NOW

is the time to focus on your mental health and wellbeing.

Welcome and thank you for visiting my website.

About Me

Hello, my name is Dr Danna van Niekerk.

I am a Consultant Clinical Psychologist and I have worked in community adult mental health services in the NHS for over 25 years.

In my work with people, I have endeavoured to offer the most effective psychological therapy possible, and it always hugely rewarding to see the positive changes that can occur.

In recent years, as the Professional Head of a psychology service, I have greatly valued the opportunity to support service provision and innovate developments, supervise staff, and support the training and development of students on a variety of courses, including the Doctorate in Clinical Psychology.

PROFESSIONAL REGISTRATIONS & QUALIFICATIONS

I have the following qualifications:

  • Doctorate in Clinical Psychology from the University of Newcastle upon Tyne.

  • Practitioner Psychologist with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC), the regulator of health and care professions in the UK.

  • Chartered Clinical Psychologist with the British Psychological Society (BPS).

  • Accredited Cognitive Behavioural Psychotherapist (CBT) with the British Association for Behavioural Cognitive Psychotherapies (BABCP)

  • Post-graduate Diploma in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy from the University of Durham.

  • A registered Mindfulness Teacher with the British Association of Mindfulness-Based Approaches (BAMBA),

  • Mindfulness Teacher Practising Certificate from the University of Bangor


“I believe that a different therapy must be constructed for each person because each has a unique story”
— Irvin D. Yalom

What I can help with

I have worked with a wide range of people facing the challenge of a recent and more longstanding mental health difficulty. These include but are not limited to the following:

  • Depression

  • Anxiety

  • Panic

  • Worry

  • Stress

  • Low self-esteem

  • Grief

  • Life Transitions

  • Trauma

    Physical health related difficulties can also affect our wellbeing and psychological therapy can be very helpful in these instances. I therefore also have an interest in working with:

  • Health related difficulties

  • Women’s Health & Menopause

    If your particular difficulty is not listed, please do not hesitate to get in touch to see if I could help.

My Approach

At the heart of my practice is a commitment to providing compassionate, personalised interventions that empower people and promote healing and resilience.

As a clinical psychologist I have been trained to draw on the broad range of psychology research, theories and models, integrating these to meet the unique needs of an individual.

I have further specialised in cognitive behaviour therapy as this is an approach with well-established, proven effectiveness, that allows therapist and client to work together as a team, making sense of difficult feelings, thoughts, physical sensations and behaviours and then actively identifying what helps.

I have additional training in mindfulness-based approaches, as recent developments in neuroscience along with my personal experience, have highlighted their contribution to promoting sustained change and well being. I therefore draw on Compassion Focused Therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and other mindfulness interventions as appropriate.

However, all these approaches are only effective if you feel safe, heard and supported in the therapeutic relationship and I therefore strive to create a warm, open and honest relationship in which you can feel comfortable to explore your difficulties.

I have chosen wildflowers as my theme because I so enjoy their arrival in the beautiful Northumberland countryside in spring. As they resiliently re-emerge every year, no matter how harsh the winter has been, for me they represent growth, renewal and flourishing. The joy in my work has been seeing similar transformations occur in the lives of the people that I have been privileged to work with.

Get in Touch

Interested in finding out more? I offer a free 15-minute consultation. Send me a message, email or give me ring and I will get back to you shortly.

I offer in-person appointments in Hexham as well as online appointments, if that is more convenient for you.