Dr Ben Amponsah

IMG_2294 2

I am an HCPC registered (PYL048366) Counselling Psychologist and a BACP-accredited psychotherapist. I work primarily online and by telephone, with in-person sessions available by arrangement.

I have been curious about what makes people tick for about as long as I can remember — it is the reason I chose psychology for my first degree. The route into this work was not a straight line. There was a spell as an army officer and a stint as a recruitment consultant before I found my way back through an employee assistance programme, doing workplace counselling. I spent more than thirteen years in that world before going into private practice. I have been counselling since 2002 and have well over 6,000 supervised hours behind me.

What I do

These days my work is mainly with trauma — helping people resolve post-traumatic stress (PTSD) and its more complex, longer-standing form (CPTSD), and recover from experiences that have left a lasting mark. Over the years that has included survivors of sexual violence, military veterans, survivors of torture, people involved in serious accidents, and clients from the LGBT and human rights communities. I have also worked extensively in the workplace arena and with men who have survived sexual harm.

For trauma I rely heavily on EMDR — Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing — which I have been accredited in since 2016 and in which I am now completing the final stage to practise as a consultant. EMDR is one of only two therapies approved by NICE for the treatment of trauma and complex PTSD. You can read more about it at the EMDR Association UK.

How I work

I am a pluralistic practitioner. In plain terms, that means I don’t believe there is a single therapy that suits everyone, and I work with you to find the approach most likely to help with what you bring. The framework I work from is the pluralistic model set out by Mick Cooper and John McLeod, built on a humanistic foundation with a strong influence from cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) and ideas drawn from psychodynamic and solution-focused approaches. My style is collaborative, encouraging and supportive — with the right amount of challenge where it is needed.

Alongside trauma, I am experienced in working with a wide range of difficulties, including anxiety, depression, bereavement and loss, identity and sexuality, self-esteem, self-harm, obsessions, relationship and men’s issues, stress and work-related problems, and personal development.

Qualifications

  • Professional Doctorate in Counselling Psychology, Glasgow Caledonian University, 2026
  • BSc (Hons) Psychology, University of Bristol, 1991
  • Postgraduate Diploma in Advanced Studies in Counselling, University of Manchester, 2006
  • Certificate in Coaching, University of Middlesex, 2012
  • EMDR Europe Accredited Practitioner, 2016 (currently completing Consultant accreditation)
  • BACP Accredited

Fees

  • £110 per hour for standard support, with concessions for older people, students and those out of work
  • I see individuals and also offer group work
  • Most of my work is online or by telephone; I can also see clients in person by exception, by arrangement and at an adjusted cost
  • I generally work on Mondays, and occasionally Fridays

What happens next?