Ellie Fourie – Psychologist

**Accepting a limited number of ACC clients**

About me

As a therapist, I would describe myself as warm and friendly, with a good sense of humour. Although I am a psychologist now I have done (and do) a variety of jobs before qualifying as a psychologist – including, office work, care assistant working with the elderly, volunteering in Africa building schools, forklift driving, being president of Playcentre, working at Buckingham palace, and many more. This gives me a good amount of life experience to be able to understand and relate to people better. I am a mum of two beautiful girls so I also appreciate the struggles of parenthood!

My clients in the past have said that they find it easy to open up about issues that they may never have told anyone else. I think this is because I am genuinely interested in helping others to live the best lives they are able to, despite things they have experienced in their lives. Going to therapy can be a daunting experience. I want that step to feel like a positive step in your life.

Issues I can help with

I have a broad range of skills which can often be applied to a lot of issues. This can be issues with your mood – such as anxiety and depression, confidence and self esteem. It could be issues with relationships – working on communication and boundaries. I often work with victims of abuse and trauma. I have often had members of the LGBTQI community and of the neurodivergent community in my therapy space.

When someone comes to therapy with certain issues there is often a longstanding pattern of this type of issue happening in their life. I like to try and work with you to get to the bottom of those patterns, and try and help you resolve them to the point you can live life and have the knowledge, skills and tools you need to overcome them. There are often underlying beliefs about yourself that at one point kept you safe, but now hold you back. Everyone is different, however, and I try and find the right method or the right approach to help you to overcome these difficulties.

Nuts and bolts

For those interested in the approaches I use, I often draw from Schema therapy, and EMDR to help people- but I also know a wide range of techniques and I try to find the right key for the right lock.

Training

• I completed my undergraduate training in London (BSc (Hons) – Psychology and Counselling).
• I did my postgraduate training at AUT In Counselling Psychology (MHSc HEalth science – psychology + PGDip Counselling Psychology)
• I have since done postgraduate training courses in EMDR, relationships and sex therapy, addictions, trauma and many more.