistent and distressing health conditions • I have worked at the Centre for Anxiety Disorders and Trauma (CADAT) within South London and Maudsley NHS Trust (a national centre of excellence for research and treatment into anxiety disorders and trauma)
MEMBERSHIP OF PROFESSIONAL BODIES
Accredited member of the EMDR Association • Accredited member of the BABCP (the lead organisation for Cognitive Behavioural Therapy in the UK and Ireland)