I am Dr Nancy Bancroft, a HCPC registered Clinical Psychologist with over 15 years experience working therapeutically with psychological and emotional distress, within NHS, academic and private contexts.

I have obtained BA honours and Master of Philosophy degrees in psychology and am trained to Doctoral level in Clinical Psychology.

I grew up in Herefordshire and moved away to study and work the early part of my career in the North of England, where I met my husband. We moved back to Herefordshire to be nearer the countryside and family when we had children. Since that time I have worked as a Clinical Psychologist in community mental health services, and specialise in trauma-informed therapy and supervision with a special interest in the mind-body connection.

I am passionate and experienced in offering therapy, supervision and consultation in complex situations where many treatment avenues have previously been explored.

The therapist you have been looking for

Unhelpfully, the Western, medical perspective still views emotional distress as an illness or disease which needs fixing. This position views symptoms of depression, anxiety, overwhelm, problems with relationships, anger or other confusing experiences as dysfunctional. Sometimes these experiences will attract one, or even several formal psychiatric diagnoses.

With respect and understanding for the position of mainstream mental health systems, I have a different perspective.

Normal responses to abnormal situations

My extensive training as a Psychologist and years of post-doctoral training and experience has shown me that no matter how confusing and overwhelming your “symptoms” may be, they can be better understood as functional expressions of pain; attempts to cope with adversity; communications from the mind and body that there is (or was at some point) an absence of balance and safety.

Understanding from the roots

I view your “symptoms” as messengers and communications.

Sometimes consciously, and sometimes completely outside of your awareness and control, these “symptoms” were often established in early life as a way for you to cope with something difficult. And it’s likely that they served you in some way – you survived.

But as we grow into adults, we tend to hold onto the things that protected us, even when it seems like they make no sense in the present.

So right now it might make no logical sense that you feel stuck, depressed, anxious or overwhelmed, but in the context of your life history, the world you live in, and your access to resources, even if you can’t quite get your head around it on your own, I’m pretty sure you make perfect sense.

Person-centred

We will work at your pace, according to your goals, placing you in complete control of what and how to share your experience with me.

Trauma-informed

We will start where it feels most helpful for you – either with a focus on what you want to change in the here and now, or with an exploration of how and where you developed.

Holistic

Together we will communicate safety to your whole system (mind and body) to identify, understand and change patterns of the past.

Evidence-based

My training as a scientist-practitioner allows me to stay up to date with the evidence-base and guides my careful selection of theory and therapy to fit your situation.

Values led

Keeping my values: hope, authenticity, creativity and compassion at the forefront of everything I do, we will work together to find you peace with your past and develop the skills to move forward as the person you want to be.

Human first, therapist second

I celebrate enormous shifts in my own health and state of mind after accessing therapy from this approach via the team who trained me most recently, and now I couldn’t be more excited to share it.

For me this work is more than a career, it’s a passion and a privilege.