About Me
I'm Dr Emma Rowley, an HCPC Registered Clinical Psychologist, Midwife and Mindful Childbirth and Parenting teacher.
For as long as I can remember, I have had a passion for women's health and wellbeing - informed, in part, by my own wellbeing, fertility and birthing journey - and shaped, along the way, by the unique experiences of the women and families I have been privileged to work with during this significant and transformative time in their lives.
Throughout my career and in my own personal life, I have been struck by the high expectations we place on ourselves to think, feel, behave and embody all that we think we 'should' be : this is seemingly never more true than during the transition to parenthood, when expectations from self, others and society can seem inescapable.
I believe that this period of change and growth offers a unique opportunity for us to bring kind awareness to these patterns, to identify and understand our underlying emotional needs, and to cultivate a new, more nurturing and compassionate relationship with ourselves.
My Training and Experience
I have worked with individuals, couples and families across the whole lifespan, both within the NHS and in private practice. My longstanding interest in Maternal mental health and wellbeing has led me to specialise in supporting women, their partners and families, as they navigate the period from conception (and pre-conception) through pregnancy, birth and the postnatal period, including the early parenting years.
It's an area I feel so passionately about, I also trained as a Midwife, enabling me to offer the sort of whole-person, integrated care and support I believe is so fundamental to our experience of wellbeing at this pivotal time.
How I Work
I understand that reaching out for support can feel daunting. When clients come to therapy, they are seeking help for a range of issues including anxiety and depression during and after pregnancy, the journey through IVF, miscarriage and loss, traumatic birth, attachment issues and difficulties adjusting to the challenges of parenting. Our work together may draw upon a range of different psychological models and approaches, including compassion-focused, cognitive -behavioural and schema therapy approaches, flexibly interwoven in a way which feels most helpful to each client. I attach great importance to the therapy relationship, working in a warm, collaborative and authentic way, coming alongside you to explore and work with whatever difficulties you are facing.
Professional Registration
I am registered as a Practitioner Psychologist with the Health and Care Professionals Council and hold professional registration as a Midwife with the Nursing and Midwifery Council. I take my commitment to ongoing professional development seriously, attending regular clinical supervision and undertaking regular training relevant to my field of expertise. I have specialist training in EMDR, schema therapy, compassion-focused therapy, DBT and Mindfulness based cognitive therapy.
I am a member of the Birth Trauma Association and Champion for Make Birth Better.