|Dr Candice O’Neil Counselling Psychologist DCPsych MSc MA|
“A responded to person is already a more positively alive one..its not that the interaction affects the individual and then makes him different its in the very ongoing of that interaction that he is already different”- Gendlin
A Warm Welcome to Ontic Psychology
You’ve arrived at a safe place where you can have access to highly responsive, experienced, and professional psychological support for you and your individual life experiences.
Hello, I am Dr Candice O'Neil. I am a Counselling Psychologist and have completed a Doctorate in Counselling Psychology. During this course I conducted a Doctoral thesis on relational experiencing for adult survivors of childhood sexual abuse. I have a broad range of experience and have provided therapy for men, women, adults and young people from a diverse range of personal and professional circumstances and experiences. I have completed specialist training in supporting individuals who have experienced acute childhood trauma and have supported many individuals who subsequently navigate PTSD. However, I am also skilled and experienced in supporting everything from everyday challenges to more complex and enduring difficulties.
In addition to working in my private practice, I have over 10 years of experience working in the NHS, experience of working in private forensic mental health settings and two years of experience volunteering in the charity sector.
I feel strongly that at the heart of our therapeutic dynamic will be trust, safety, care, compassion and transparency. I hope to offer you a warm, confidential, safe and supportive environment to allow deep exploration of your lived experiences. I hope this can increase your overall sense of agency in your life, relationships and work. I believe therapy is a collaborative process and I am able to confidently offer you skilled evidenced based therapeutic interventions grounded in theoretical knowledge while we will work towards your uniquely defined goals and desired outcomes.
I have experience of disseminating my professional knowledge in UK media and television and have contributed to national campaigns relating to safeguarding the emotional health of vulnerable groups in the UK. My personal ethos matches my professional one; I have a firm belief that kindness and compassion, warmth and openness are fundamental to any relationship and I believe in the strength of the human potential. While your therapy will typically be tailored to your presenting challenges utilising an Existential Approach and/or Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, it will be rooted in the foundational principles of increasing your sense of personal agency, autonomy, and the ability to harness growth in your life moving forward. My focus in therapy sessions centre around deep exploration of your narrative accounts can be tailored to meet time specific therapeutic goals and desires or be open ended to create more meaning and purposeful engagement in your life and relationships.
Dr Candice O’Neil
DCPsych: Doctorate in Counselling Psychology
MSc Psychology: GMBPpS British Psychological Society Accredited
MA: Leadership and Management
Ontic Psychology proudly provides evidenced based Psychological Services dedicated to your wellbeing.
How Ontic Psychology can support you
“Emotions are not just experiences; they feature as a reminder of what is important to us and the principles of which we live by”van Deurzen and Adams
Ontic Psychotherapy and Counselling can offer a wide range of therapeutic approaches for individual clients and organisations. This includes Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and Person-Centred Therapy with skill and competence. However, the Ontic ethos is most aligned and rooted in the underpinnings of Existential Philosophy and the Existential therapeutic approach. The Existential approach to therapy has a strong evidence base, is deeply exploratory, non-judgemental, and relational. It takes a determined stance towards unlocking an individual’s ability to realise their potential and meaning making capacity and engage in conscious choice making ability, by placing the client at the centre of the therapy. The Existential approach is widely applicable and encourages an individual to feel empowered with a strong sense of self. Effective utilisation of the Existential approach can integrate painfully traumatic experiences into healthy ways to identify with yourself. It is widely acknowledged within Psychotherapy and Counselling that a committed approach to weekly psychotherapy sessions can produce the greatest therapeutic impact, however this can be altered on an individual basis to support your lifestyle. The sessions are typically 50 minutes long, during which time I aim to deeply engage in your narrative accounts of your challenges to best support you to navigate life moving forwards. Importantly, the existential approach advocates for a non-pathologizing illumination of you in your unique and wonderful lived world. Accessibility is key to successful therapy, so all clients have the option of having Psychotherapy or Counselling online, by telephone or in person. Ontic Psychology supports a caseload of international clients who access the psychotherapy and counselling service globally through the use of a range of video platforming tools.
“Life can only be understood backward but it must be lived forward” Soren Kierkegaard
In person Psychotherapy and Counselling Sessions
50 minutes
Zoom and Telephone Psychotherapy and Counselling Sessions
50 minutes
Corporate and Leadership Performance Coaching or Media Appearances
Daily charge applies
Client Testimonials
Ontic Psychology can support you with the following issues
Sexuality
Bereavement
Depression
Complex PTSD
Anger
Chronic Health Issues
Self Harm Behaviours
Anxiety
LGBTQ+ Issues
Identity Issues
Career Change
OCD
Adult Developmental Issues
Trauma
Negative Thinking
Corporate and Individual Performance Coaching
Corporate Wellness
Relational Issues
Phobias
Motivation