Professionals

Dr Catherine Sykes works with a wide range of professionals who need psychological advice such as people experiencing work-related stress, people needing coaching for public speaking and trainee psychologists and therapists.

Work-related Stress

Work-related stress can be very disempowering. Office politics and organisational culture can reduce the choices for dealing with stress. Catherine works sympathetically with clients experiencing work-related stress and works collaboratively with clients to look at ways of dealing with stress.

Public Speaking Coaching

Many successful professionals have a fear of public speaking. They tend to search for public speaking coaching at a point in their career when they are more and more called upon to share their expertise and experience. In these situations many successful professionals can come across as nervous and even unenthusiastic because of the fear of talking in public.

There are many causes of the fear of public speaking such as a bad experience of reading aloud as a child, a previous poor presentation or current life stresses.

Catherine has experience of working with a range of professionals to help them develop their own unique presentation style. Catherine works by firstly looking at the cause of the fear then works with the client on an individual basis to plan, structure, pace, deal with questions from the audience and speak with clarity and confidence. Catherine believes that all important presentations need some preparation and practising no matter how confident you are. Sometimes clients need an objective coach to offer feedback. Clients can book follow up appointments for support and practising important presentations.

Catherine also works with people who don't have any experience of public speaking but want to make a one-off important speech such as at a wedding, family event, special occasion, interview or as part of a qualification.

Cognitive Behaviour Therapy Supervision

Catherine works with supervises to agree goals for supervision and a timeframe for achieving the goals. She offers face-to-face and telephone supervision with email follow-ups. She also offers taped session feedback supervision.

"I began treatment with Catherine at a very difficult time in my life. I'd been made redundant and was ill with stress. However, the CBT techniques she taught me changed the way I saw not just my present but my past as well. With her patience and encouragement I developed a much more positive and confident outlook, and a year on I still use CBT tools to look on the bright side when things go wrong."

— Client presenting with work related stress and severe headaches

"I really appreciated how professional, and kind, and non-judgemental you were, especially at a time when I was extremely judgemental of myself"

— Client experiencing work related stress

"I see Catherine before any major presentation. She helps me to clarify my message and sharpen my delivery."

— Client who gets anxious about speaking in public