About Ruth

I have 35 years’ training and experience in psychology; the first three years involved mood research at Goldsmith’s College and The Institute of Psychiatry.

Various practitioner training courses followed and I first qualified from the Roehampton Institute as a counsellor in the early 90’s; I went on to gain Chartered status with the British Psychology Society a few years later using Humanistic, Psychodynamic and CBT therapies.

Ruth Shelley CPsychol AFBPsS Chartered Psychologist & Associate Fellow BPS
Member of Counselling & Psychotherapy Divisions and of the Coaching Group
HCPC* (PYL21020) and BPS* (020781) Registered.

Chartered Psychologist Logo Nov 19 768x268
About Ruth

Ruth’s Approach

Lectus a sagittis malesuada posuere tristique viverra.

I’ve introduced the study of MCBT/Mindfulness and Jungian/Analytic Psychology (incorporating art therapy methods) into my practice over the last 12 years.

I have always combined therapies to get the best outcome for my clients and was part of the original group who coined the term Personal Consultancy to capture this bringing together of approaches (not uncommon with experienced practitioners).

This approach takes into consideration the client’s history, current challenges and focuses on individual wishes and ongoing healthy development.

“You have given me the space to hear my own inner voice and to find ways which are natural for me to progress through life.”

Woman, 34

Prestigious Employers

In the course of my career I have worked in prestigious statutory sector organisations, such as The Institute of Psychiatry and The Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, and with both national and local charitable organisations, as well as in the private sector.

After three years’ of hospital and primary care research experience, I was employed by a family charity where I became the lead practitioner.

Here, I pioneered the use of combined therapy treatments for children and their parents, measuring and reporting outcomes on a wide range of interventions (e.g. yoga for children, and personal/social education programmes for teenagers, in addition to standard talking and other therapies for parents).

Private practice

I have been in private practice since 2003 as well as undertaking a further 10 years of part-time employment with the NHS as a Practitioner Psychologist (up until Dec. 2016).
Working through issues to a personally satisfying end point for clients is a familiar path for me, and statutory records have shown consistently high levels of symptom reduction alongside numerous reports of increased personal awareness and empowerment.

*The HCPC (Health Care Professions Council) is the main regulatory body for UK health professionals, which was set up to protect the public by only registering genuinely qualified practitioners who continue to expand their expertise and meet national standards.

*The British Psychology Society’s codes of practice exist to maintain high professional standards and promote excellence in psychology.

Practical Information

Find information about where, when and how much

“When I look at the world I’m pessimistic, but when I look at people I am optimistic”

Carl Rogers