Chris Maskens

I appreciate it can be challenging to make that brave first step by choosing to talk about painful or difficult experiences and feelings. I offer calm, steady support from the very beginning and encourage the gentle growth of self compassion and the exploration of the experience of things.

I have supported many people on their journey through surviving childhood abuse, post-traumatic stress, substance and behavioural addictions, bereavement, and a host of traumatic experiences. Working at your pace and with you in control, I guide a clear path through confusion and distress towards healing, growth and strength. All my therapeutic approaches are up-to-date, with evidence-based track records.

If you have any questions, please get in touch. Contact details are at the bottom of this page.

About Trauma, Attachment and Addiction

From childhood and into adulthood, attachment (look up Attachment Theory) and trauma difficulties can manifest in many ways, as people develop and unconsciously adapt their responses to what’s around them to survive as best they can. These responses can include obsessive and compulsive behaviours, eating disorders, behavioural and substance addictions and destructive relationship patterns, which point back to events that were unavoidably traumatic at an earlier time.

These experiences are bewildering and scary, meaning people often end up leading a life they wouldn’t choose, and which can include harmful or criminal behaviour. Too often, the individual has no explanation for why they can’t change thoughts, feelings and behaviours.

As a result of their experience, some people have diagnoses or symptoms of PTSD, Complex PTSD, personality and dissociative disorders.

There is a way through all these difficulties, and extensive recovery is possible. I’ve had the privilege of supporting many, many people to shift from a life of struggle and survival to better levels of functioning and wellbeing.

About me

I have in-depth training and experience of working with people across the range of these difficulties, including those surviving organised abuse. My training includes: an MSc in Counselling Psychology, full certification in EMDR, Advanced EMDR for Dissociative Disorders, EMDR 2.0, Advanced Flash Technique, Sensorimotor Psychotherapy for Trauma, Brainspotting, Comprehensive Resource Model, Deep Brain Reorienting, Contextual Conceptual (Suicide) Therapy and Exposure and Response Prevention for OCD and Anxiety disorders. I draw from a broad range of evidenced-based approaches which have a good track record of efficacy.

I’ve worked in a wide range of settings, including work-place therapy support for central Government, addiction recovery and rehabilitation agencies and, since 2004, private practice receiving referrals from the NHS as well as self referrals. I occasionally teach as a consultant on psychological trauma. Where an individual is working a 12 Step addiction recovery programme, I work to complement and deepen recovery, healing and growth.

Further afield, I worked with the National Association for People Abused in Childhood (NAPAC) for seven years, as a Trustee then Chair of the organisation, giving clinical direction to the setting up and running of abuse survivor support services. During this time I was also consulted on the setting up of national safeguarding guidelines, the review of legislation protecting survivors, and survivor support programmes for the UK, other EU states and the US. I also found time to found and administer on-line support forums for trauma survivors.

I’m currently available online.

I will reply promptly to your email.