About

“It’s the relationship that heals” Irvin D. Yalom, 1989

Dr Hugh Milburn

I am an independent and highly experienced Consultant Clinical Psychologist and Systemic Psychotherapist with over 37 years experience working in the mental health field.  I have extensive knowledge of evaluating, diagnosing and treating emotional and behavioural disorders with a diverse range of client ages and groups within a variety of clinical settings, acute adult , out-patients, community alcohol team and specialist clinical service in schools for children with social, emotional difficulties. In my last NHS post, I was Consultant Clinical Psychologist for the CAMHS service in Hastings where I provided clinical services to support a range of mental health conditions including complex trauma, eating disorders, severe anxiety and depression. I have expertise working with adoptive\looked after children and work closely with East Sussex County Council and other Local Authorities to provide services for these children and families.

Approach

I  am able to offer a friendly, flexible and holistic approach. Extensive outcome research and clinical experience has established that the foundation of therapy, what ever the model, is the relationship with a trusted therapist that listens, connects and facilitates understanding.

I do not subscribe to just one theoretical perspective. My psychological practice is embedded in a developmental (Bowlby, Erickson), interpersonal approach (Stern, Yalom) and psychodynamic (Winnicott). I tend to see people’s difficulties through  an ‘attachment lens’– meaning that how we experience our relationships and our self-identity is influenced by our early experiences of being nurtured and cared for. We bring these early patterns with us wherever we go, into every relationship including the therapy relationship. The thing that makes psychotherapy is not just another relationship, is that we do something different, instead of just repeating our same old patterns with a new person, we create the conditions where it becomes possible to notice patterns, to recognise them, to put words to them and discuss them. Out of that experience and that understandings comes freedom to do things differently.  The psychodynamic approach provides an understanding that we are  also unconscious of our relational patterns, conflicts and desires. Unconscious aspects of our experiences have a big impact on our beliefs about who we are and how we relate to others. Psychotherapy helps us to become more aware of these parts of ourselves and develop newer ways of coping.

I provide a range of therapeutic interventions tailored to you or your family’s unique needs.I capitalize on my training in clinical psychology and family therapy by addressing the underlying factors that keep children, young people and adults from maximizing their potential.  I see value in helping people understand why they do the things they do: why they repeat self-defeating behaviors, how they keep themselves from achieving what they’d like to achieve, and what keeps them from becoming the person they’d like to become.

Education

I completed my Doctorate in Clinical Psychology at University College London (1987). My Doctorate thesis  was a ‘Study of the Inner World of Children with Emotional and Behavioural Difficulties’ and my elective placement was in adolescent psychotherapy, at the Brandon Centre and Anna Freud Centre, London. I am a Chartered member of the British Psychology Society (www.bps.org.uk) and registered with the Health & Care Professions Council (www.hcpc-uk.co.uk).  I have also trained as a Systemic  Psychotherapist at the Tavistock Clinic, London (1996) and I am a member of the UK Association of Family Therapy and Systemic Practice (www.aft.org.uk). I am also registered with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), which means I subscribe to certain measures to protect patient confidentiality and I hold a professional liability insurance. I also have an Enhanced Disclosure Certificate from the Disclosure & Barring Service (DBS). As part of my continued professional development I have regular clinical supervision with a Consultant Child and Adolescent Psychotherapist.