About Dr Emma Rae Rhead

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Clinical Hypnotherapist & Psychotherapist

I specialise in working with adults experiencing persistent pain and anxiety, drawing on more than 25 years of therapeutic experience and my earlier career in medicine as a doctor.

My work brings together clinical hypnosis, psychotherapy and a broad understanding of the relationship between physical symptoms, emotional responses and the circumstances of an individual's life.

I offer an individual, collaborative approach to therapy, combining professional expertise with a genuine interest in understanding the person behind the symptoms.

My approach

Living with persistent pain or anxiety can gradually affect almost every part of life, undermining confidence, restricting activities and changing how you feel about your body, yourself and your future.

I believe that effective therapy begins with understanding your particular experience, rather than fitting you into a predetermined treatment programme.

Our work may focus directly on reducing anxiety or relieving pain. At other times, we may explore sleep, fear, relationships, loss, adjustment or rebuilding confidence in activities that have become difficult.

An important part of my approach is helping you regain a greater sense of choice, confidence and personal agency, regardless of your situation. I bring my professional knowledge and experience to our work, but your goals, circumstances and priorities remain central to the decisions we make together.

Professional background

I originally trained and practised as a medical doctor, working in hospital medicine for over a decade before moving into full-time therapeutic practice. My medical background continues to inform my understanding of health and illness, although I now work exclusively in a therapeutic rather than medical capacity.

I have more than 25 years' experience working individually with adults, with professional training in psychotherapy, hypno-psychotherapy and clinical hypnosis.

My further postgraduate professional development includes approaches relevant to persistent pain and anxiety, including cognitive behavioural approaches, advanced clinical hypnosis for pain management and anxiety, pain reprocessing therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, mindfulness-based approaches and Motivational Interviewing.

Professional registration and membership

- Complementary and Natural Healthcare Council (CNHC) — Registered

- National Council for Hypnotherapy (NCH) — Registered

- General Hypnotherapy Register (GHR) — Senior Practitioner

- British Society of Lifestyle Medicine — Member

- Royal Society of Medicine — Fellow

- Royal Society of Medicine, Hypnosis and Psychosomatic Medicine Section — Former Council Member

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