A leading psychotherapy clinic in Edinburgh has expanded its team to respond to the increasing demand for high-quality mental health services. The Anchor Practice, now with 13 clinicians, has become the largest private psychotherapy practice of its kind in Scotland. This growth aims to address the pressing mental health crisis affecting communities, especially the complex needs of young people and families.
Strengthening Expertise with New Clinicians
The Anchor Practice, located in Edinburgh’s New Town, has welcomed four highly experienced clinicians to bolster its team. These new appointments will further enhance the clinic’s offering in psychodynamic psychotherapy and clinical psychology, providing depth-oriented, evidence-based treatments that are often underrepresented in current NHS services.
Among the new clinicians are Dr. Renata Bakker and Dr. Juraj Kralik, both specialist psychoanalytic child and adolescent psychotherapists. Both hold doctorates from The Anna Freud Centre, an institution renowned for its research and training in psychotherapy. They bring with them extensive experience from NHS CAMHS (Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services) in London, where they worked for many years. Their expertise will be instrumental in expanding the clinic’s capacity to support young people facing mental health challenges.
Molly Verheyden, an Art Psychotherapist and Mentalisation Based Treatment Practitioner, has also joined the team one day a week. She is known for her work leading the Arts Psychotherapies team in CAMHS at a Scottish NHS Health Board. Verheyden’s experience brings a unique dimension to the clinic, combining art therapy with mentalisation-based techniques to help children and adolescents process their emotions and build healthier relationships.
Additionally, Mrs. Pei-I Yang, a Family and Systemic Psychotherapist, has joined the practice. Holding four master’s degrees from Scottish universities, Pei-I has extensive experience working with high-complexity families and young people. She previously led a Multi-Systemic Therapy team, providing therapeutic interventions to families in need of intensive support. Her skills will complement the clinic’s holistic approach to mental health care.
Meeting the Growing Mental Health Need
Co-founder Paul Bell expressed the importance of the clinic’s expansion, particularly given the significant pressures on public health services and the rising demand for mental health care. “Young people and families face a myriad of complex pressures, and mental health support is often focused on quick fixes rather than long-term, in-depth treatment,” he said. Bell highlighted how this gap in care is contributing to the growing mental health crisis, a problem that is not just affecting individuals but also putting immense strain on the NHS.
The Anchor Practice’s commitment to in-depth psychotherapy has been a key factor in its success. The clinic has built a strong reputation for providing high-quality, comprehensive care, and word-of-mouth referrals have quickly fueled its growth. Bell emphasized that the clinic’s approach is to take its time in expanding, ensuring that it recruits clinicians who share its vision for depth-oriented treatment.
A Focus on Accessibility and Community Impact
The practice’s growth also reflects its commitment to making mental health care accessible to a wider range of people. To this end, all clinicians at The Anchor Practice ring-fence time for low-fee and pro bono sessions, ensuring that financial barriers do not prevent those in need from receiving treatment. The clinic is also exploring further ways to reduce these barriers, ensuring that services remain accessible to all.
In addition to its individual therapy services, The Anchor Practice partners with local educational institutions, including Cargilfield Prep School, to provide in-house mental health services and consultancy. This collaboration with schools allows the clinic to offer support to children in educational settings, promoting early intervention and preventing long-term mental health issues.
New Space, Enhanced Service
The expansion comes after the clinic moved to a new dedicated townhouse building on Edinburgh’s Forth Street in 2023. Co-founders Paul Bell and Dr. Jo Guiney made this decision after carefully considering how the physical space could enhance the therapeutic environment, providing patients with a comfortable and tranquil setting for their sessions.
With the clinic now able to offer services in multiple languages—including English, Italian, Polish, French, Czech, Slovak, and Portuguese—its reach has grown, helping more people from diverse backgrounds access the care they need.
