Dr Lee Martin

Clinical Psychologist

Dr Lee Martin

Clinical Psychologist

Pronouns : He/Him

Lee is an experienced Clinical Psychologist with over 25 years-experience working in mental health settings (including 15 years experience working as a Clinical Psychologist) covering a wide range of emotional difficulties.

Lee has worked extensively with  arrange of client groups, including people struggling with addictions, past trauma, people experiencing adjustment to life events, and those who have experienced abuse in relationships.

He has expertise on the topic of complex PTSD including appearances on Radio 5 live on the topic of historic abuse.

Lee has extensive experience working with people struggling with;

• Addictions

• Adjustment to life events (divorce, job change, injury)

• Anger

• Anxiety

• Attachment Issues

• Bereavement, Grief & loss

• Career issues and retirement

• Depression / Low mood

• Emotional Regulation

• Fear of abandonment

• Generalised Anxiety Disorder (GAD)

• Health Anxiety

• Low self esteem

• Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)

• Panic

• Perfectionism

• Personality Disorders (BPD)

• Psychosexual problems

• Relationship issues including communication difficulties, doubt, co-dependence, infidelity, betrayal, separation and divorce.

• Separation anxiety

• Social anxiety

• Stress

• Trauma including Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), road traffic accidents and childhood trauma.

• Work-Related Stress

• Retro-active Jealousy

• Chronic Pain

  
  Please note - Lee is experienced in all evidence based practices for all the listed disorders, including exposure response prevention (ERP) for the treatment of OCD and other anxiety disorders, as per the NICE guidelines.
  

Lee is experienced in a range of evidence-based models & interventions;

• Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT)

• Exposure Response Prevention (ERP)

• Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)

• Mindfulness

• Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT)

  Lee follows a predominantly ACT model as he feels this lends itself well to the pressures of modern life.  Lee retains a commitment to ongoing training and development.  He has recently trained in Brief Focused ACT Training (F-ACT), Trauma Focussed ACT, and ACT for Anxiety and Depression.

  Lee is also experienced in couples’ therapy, again following an ACT model, and feels strongly about helping couples work together in therapy to strengthen and rejuvenate relationships. 

Ages Lee Works with:

• Adolescents (age 16-18 Years)

• Adults (18+)

Lee Works with:

• Individuals

• Couples

Lee’s Therapy explained

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) is a modern form of cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT) that emphasizes psychological flexibility. Its goal is to help individuals live a meaningful and values-driven life by fostering acceptance of difficult thoughts and feelings rather than struggling to control or eliminate them.

Key components of ACT include:

1. Acceptance: Learning to openly embrace unpleasant emotions and experiences instead of avoiding or fighting them.

2. Cognitive Defusion: Changing the way individuals relate to their thoughts by observing them without becoming entangled or controlled by them.

3. Present Moment Awareness: Focusing on the here and now to reduce distractions from unhelpful past or future concerns.

4. Self-as-Context: Cultivating a sense of self that observes experiences without being defined by them.

5. Values Clarification: Identifying and committing to core life values that guide behavior.

6. Committed Action: Taking steps aligned with those values, even in the presence of discomfort or obstacles.

ACT is particularly effective for a wide range of psychological issues, including anxiety, depression, stress, and substance use, as it emphasizes thriving despite life’s challenges rather than striving for symptom elimination.

Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT) is a psychotherapy developed by Marsha Linehan to help people manage intense emotions, improve relationships, and reduce harmful behaviours. Initially designed for Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD), it is now used for conditions like depression, anxiety, PTSD, and substance abuse. Many people who have experienced trauma and difficulties in childhood, and/or past relationships and who find current life and relationships challenging, find it extremely effective.

Core Components include understanding Dialectics such as Balancing acceptance and change. It involves individual work around your own experiences in addition to skills training in 4 main areas;

1. Mindfulness: Staying present and self-aware.

2. Distress Tolerance: Managing crises without destructive actions.

3. Emotion Regulation: Understanding and controlling intense emotions.

4. Interpersonal Effectiveness: Building healthy relationships and asserting needs.

Online DBT provides a combination of individual therapy and skills training in a supportive, non-judgemental setting, making it highly effective for emotional dysregulation and interpersonal challenges.

Any questions, please just ask.

What People Say About Lee's Transformative Therapy

Lee's Candid Empathy and Honest Communication

“What I appreciate most about Lee is his candid empathy. It is understandably a very difficult job for therapists to constantly deal with such heavy emotions, and I can see why it would be tempting for them to go on 'autopilot mode.' However, with Lee, I never feel that is happening, and always feel that I am being heard. I also appreciate his honesty policy, being open to feedback within our conversations and not being afraid to interrupt my stories with feedback as well. He has only ever interrupted me to make salient points, and I trust that whatever he has to say will be wholly relevant or a helpful new way of looking at things. I also appreciate his flexibility in scheduling. Sessions with Lee are like drinking a warm mug of hot chocolate - comforting and filled with compassion. :)” Anonymous

Lee is a highly knowledgeable therapist

“Lee has been fantastic throughout my sessions, he made me feel very much at ease and comfortable talking about my problems. His knowledge and experience has been a huge help for me.”

Breaking the Stigma: Therapy That Feels Like a Friendly, Productive Conversation

“I was really pleasantly surprised by how friendly and fluid the sessions were. I was hesitant originally as i felt as though it would be a lot of uncomfortable questions and overall a really challenging experience. My conversations with Lee are amazing. It’s a friendly conversation where you find a series of ‘light switches’ ticking. Having these conversations guides you more to a self realisation in a seemingly pressureless environment. It’s great to be able to speak a week later, looking back on the last 7 days and noticing times where you’ve used and practiced the skills and techniques.

Genuinely could not recommend Lee Martin enough. He’s such a nice guy, and the last 6-8 weeks haven’t felt like a ‘therapy session’ at all, but the benefits are already really making a difference.

If you’re worried about Stigma of talking to someone… or think therapy is only what you see in the films. It’s not. It’s the most friendly, productive conversation you’d ever have. Every session has left me with a more positive outlook and feeling and i can’t thank Lee enough! I look forward to our next session!” Adam

Helping You Resolve Barriers with Empathy and Understanding

“Lee has the skill sets and the life experience to deal with major issues that prevent people moving forward. The use of the techniques he has suggested with empathy and understanding allows you resolve previous issues which have been obstacles in relationships and work environments.” Anonymous

Practical Guidance for Personal Growth and Contentment

“Lee helped me to talk openly and honestly about my situation and take a look at my actions and the actions of others and how they affect daily life.. he understood me and also had a few different suggestions on how to approach different situations where I had made mistakes or dealt with them incorrectly.. I feel he has helped me to become a better/happier more content person ... I would recommend him 100%” JC

Superior Techniques Focused on Positive Action and Root Causes

“Lee used superior techniques compared to those that I've experienced in previous talking therapies.  He helped me to focus on the root causes of pain and distress and address them in a positive way and take my own action, rather than just talking around the painful subjects in a circular fashion.” DW (ex-professional footballer)

Rebuilding Strength and Courage to Overcome Trauma

“I was the first ex-professional footballer to speak out publicly about abuse in the sport.  I have had numerous therapies spanning over 15 years. I have never been able to come to terms with my experiences until I started working with Dr Lee Martin.  Without his therapy I really don't think I would have survived.  He helped build me back together and gave me the courage to speak out.  I would strongly recommend his style of therapy to anyone.” - AW (ex-professional footballer)

Professional Registration

Lee is a registered HCPC Clinical Psychologist - PYL31167

What is CBT?

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) is an evidenced based & well researched talking therapy. It is recommended by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) for many mental health problems.

It is most commonly used to treat anxiety and depression, but can be useful for many other mental and physical health problems.

CBT focuses upon how your thoughts and behaviours impact upon your emotions and physical symptoms.

CBT is collaborative treatment and typically involves doing homework tasks between appointments.

It aims to teach you to become your own therapist, teaching you tools so you can keep using the strategies and techniques you have learned after you have finished therapy.

What is EMDR?

EMDR Stands for Eye Movement Desensitisation & Reprocessing.

When a person experiences psychological trauma or highly stressful events, they are not always able to process the relevant information (i.e. thoughts, emotions, bodily sensations). As a result, they can end up getting “stuck” inside of them and can resurface later on, as if the person was still reliving the traumatic or stressful event.

EMDR aims to ‘process’ negative experiences or events which can subsequently improve emotional well-being and help to significantly reduce, but more often eliminate distressing symptoms and bodily sensations associated with the trauma.

In 2013, the World Health Organization (WHO) has also acknowledged EMDR as being an effective treatment approach to psychological trauma and trauma-related disorders.