Alison Harper

Chartered Clinical Psychologist

Alison is a Clinical Psychologist with over 20 years’ experience in helping people with a wide range of issues, including depression, anxiety, OCD, low self-esteem, trauma, grief, insomnia, eating disorders, relationship issues, traumatic brain injury and functional disorders. She works with young people, adults and families.

Registered with both the Health & Care Professions Council and British Psychological Society, Alison completed her undergraduate degree at Edinburgh University, before doing a PhD with the Medical Research Council. Having worked for the World Health Organisation for two years, she completed her Doctorate in Clinical Psychology, qualifying in 2000. She then worked in both NHS inpatient and outpatient settings, before moving into independent practice.

Alison uses a flexible and collaborative approach to help you make the changes you want in your life, adapting therapy to suit your needs. She is fully trained in several evidence-based therapeutic approaches, including Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Interpersonal Therapy, Schema Therapy, Solution-Focused Therapy and Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR).

  • “Alison gives me practical solutions and techniques to use in my everyday life that have enabled me to change the way I think and manage extremely stressful situations. She has helped me find my calm in the chaos”.

  • “I have had sessions with Alison over a number of years and my mental health has significantly benefited. She has helped me work through many difficult situations and life events with compassion. I feel able to enjoy my life and equipped to face challenges with a positive outlook.”

  • “I was apprehensive about starting counselling but realised that I needed help to deal with my complex feelings surrounding my recent bereavement. I found talking to Alison to be very easy despite sensitive nature of the discussions and the dogs helped massively with putting me at ease, especially on my first visit. I had very significant negative feelings which Alison has helped me to understand and process. Her perceptiveness into my relationship has not only helped me deal with what has happened recently but also opened my eyes and allowed me to really understand what happened over the 20+ years we were together. I wish I'd had her insight a long time ago. ”

  • “Therapy has helped me to develop more self-compassion, clarity and identify the things that truly matter to me. Whilst at times it hasn’t been easy, or I’ve felt unable to be entirely vulnerable - therapy has given me the tools to navigate life more easily which I'm forever grateful for.”

  • “I felt comfortable with Alison from the first session discussing the background to me seeking help. Over time the relationship improved to such an extent I was able to talk about issues that till then were locked away in my Pandora’s Box. There was no judgement by Alison, just helpful advice and feedback which let me increasingly being in the present and look to the future rather than living in the past.”

  • “Finding a therapist that I felt comfortable with was difficult until I met Alison. Alison has helped me in ways I can’t explain. Was so lucky to find a therapist that has worked with similar mental health conditions to mine to which has had a real positive impact on my therapy sessions with her. I’ve always felt heard, understood and comfortable going to Alison about anything that’s been troubling me. Thank you for being so supportive 🙏🏼”