Dr Aldo Gabardo

Clinical Psychologist in London

Online Therapy

London Marylebone & London Bridge

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Credentials Approach Qualifications Accreditations Languages Reviews

Credentials

I am a Clinical Psychologist in London registered with the Health Care Professional Council (HCPC). I am a Chartered Psychologist with the Italian Psychological Society since 2003, and I qualified as a Psychotherapist in 2007. Although psychodynamic theories have always fascinated me, I focussed my studies on cognitive and behavioural therapy because of its evidence-based approach. My favourite author is Albert Ellis, the father of Rational Emotive Behavioural Therapy; he believes that we are anxious or depressed because of the way we think about our life. Aim of REBT is disputing irrational (and noxious) thoughts and replacing them with more rational (and healthier) thoughts.

From 2007 to 2014, I have been working as private psychotherapist and school counsellor in Rome but I was not happy about my private and professional life, so I decided to move to the UK. Consistently with what I say to my clients (we can always work our way to happiness), I left everything behind and started a new and exciting experience in London.

While waiting for my registration with the Health and Care Profession Council (HCPC) I worked as support worker or teaching assistant, but this never affected my firm determination to work as a psychologist in the UK. After two fantastic experiences as honorary psychologist with NHS (one with learning disabilities and the other with older people), I was finally (and proudly) registered with HCPC in 2019. I worked as a clinical psychologist with Central North West London (CNWL) NHS Trust from 2019 to 2021. In 2021 I started my position as clinical psychologist and manager of the PBS (Positive Behavioural Support) team as Enfield Integrated Learning Disabilities Service for Barnet Enfield and Haringey (BEH) NHS Trust.

I started working with the International Psychology Clinic in 2020.

Approach

I am honest and straightforward with my clients; I can help with most of psychological issue, from anxiety and phobias, to OCD and psychosis, but I cannot do it on my own. I try to “walk in my clients’ shoes” and build a solid therapeutic alliance based on trust and sincerity. A successful therapy is always the result of an effective teamwork.

Sometimes, I prescribe my clients with homework and readings so that they can continue working on the topics discussed during the session for the whole week. In fact, thinking about life in a more rational way is not enough if our actions do not follow our thoughts; after an ephemeral improvement, we risk falling in the emotional pitfalls of the past. I often train my clients in progressive muscular relaxation, as this helps reducing the level of anxiety related with feared situations, as relaxation is incompatible with states of tension typical of anxiety.

Narrative is very important in therapy. In fact, it is difficult to obtain durable results if we keep talking about ourselves in a negative way; we must reverse our point of view and look at the great achievements we reached in our lives instead.

I have great interest in the attachment relationships that my clients have built with their caregivers as they shape the way they will build significant relationships with others in the future.

My approach often involves family members, as it is hard to change a single element (client) of a system (family) without changing the whole system. I have learnt this in my long and fulfilling experience with people with intellectual disabilities, people who are vulnerable and need someone to speak up on their behalf. It is not possible to improve their health and wellbeing without changing the way their caregivers think about them.

I am very experienced in Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) assessments and neuropsychological assessments; I can also undertake assessments of the functions of behaviours, and prepare and implement positive behaviour support plans (PBSP).

Qualifications

Accreditations

Languages

Reviews

Highly Recommended ★★★★★

“I went to see a psychologist at the International Psychology Clinic when I was in the process of weaning off anti-depressants and found that they were very able to help me. I was very pleased with the psychologist I saw and would recommend this business highly.”

- Sam

5* therapist ★★★★★

“If you are looking for the best psychologist ever, your search is over. I can confidently recommend this practice. Martina has a quality that is rare in a person and deserves all the success she gets.”

- Grace

Top service ★★★★★

“The doctor I saw helped me recover from my divorce. I am very grateful for his knowledge and his guidance and would recommend him to anyone as a committed, highly knowledgeable and professional psychologist who gets results.”

- Elen

Great support ★★★★★

“Dr Martina Paglia really helped me go through a difficult period. I would recommend her to anyone who is struggling with panic attacks.”

- Ashley

Good therapist ★★★★★

“I had a positive experience of therapy with Dr Martina Paglia. She is a great therapist and really cares about her clients.”

- Anna

Feel much better ★★★★★

“I feel much better since I started therapy with Dr Martina Paglia. She always seems to know the right questions to ask to find out what was worrying me.”

- Michael

Thank you! ★★★★★

“Dr Russo is very helpful, respectful, and knowledgeable. I saw some real changes in me that I couldn't get with many others.”

- Charlotte

My sessions were excellent! ★★★★★

“Exceptional psychologist. Highly skilled, very considerate and professional.”

- Andrea

Excellent service ★★★★★

“Great doctor, listened to all my problems and was really helpful. I can sincerely recommend Dr Russo to others as well.”

- Kim

Great service ★★★★★

“The service provided to me by Dr Trotta was great. I have enjoyed it a lot; super deep professionalism as well as lots of resolutions tips given to me; in 1 word I have been given a top service.”

- Mark