Dr John Eaton (PhD) | UKCP Registered Psychotherapist Berkshire

Over 36 Years of Specialist Clinical Experience

My professional journey started out in Hypnotherapy in 1990. After that I acquired certifications in NLP therapy, Cognitive-Behaviour therapy, Focusing, Stress management, Brief Solution-focused therapy and Acceptance & Commitment therapy (ACT).

From 1993-1998 I worked on my doctoral thesis at Lancaster University, Department of Psychology. On the subject of persuasion and language in psychotherapy. Since 1990 I have delivered over 24,000 therapy hours to clients. While also training and supervising hundreds of other professionals in a variety of Brief Therapy approaches.

Between 1998-2000 I worked for the Drug and Alcohol Treatment Program (Brief Therapy Unit) in the North-West London NHS Trust. Following that I worked for a few years as a Brief Therapist for the Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) servicing Vodafone in Newbury. While that was going on I also developed a coaching business for both business professionals and private clients. To this day there is an overlap between my coaching interests and my work in therapy. In many ways I see brief therapy stretching from coaching at one end, when dealing with life problems, and psychotherapy at the other, when dealing with long-term mental health issues,

A Deeply Collaborative Approach to Mental Wellbeing

As a person I am fascinated by the endless variety of human experience. Although we therapists are taught to use labels like ‘depression’, ‘stress’ and ‘anxiety issues’ I prefer to see my clients as unique individuals grappling with human suffering as it appears to them.

As a young adult I suffered from a serious anxiety disorder and depression which lasted a few years. So I know what it is like to be trapped in suffering. I also underwent psychotherapy for these problems, so I also know what it is like to be on the receiving end. As a result I have infinite compassion for those brave enough to come and see me in order to find the way out. I eventually found the way out myself, and am keen to share it with others.

6 Core Principles of My Psychotherapy Practice

My focus and my approach varies with the problem and with the client, and I never work the same way twice. See the articles in the Blog section (right side of this page) to find out more about my ideas and  techniques. 

I will be intensely interested in you as a person and I want to get to know you at the deepest level you can go to as soon as I can.

Psychotherapy with me is collaborative. Meaning that both you and I will work together to achieve your goals. I will lend you my experience and knowledge; you will give me your open-minded commitment. Together we will create a dynamic relationship.

I work on all levels – conscious mind, sub-conscious, body, emotions, actions, brain and behavior. I work intensely and thoroughly because I want the changes we work on to last.

I will ask you to do some assignments between sessions and practice the techniques I show you. Completing them ensures progress.

I don’t have fixed appointment schedules. My clients can come and see me as and when they like. Some people like to see me a few times on an occasional basis; others prefer to see me every week for a few weeks. I treat every session as if it might be the last and quite a few of my (satisfied) clients have only one session.

A Couple of Practical Questions

What’s the difference between counselling and psychotherapy?

Counselling tends to focus on a specific, often recent issue over a shorter period, using primarily talking-based support. Psychotherapy, including the Brief Therapy approach I use, works more broadly across thought, emotion, body and behaviour, and can address longer-standing or more complex patterns — though in my own practice this is usually still achieved in a small number of sessions, not months or years.

What conditions do you treat?

I specialise in anxiety, depression, stress, burnout, and trauma/PTSD, using Brief Therapy, ACT, CBT, Solution-Focused Therapy, EMDR and mindfulness as appropriate to the individual.

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