What are the opening hours?

Monday 9am - 9pm Tuesday 9am - 9pm Wednesday 9am - 9pm Thursday 9am - 9pm Friday 9am - 9pm

The Summit Clinic

Home
United Kingdom
London
The Summit Clinic

The Summit Clinic is a Clinical Psychology & Psychotherapy treatment service providing effective and

23/01/2023

One of the most difficult things to do when you're experiencing mental health difficulties is to reach out to others.

But it's also one of the most powerful things you can do.

Whether it's making a habit of calling a friend or family member once a week or reaching out to a professional for support, being able to connect with someone else has been shown to help your brain to process its experiences in a more objective way.

If you don't feel like you can open up to anyone in your life, you can still find connection. If you're ready to begin the process of healing and doing the inner work that will help you regain control over your mental health, reaching out to a therapist will give you a clear path towards improving your life, as well as giving you that all important element of connection.

20/01/2023

Our brains are powerful things.

They take in millions of pieces of data every single day, interpreting the world around us and the people we associate with and reaching mostly reliable conclusions.

But when we are struggling with mental health issues, our brains are no longer as reliable.

They take in the same data, but they process it differently. And they lead us to believe in conclusions that don't always reflect reality. They can make us feel hopeless, unloved, unsupported or other negative feelings that may well not be true.

The purpose of psychotherapy is to take that flawed processing, understand what's causing it, and retrain our brains to process things in a way that better reflects reality. By doing so, we're able to reach more positive conclusions from the same circumstances.

The world around us might not change, but the world as we see it does.

18/01/2023

It turns out, the foods you put into your body matter.

And not just for your physical health, but for your mental health too.

Our bodies rely on a number of chemicals and hormones to help regulate our moods - many of which are easily affected by the nutritional balance of our meals.

One of those hormones is serotonin, which helps to regulate your mood.

Serotonin is released by foods high in complex carbohydrates, like wholegrain bread, pasta and cereals. It's also released by simple carbohydrates, like high sugar foods, but the spike in serotonin is more intense and dissipates faster too.

Another mood-affecting hormone is cortisol, which is associated with stress. Foods high in vitamin C and foods with high levels of magnesium (like spinach and other leafy greens) have been shown to curb the levels of cortisol released in our bodies.

Focusing on the types of foods we eat might feel like yet another chore, but making small changes to our diets can be really powerful in supporting our mental wellbeing!

16/01/2023

Therapy isn't a quick fix. It isn't easy and it won't solve everything after one session.

But it IS worth it.

Therapy requires commitment and hard work. It asks you to look deep into yourself, revisit past experiences and reform the way your brain works. It can feel exhausting.

But it's an investment in your future. It's an investment in finding yourself again, in freeing yourself from whatever's been holding you back.

If you're ready to do the difficult work for the sake of your future, feel free to take a look at our website and see how we can support you on your therapy journey.

11/01/2023

Being present in the moment feels tough. We lead busy lives, with a hundred-and-one things to do every moment and with millions of thoughts racing through our heads.

How can we find peace in that cacophony of noise?

We don't have all the answers, but we do know that building the ability to be present and in the moment is an incredibly powerful thing, particularly for people struggling with mental health issues.

In therapy, one of our goals is to help you reconnect with your inner self. And part of that is to start listening to your racing thoughts and managing them, rather than letting them overpower you in every moment.

By regaining control of your thoughts, feelings and behaviours, you're more able to present in the moment, rather than worrying about the future or obsessing over the past.

If you're ready to try therapy, please take a look at our website to see how we can help.

09/01/2023

The connection between our mental and physical health is deeply complex.

There's no doubt that there IS a connection there, but because there is still so much we don't know about how our brains work, the intimacies of that connection are yet to be fully understood.

But what we can be certain of is that moving our bodies is one of the simplest and most effective ways we can support our mental wellbeing.

Why?

Because movement...

😴 helps us to sleep better, which gives our brains and bodies more energy for tackling day-to-day life

🥳 releases feel-good hormones in our bodies that improve our moods and make us feel happier

💪 makes us feel that we've achieved something positive, giving us a motivational boost

🧘 reduces stress, by releasing cortisol that can help relieve anxiety, racing thoughts and negative thoughts

Even if it's just 10 minutes of stretching each day, moving your body is a powerful way to relieve mental health symptoms and start making progress towards better wellbeing.

06/01/2023

In the modern world, it can feel impossible to figure out what you're "supposed" to be doing.

There are so many paths open to us, so many opportunities, and so much pressure to find your passion in life. It can feel challenging to tune out the outside world, ignore what other people are doing or telling you to do, and actually listen to what YOU want to do.

Particularly with social media constantly bombarding us with comparison traps, those of us who aren't constantly achieving or progressing or finding their 'one true passion' can feel like we've somehow failed. Like we're less than other people. Like there's something wrong with us.

But this quote from Carl Jung is a helpful reminder that looking OUTSIDE for the answers is not what really works. We need to look INSIDE, into ourselves, to find what intrinsically motivates us, what makes us happy and what we can do to find satisfaction for ourselves.

Following someone else's path will never result in true contentment, but learning to listen to your own needs will.

22/07/2022

Falling in love is something lots of us dream of - but it's also something that looks and feels different to each of us.

It's something that comes along when we least expect it, whether it's convenient or not, but are there any early signs that we might be falling in love?

Our Consultant Psychologist, Marc Hekster, thinks there are!

Marc spoke to journalist Olivia Petter about the strange phenomenon that is falling in love and identified a few signs that we might experience:

❤️ you can't stop staring at them - "Why wouldn’t you want to look into the eyes of someone who you experience as the most beautiful and attractive person in your world?”, Marc explains

❤️ you don't mind when they do something unattractive or annoying - "The power of love and new love, in particular, is primitive", which makes us more likely to not even see things that might otherwise annoy us

❤️ you want them to be happy - "You don’t only want happiness for yourself, but you want it in equal measure for the other person.", explains Marc

You can read the full piece and find out what the 9 signs of falling in love are here: https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/love-sex/love-psychologists-science-dating-relations-signs-b2077311.html

10/06/2022

This quote from Matt Haig is incredibly powerful.

Often, when we're in the midst of suffering from negative thoughts or stress or any other extreme emotion, we can't see any way out. We convince ourselves that this must just be who we are now. We're broken and nothing is ever going to change that.

But it's important to remember that those negative feelings aren't YOU. They're things you experience, things you feel, and things you come out the other side of. Sometimes it takes 5 minutes to find the other side, and sometimes it takes many months.

But those feelings aren't forever. They're temporary and they don't affect who you are as a person.

If you're in the midst of struggling, talking to someone can help you to reach the other side. If you think therapy might help you, you can find out more via our website.

08/06/2022

Insights published last week by CCLA reveal that there seems to be a disparity between *recognising* mental health issues in the workplace and actually *addressing* those issues.

Looking at the UK's FTSE 100 companies (the top 100 companies in the UK), the report highlights that almost all FTSE 100 businesses identify mental health as being an important business issue.

But only 34% of those same 100 businesses actually have mental health priorities or objectives in place for their staff.

As Ben Schneider says, "the people make the place" - so when mental health of staff isn't translated into actual, tangible support and wellbeing initiatives for those staff, the business will ultimately suffer.

But the report also identified some positive progress, too:

✅ 76% of FTSE 100 companies had developed initiatives to raise awareness of mental health in the workplace
✅ 91% reported that they provide employees with access to mental health services
✅ companies benefited from a 430% return on mental health investment - seeing a £5.30 return for every £1 invested into mental health

Things are moving in the right direction for the UK's top companies, but there is clearly more work to be done!

03/06/2022

According to an NHS study conducted in 2014, 1 in 6 is the number of UK adults who have experienced some form of mental health issue in the past week.

And, given the turmoil of the last couple of years, we wouldn't be surprised if that figure is much higher than that now.

Mental health problems are incredibly common. Much progress has been made in recent years to reduce the stigma around mental health, allowing many people to be more open about their struggles and seek support - but there's still a long way to go.

And the first step is always awareness.

If 1 in 6 people have experienced a mental health issue in the past week, that means that it's likely that multiple people in your circle of friends, family and work colleagues have struggled recently. Whether it's you, your manager at work, your cousin, or a friend you only ever talk to on Facebook - someone you know is probably struggling, and may not feel comfortable being open and honest about their struggle.

Every one of us has a role to play in reducing the stigma around mental health, and it starts with being aware of those around us. We can make our friends, family and colleagues aware that we're happy to talk to them or that we're going through our own struggles - and that will help everyone to feel more comfortable in seeking support.

01/06/2022

While most of us associate anxiety with feelings of stress, fear and panic, there are many other lesser known symptoms that can also be associated with anxiety, including:

🥱 Fatigue
🤔 Indecisiveness
🦶 Cold hands & feet
💯 Perfectionism
🤢 Stomach aches & nausea

If you're feeling any of these symptoms regularly, it's always worth talking to your GP. With a diagnosis of anxiety, treatment options can be found easily - and some of them, including talking therapies, can be incredibly effective at helping you find the root cause of your anxiety.

20/05/2022

A big focus of what we do in psychotherapy is unpacking what your past experiences (particularly those during your childhood) have taught you about your current reality.

Whether we recognise it or not, every experience we have has some sort of impact on our life.

It could be that a teacher at primary school telling you you're being 'bossy' has made you feel shy and unassertive in adulthood. Or it might be that a parent's redundancy from a job they loved has created a false belief that you will always fail at work, which is holding you back from making career progress.

The point of therapy is to help you make forward progress in your life, so it might seem counterintuitive to put such an emphasis on your past - but, as this quote demonstrates, there's no moving forward without unpicking and 'unknowing' the limiting beliefs you've formed throughout your lifetime.

That's the goal of psychotherapy: to guide your conscious mind to understanding and reconnecting with your subconscious mind, so that you can stop your subconscious guiding your life in a direction you don't want.

18/05/2022

Neuroplasticity is a powerful thing.

It means that our brains are able to adapt, change and modify themselves throughout our lives - giving us the power to take charge of our brains and re-mould them to support our progress.

While a traumatic or distressing event can cause the brain to adapt in a negative way, therapy can help to re-adapt in a positive way.

Unfortunately, there's not a button we can press to change our brains and how they relate to the outside world. It takes time, dedication and a willingness to dive deep into your inner psyche - but, with the right therapist by your side, it IS possible.

If you're looking for support with your mental health, feel free to visit our website to see if we might be the right fit for you.

17/05/2022

Being on screens has been part of our lives for so long that it's become normal.

But disconnecting from technology, social media, and our screens can be incredibly beneficial for our brains.

When we're scrolling endlessly, our brains get dependent on dopamine hits from the constant flow of information we get from social media and the news.

When we disconnect from those sources, we might feel a bit lost or empty or directionless - which is why we continue to go back for more, even when we know it's causing negative moods and stress.

But those uncomfortable feelings you experience when disconnecting from the digital world WILL pass. It's a temporary discomfort as your brain adjusts, but once you've disconnected you'll be able to find sources of inspiration, positivity and dopamine in the world around you, rather than the world on your screen.

Obviously, many of our jobs depend on using screens and being connected to the internet - but that doesn't mean that we need to be reliant on technology outside of working hours too. Try scheduling an afternoon or even a day a week to turn your phone off, leave the laptop elsewhere and get back into the real world.

11/05/2022

One of the most important things you can remind yourself of when things are feeling tough is that you are MORE than your thoughts and feelings.

Your thoughts, feelings, emotions and negative thought patterns aren't the most important thing about you. And they're very often not based in reality, either.

Part of what we do as therapists is to guide you through understanding the connection between your feelings, thoughts and behaviours - so that you can recognise your internal triggers and break the pattern of undesirable behaviours.

By becoming aware of our thoughts and feelings, we're able to distinguish our own self-worth and our own value as human beings from the mistruths our feelings and thoughts often tell us.

09/05/2022

Whether to attend therapy in-person or remotely is a hugely personal choice - but it's one that we can talk through with you so that you can make the best decision.

For some people, therapy from the comfort of their own home is preferable. For others, getting out of the usual environment and into a calm, safe space is best for them.

Remote therapy can offer something different, and for some people it may be the best or only way to access help. In our experience, if the fit is right, remote therapy can be just as effective as in-person therapy sessions.

If you're ready to get started with therapy, please visit our website to find out more.

06/05/2022

Having a safe, supportive and convenient space for therapy sessions is an important factor in creating positive progress for clients.

Every one of our therapy rooms in our North London clinic are designed to be comfortable and relaxing, so that therapists and clients can make progress together.

The Summit Clinic has consulting rooms available to hire on a regular or ad hoc basis. Our rooms have plenty of space for social distancing and are suitable for individual, couple, family and small group sessions. There is also a spacious waiting area with part-time reception cover.

If you're a therapist looking for a space that allows you to help your clients in the best way you can, please take a look at our rooms via the link in our bio.

Address

40 Highgate West Hill
London
N66LS

Opening Hours

Monday	9am - 9pm
Tuesday	9am - 9pm
Wednesday	9am - 9pm
Thursday	9am - 9pm
Friday	9am - 9pm

Telephone

+442079936115

Website

https://thesummitclinic.co.uk/

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when The Summit Clinic posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Practice

Send a message to The Summit Clinic:

Show All