Welcome
Photocredit: Ben White, unsplash
How can I help you?
I am Dr Liz Forbat. I am a family therapist, specialising in supporting people with complex health conditions. My goal is to help you to find space and time to talk through your worries.
I have worked with people living with cancer, dementia, multiple sclerosis and other life-limiting or serious health conditions.
People often look around for a therapist when they feel stuck. Usually by the time someone is searching for a therapist they have exhausted all their other ideas and attempts to find solutions.
For people living with serious health conditions a new diagnosis or worsening of symptoms can trigger a referral. Sometimes families want a therapist because their relationship is under strain, or because of worries about the impact on their partner, children or grandchildren.
Other people want to talk about care giving, worries about dying, managing symptoms, intimacy, or just as a safe space to talk to someone about their whole experience.
Family therapy will manage a focus both on the individual with the condition, but also the wider ramifications and influences on other members of the friend and family system.
COVID has made illness and grief so much harder to manage. Seeing friends or family has become more difficult, and it can be very isolating living with serious illness even at the best of times even without the extra restrictions and complications of COVID.
Therapy can give you space to talk about your feelings and find ways of coping and feeling better.
Therapy is also available for health/social care workers impacted by COVID. I offer pro bono sessions for Frontline19.
As well as individual, couple and family work, I also conduct systemic consultations with organisations, such as palliative care services. These consultations can be helpful if the team is finding communication difficult or stuck, or if there is a need for an external facilitator to support change within the organisation.
Frequently asked questions
How long does therapy last?
Our sessions will last 50 minutes. We will decide between us how many times you would like to meet. There are no set rules about how many is enough - it will depend on what you want to achieve and the depth which you wish to work to. We might manage that within five or six sessions, or perhaps longer.
What happens when we meet?
Our first session will be an opportunity to get to know each other a bit. You can talk about the issues which have led you to contact me, and we can talk through the practicalities of how we will work, ethics and boundaries and what you wish to achieve.
My approach is active (lots of questions to help you talk about your experiences, asking you to do things, experiment with new ideas, and discussion) and collaborative (we'll work together to help you find your way through the complexities you're living with).
How often we meet will again depend on your preferences. Family therapists often offer appointments every 2 or 3 weeks. However, if you're wanting more frequent sessions then that is okay too. We will arrange times which suit you best. Working with people with serious health problems can also mean we need to be adaptable if medical appointments crop up - that is okay and we can work our way around that.
How much does it cost?
My rate is £60 per session. If you are on a low income, you are welcome to get in touch and tell me what you can afford.
Systemic consultation fees for organisation are variable. Please use the 'contact' section to discuss your organisation's needs.
About Liz
I have an MSc in systemic family psychotherapy and a PhD in care giving relationships.
The first two years of my therapy training were in London, and the final two years in
Glasgow.
I am registered with the UK Council for Psychotherapy (UKCP) and the Association for
Family Therapy (AFT-UK). I am also a member of the British Psychological Society.
As well as being a therapist, I have an extensive research background in caregiving,
cancer, dementia, care homes, palliative care and bereavement.
Photo above is of Liz Forbat (taken November 2020)
Families
Couples
Individuals
Who comes to therapy?
I am happy to meet with individuals, couples, parent+child, or your whole family.
We can decide together what will suit you and your circumstances best about who comes to therapy. Sometimes, the decision about who comes will change session by session. Sometimes, parents might want a session or two by themselves, and some other sessions with children, or partners. We will decide this together, to suit you and your needs.
How will we meet?
I am only offering online therapy (using Zoom). All therapy session appointments are password protected to maintain your confidentiality.
Media and links
If you're interested in hearing a bit more about the family therapy approach you can watch a video
I made with Elder in 2020 with another family therapist. It is focused more on older age groups, but will
give you a bit of insight into some of the principles.
Click here to watch the video (opens in a separate window)
You can read some of my more accessible publications via The Conversation.
1. Impact of the Death of a Friend is accessible here.
2. Caring for someone at end of life is here.
3, Disagreements and conflict between families and health care professionals is here.
A list of my academic publications is available via University of Stirling.
In truth a family is what you make it. It is made strong, not by number of heads counted at the dinner table, but by the rituals you help family members create, by the memories you share, by the commitment of time, caring, and love you show to one another, and by the hopes for the future you have as individuals and as a unit.
Marge Kennedy
Testimonials
You wont find testimonials on this website. This is because members of the British Psychological Society are advised not to post client accounts on their websites.
It is important to choose the right therapist though, so the first session is a way of you checking out whether you think we could work together. You'll be the best judge of that, rather than the testimonial of someone else.
Contact Dr Liz Forbat
Get in touch with me by completing the form. I aim to reply to enquries within 2 working days.
Or you can call me on: 0788 280 8406.
