DR STEPHEN HIGGINS
DR STEPHEN HIGGINS
Dr. Stephen Higgins C.Psych.
BSc (Hon), MSc, D.Clin.Psych.
Clinical Psychologist &
Chartered Psychologist
ABOUT ME
My name is Dr. Stephen Higgins, and I am a senior Clinical Psychologist working in private practice. I offer a range of specialised psychological therapies including Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) from consulting rooms in Central London. I also offer an online therapy service for those who are not able to attend, live outside the UK, or who prefer the online environment. I run my practice alongside a senior clinical role in an NHS specialist health service, and as Honorary Lecturer at Queen Mary’s, University of London.
I am registered as a clinical psychologist with the Health & Care Professions Council (HCPC) in the UK and am a Chartered Member (CPsychol) with the British Psychological Society. I am an accredited CBT Psychotherapist with the British Association for Behavioural & Cognitive Psychotherapies (BABCP), the UK's leading organisation for CBT. I am a certified sex addiction therapist accredited with Association for the Treatment of Sex Addiction and Compulsivity (ATSAC).
ALL ABOUT THERAPY
My Philosophy
I believe that, at heart, we try to our lives as best as we can. Where we are from, the things that happen to us, and the opportunities and experiences that we encounter help shape how we make sense of ourselves, others around us and the ways that we live our lives. Sometimes, we can find ourselves thinking and acting in ways that may seem contrary to our ideals. It can be helpful to make sense of the things that we are doing with someone who holds a humane and independent viewpoint to help us make the changes towards living in the ways that we want.
My Approaches
In therapy, the supportive relationship is the foundation from which all else is built. This means stepping into your world view so that we can build a fuller understanding of your concerns and finding the ways that we can work together. This requires a flexible way of working that encapsulates how we feel about ourselves, relate to others, and resolve things from the past. This also incorporates the ways that substances and behaviours can directly affect how we think and act. I believe that any work needs to be based upon the values that are important to you and the relationships that you want with yourself and those around you.
My Motivations
Striving to understand ourselves is an intrinsic part of being a person. Most people come to therapy trying to make sense of, and repair their difficult experiences and the consequences of these for themselves and their loved-ones. I came to work within psychological therapy as it has shown that it is one of the important ways that people can find understanding and create the changes that they want in their lives.
MY AREAS OF WORK
I'm a highly-experienced professional psychologist with specialist skills in delivering evidence-based psychological interventions recommended by the National Institute for Health & Care Excellence (NICE) to clients from adolescence through to adulthood struggling with various psychological difficulties.
PSYCHOLOGICAL WELLBEING
I am experienced working within a CBT framework across the full range of psychological conditions for which NICE recommend psychological therapy. These include generalised anxiety (excessive worrying), panic, performance anxiety, health anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder, hoarding, impulse control disorders (skin picking, hair pulling) specific phobias, social anxiety and shyness, and low mood/depression.
I offer specialist psychotherapy specifically for people experiencing post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and am qualified in trauma-focused CBT for PTSD.
I also work with individuals experiencing difficulties with body dysfunction disorder, sleep problems, low self-esteem, assertiveness, anger, and perfectionism.
SEXUAL WELLBEING
Sexual Wellbeing: I have worked extensively within inner-city sexual health services and offer psychotherapy for individuals and couples who have sexual wellbeing concerns. I offer therapy to help people improve their sexual functioning (men: erectile dysfunction, premature ejaculation, delayed ejaculation, and low arousal; women: low arousal, vaginismus, dyspareunia, vulvydinia and anorgasmia) and develop sexually fulfilling lifestyles and relationships.
Sex and Porn Addiction: This is an area of increasing social and health care concern given the accessibility of internet pornography. As a certified sex addiction therapist, I offer psychological therapy for the growing difficulties men and women experience with problematic behaviours around sex and porn, and the particular concerns relating to the use of substances and party drugs during sex (chemsex).
I am interested in working with men around male identity, gender identity, sexuality, and positive sexual expression.
SUBSTANCE USE
I provide psychological therapy for individuals experiencing problematic substance use including amphetamines, alcohol, party drugs and those using prescription opioids.
ADJUSTMENT TO LIFE CHANGING CONDITIONS
Most of us will experience a life-changing condition at some point in our lives and this can impact how we view ourselves and our lives. I have worked within services for people diagnosed with a life-altering condition and in addition to helping people adjusting to, and building new lives, I specifically offer support around living with chronic pain and chronic fatigue.
MEMORY, COGNITION & NEUROPSYCHOLOGY
I offer cognitive and neuropsychological assessment for people experiencing memory or cognitive deficits and I offer therapy for people diagnosed with medically unexplained neurological symptoms such as non-epileptic attack disorder (NEAD).
WHAT TO EXPECT
HOW LONG DOES EACH THERAPY SESSION TAKE?
A typical therapy session lasts 50 minutes.
HOW MUCH ARE YOUR FEES?
My fees are placed on an income sliding scale.
In-person fees range from £50-£250 depending on your affordability. The average fee is £100. Insurance fees are pre-set by the respective companies.
The agreed fee does not affect the length or quality of therapy provided.
DO YOU OFFER SLIDING SCALE RATES?
I can offer some therapy sessions at a reduced rate depending on your income. Your therapy fee includes room and administrative support as well as my supervision costs and unfortunately these cannot be changed.
There are a few zero cost online/telephone appointments for people who are seeking asylum or without income.
DO YOU OFFER ONLINE PSYCHOTHERAPY?
Online psychotherapy is also available as live ‘web cam’ sessions via Skype & Zoom and is a convenient way of accessing therapy from your home. The fee for online therapy is reduced as therapy room costs are not required. Fee range for online psychotherapy is £10-£200.
HOW IS YOUR PRACTICE REGULATED?
The HCPC regulates the use of the title ‘Clinical Psychologist’. This means that the use of this title is legally restricted to individuals who are on the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) register of Practitioner Psychologists. Entrants to the register need to have undertaken training that enables them to meet the HCPC's standards of proficiency. It is a criminal offence for someone to claim that they are registered when they are not, or to use a protected title that they are not entitled to use.
'CPsychol' status is the benchmark of professional recognition. It reflects the highest standard of psychological knowledge and expertise and is a mark of experience, competence and reputation. The title is legally recognised and can only be conferred by the BPS under their 1965 Royal Charter. Qualifying for Chartered membership status is a significant achievement, requiring high levels of academic attainment, periods of supervised practice and applied experience, a commitment to lifelong learning, and an engagement with the broader issues facing the profession.