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About
I have been privileged to help people feel healthier for the past twenty six years
​​​​​​The breadth of my clinical experience covers anxiety, depression, ME/CFS, trauma, anger, forensic issues, relationship problems and severe mental health problems.
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Moreover I am a published author on traumatic stress, mental health advocacy, therapeutic environments and therapeutic relationships. Presenting scientific papers at national and international conferences. Publishing practical blogs on how to add to relationships, deal with frustration, put words to desire, have better sex, and/or build social relationships. Personal articles about my own experience of anger, anxiety, depression, ME/CFS, money and personal responsibility.
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Across my life I have developed a preferred practise of helpful relationships. These co-productive relationships are, in my experience, the most effective way to feel healthier. Creating new experiences, useful to you. ​This page further details my career and my specialism of helping by example. I also invite you to ask me questions about my background, clinical psychology qualifications, training and ongoing clinical supervision.
Finally, I offer three video interviews. (Trigger warning this video includes a discussion of suicide.) 1) 'An interview with Dr Andrew Perry' (2021) with Dr Natalie Bodart CLICK HERE 2) Anger, Depression, and Triggers: Dr. Andrew Perry Explains How to Cope (2024) CLICK HERE 3) Interview by Rev Fiona Naylor (2024) Talks about my clinical approach, experience, clinical ethics and current understanding of trauma & PTSD. CLICK HERE
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Brief introduction
MY career
1998-2002
Mental health advocate at Lynfield Mount Hospital in Bradford.
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2003-2004
Assistant psychologist with the NHS in Gateshead.
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2004-2007
Trainee clinical psychologist with the NHS in the East Midlands.
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2007-2009
Clinical psychologist with St Andrews Healthcare in Northampton.
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2009-2010
Clinical psychologist with Greater Glasgow NHS Trust.
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2010-2017
Clinical psychologist with The State Hospital NHS Trust in Carstairs.
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2017-2019
Clinical psychologist with Cyrenians in West Lothian.
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2019 to present
Clinical psychologist in private practise.
My specialism: helping by example
How many therapists' does it take to change a light bulb?
One, but the therapist has to change first.
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This is helping by example. The therapist changes first to help the customer.
'What are you getting paid for?’ I heard myself ask. I looked around to see who was listening. Quickly realising I was facilitating a group and had not prepared this intervention. I noticed how the group had gone silent and its customers looked towards me. Patiently waiting for me to answer my own question. I stumbled ‘I am paid to lead’. Lead with what? ‘Lead with my vulnerability.’ I stumbled again, ‘I am paid to trust you before you trust me.’ It sounded good enough. Relieved, myself and the group relaxed. The conversation moved on but the question, for me, remained. What am I actually getting paid for?
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What do I do that has a monetary value beyond that of the customer? It is also a challenge for the customer. Couldn't you get that elsewhere? What about cheaper or free? Why, sometimes, it may be a good use of your money to pay for a psychologist. At the very least, I hope you will agree, it is always a good idea to know what we are paying for when we are buying something.'
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I change first​​​
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You bring an experience you are struggling with. I will learn how to get better at it in session and show you my learning. If you like that solution we can practise it together. Examples have included experiencing anger, learning to cry, asserting ourselves, healthy disagreement, setting boundaries, talking about sex, sharing mistakes or dealing with loss. My commitment is to learn and go first.
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'In therapy the customer gets the credit. The therapist succeeds by failing the customer's usual way. Re enacting the problem the patient brings to therapy. Finding new ways to deal with the problem. Before bearing the consequence of that failure. Namely redundancy from temporary employment.
Helping by example is a disciplined and effective way of being with people. Accepting the complaint, anger and disappointment of the customer without retaliation. Exploring what has happened. Breaking the comfortable lock of complementarity. Letting go of a fantasy of being the complete, innocent, blameless therapist. In these ways the therapist is paid to change, in order to help the customer. And so in the end, my first answer to the group was not bad. What am I getting paid for? I am paid to lead with my vulnerability, then to follow yours, to a place of greater psychological health.'
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This is a summary drawn from my full article What are you getting paid for?
