OUR THERAPISTS

Dr Ruth Ann Harpur

Clinical Psychologist specialising in relationships and issues of narcissism. Nurturing people to compassionate, strong relationships with themselves and others.

I have been working as a clinical psychologist since 2009 in a wide range of mental health service setting including community mental health teams, psychiatric inpatient services and private practice. I am experienced in working with people experiencing mental illnesses including depression, anxiety disorders and post-traumatic stress disorder.

Throughout my career and in my personal life, I have been struck by how important relationships are in how we navigate the demands and challenges of life. We often find ourselves repeating familiar patterns in relationships that may not serve our needs and in ways that seem confusing to us and the people around us. People seek my help with a wide range of issues that impact them and their relationships. These include tendencies to be critical of themselves or of others, to sacrifice their own needs, to make excessive demands, to belittle or otherwise act in ways that undermine the very relationships that they value most.

My approach to therapy is to lift the lid on these patterns so we can understand and take care of the vulnerability that often lies beneath the surface, helping you to become more tender and nurturing to yourself AND a strong, sturdy advocate for your needs and boundaries.

After qualifying as a clinical psychologist in 2009 from the University of East Anglia, I trained in Cognitive Behaviour Therapy at the Oxford Cognitive Therapy Centre and in Schema Therapy at the Dutch Institute for Schema Therapy.

Dr Jason Hassan

I am a Clinical Psychologist and Cognitive Behavioural Therapist with experience working with adolescents and adults across a wide range of psychological difficulties, including anxiety, depression, trauma‑related distress, neurodivergence, and complex relational and family dynamics. I have worked in NHS and independent settings and am accustomed to holding risk, safeguarding responsibilities, and multi‑agency working alongside therapeutic care.

My approach to therapy is relational, reflective, and formulation‑led. While my work is grounded in evidence‑based models such as CBT, schema therapy, and compassion‑focused approaches, I do not view therapy as the application of techniques alone. I am particularly interested in how distress is shaped and maintained by shame, self‑criticism, unmet emotional needs, and systemic pressures, and I aim to work at a pace that prioritises safety, understanding, and genuine psychological change rather than quick fixes.

Across my work, I often support clients who feel overwhelmed, stuck in patterns of over‑responsibility, or caught between strong internal demands and a sense of emotional exhaustion. Many of the people I work with struggle with an internal critical voice, guilt around their needs, or difficulty setting boundaries. I aim to create a therapeutic space where these patterns can be explored without judgement, where vulnerability is not shamed, and where clients can begin to experience greater permission, choice, and self‑compassion.

I place a strong emphasis on the therapeutic relationship as a vehicle for change. This includes being attuned to when clients need reassurance, firmness, containment, or space, and recognising that different moments in therapy call for different responses. I am comfortable working with dependency, ambivalence, and resistance when these are named and held openly, and I work carefully to support clients to internalise healthier ways of relating to themselves over time.

Alongside individual therapy, I have experience working systemically with families, schools, and other professionals, particularly in contexts where safeguarding, conflict, or high emotional intensity are present. I am mindful of boundaries and the risk of triangulation in complex systems, and I aim to hold a clear “third position” that centres the client’s safety and wellbeing while allowing statutory and professional systems to do their respective work.

Clients often describe the work as helping them feel less judged, more grounded, and better able to make decisions that align with their needs rather than with guilt or fear. My aim is to support people to move from living under rigid internal rules of “should” and “must” towards a greater sense of agency, emotional understanding, and flexibility in how they respond to themselves and the world around them.