Welcome to my website
I am Dolores O’Malley, an Oxford based BACP accredited counsellor and psychotherapist with 15 years of experience.
I established Oxford Therapy because at times of difficulties everyone needs a space to be heard, change and grow.
Wanting Help?
Do you feel stuck or alone and need help? Do you find it difficult to talk to your family and friends about this? If so, it may be very helpful to talk to a trained and experienced listener who can provide a caring, safe and confidential space.
Among the issues I work with are depression, self image and weight, identity problems, stress at work, relationship difficulties, anger, anxiety, bereavement, compulsion, addiction, as well as childhood trauma and abuse.
When you work with me you will:
Qualifications
I am a psychotherapist and counsellor with over 15 years experience. I trained at the Metanoia Institute London (PGD Gestalt Psychology) and have completed several Transactional Analysis courses. I am an accredited member of the British association of counselling and psychotherapy (MBACP accred).
I have a passion to support people as they face live challenges. Over the years, I have worked successfully with clients who were facing issues such as depression, difficulties at work or relationship breakups. I have a particular interest in the psychology of over eating as I have struggled with self image and issues of weight all of my life. I was fortunate enough to have worked and studied with Kathy Leach, author of "The overweight Patient".
Supervision
I am regularly supervised by a more experienced therapist, who provides me with clinical support and ethical guidance. I abide by the BACP code of ethics and regularly attend training courses and workshops.
What is therapy?
Therapy helps you if you are struggling with life.
Consulting a therapist is not a sign of weakness
but rather strength and courage.
Sometimes people feel that asking for help and coming to therapy or counselling means they are weak or a failure. In fact, asking for help when you are struggling is a positive response which requires courage and strength. It is healthy to recognise that sometimes, as we try to let go of old patterns of behaviours that are causing problems and unhappiness, we need support. Therapy and counselling helps you find you own inner wisdom and strength, so that you are ready, willing and able to embrace your new life choices.
What is the difference between therapy and counselling?
Counselling is very similar to therapy, but therapy is a much deeper exploration of your problems and will usually take longer. When we meet we will assess your needs and decide together which way of working suits you best.
How we will work
When we work together I will listen to your experiences, thoughts, feelings and reactions. I will offer a save environment to explore and be challenged.
During our sessions, I will tell you how I experience working with you and we will look at how our relationship might mirror other relationships in your life, particularly those of power and authority.
You may be caught in a cycle of certain beliefs, behaviours and we can explore how you can choose to change your perspective and experiment with new behaviour.
I will encourage you to understand that you (and others) will only change and move forward when you are ready. Neither I, nor anyone else can make you change; it is only you that can make that choice.
Our contract
Sessions are weekly and usually last 60 minutes. We will start with an introductory session (£45) to see if we can work together. If we continue to work together, we will agree on a fixed term contract. This ranges from 6-12 sessions for a short term work or an open ended contract for deeper work. Fees are £45 per session but are open to negotiation for students, unemployed or part-time workers.
Emotional Eating
Fed up with dieting? Do you want to understand your relationship with your body and food? Emotional Eating? If so, this therapeutic journey may be for you.
Listen to Dolores speaking about E-Eating on BBC OXFORD
Emotional Eating groups provide a respectful, confidential and non-judgemental space where you can look at your relationship with food and understand how and why we use food for areas beyond energy and nutrition. You will be listened to, challenged and encouraged to take your new learning back to your every day life. Our training courses and therapy group offer you understanding of:
Currently I offer training courses to help you understand the theory behind emotional eating and use these theories to explore your own experience. I also offer a six-month therapy group where we will look in-depth at your life stories related to emotional eating. To ensure you can make the most of the therapy group, you need to have attended at least one of the training courses. You can find the details here:
Groups
I offer therapy and training groups throughout the year.
Keep an eye on this page for the latest events.
Emotional Eating
Fed up with dieting? Do you want to understand your relationship with your body and food? Emotional Eating? If so, this therapeutic journey may be for you.
The Woman's Journey to Well-being
Are you a busy woman and want to look after yourself better, but perhaps you are unsure where to start, or dislike exercise, or maybe you find the fitness and diet industries off-putting?
My blog
I like to write regularly about my experience as a therapist. Feel free to have a look at my blog and get a better idea of the various aspects of my work. Click here to read my blog!
If you like to book an initial assessment meeting to see if we can work together, please write me an e-mail (dolores@oxford-therapy.co.uk) or give me a call:
07946 581 590
I am often busy during the day, so if you reach my answering machine please leave your name and number and I will call you back.
Location
My practice is located in Oxford (Norham Gardens) and within a 15 minutes walk from the city centre.