Tony Attard
BABCP-Accredited CBT Therapist | EMDR Therapist
Tony is an experienced Cognitive Behavioural Therapist and EMDR therapist with more than 20 years of experience working with adults, teenagers, children and families.
His background spans healthcare, education and children’s services, including work with families, schools, social workers, safeguarding professionals and other agencies. He has particular experience supporting people with anxiety, low mood, OCD, perfectionism, low self-esteem, loneliness, trauma and difficulties affecting family or school life.
Tony is particularly skilled at helping people feel at ease when therapy feels unfamiliar, intimidating or difficult to begin.
His style is calm, warm and grounded, but also practical and active. He helps clients make sense of what is happening, understand patterns, build useful skills and make changes that can extend beyond the therapy room.
Tony’s Approach
Calm and Approachable
Tony brings a steady and reassuring presence to therapy.
He understands that starting therapy can feel daunting, particularly for children, teenagers, or adults who are unsure what to expect.
His aim is to create a space where clients feel comfortable enough to talk openly, ask questions and gradually build confidence in the process.
Practical and Collaborative
Tony’s calm manner is combined with an active approach.
He works collaboratively with clients to understand what is happening, identify patterns that may be maintaining difficulties and develop practical strategies that can be used in everyday life.
Therapy has direction, but it is not rigid.
Tony reviews progress regularly and adapts the work depending on what is most helpful.
Children, Teenagers and Families
A particular strength of Tony’s work is his extensive experience with children, teenagers and families.
He has supported young people with:
- anxiety, fears and phobias
- OCD and intrusive thoughts
- low mood
- low self-esteem
- trauma and abuse
- perfectionism
- emotional and behavioural difficulties
- challenges at school or home
- relationship difficulties within the family
When working with younger people, Tony does not see the child or teenager in isolation.
Where appropriate, he works alongside parents, carers, schools, GPs and other professionals to understand the wider picture and support meaningful change.
Looking at the Wider Picture
Tony is experienced in thinking not only about the individual, but also about the family, school and wider professional systems around them.
His background includes working with social workers, safeguarding professionals, teachers, foster carers, police officers and youth offending teams.
This helps him understand how emotional difficulties may be influenced by different parts of a person’s environment and how change can sometimes require more than individual therapy alone.
Trauma-Informed and Individualised
Tony has extensive experience working with people affected by long-term trauma, abuse and neglect.
His work draws primarily on CBT and EMDR, with therapy adapted according to age, developmental stage, presenting difficulty and individual need.
Depending on the person, therapy may focus on understanding current patterns, processing difficult experiences, strengthening coping skills, building confidence or improving relationships.
The aim is not to fit the person into a model, but to use therapy in a way that is meaningful and useful to them.
Building Confidence and Coping
A recurring focus in Tony’s work is helping people feel more able to understand what is happening and more confident in managing difficulties for themselves.
He may be particularly well suited to clients who want therapy that feels calm, structured and practical, without feeling pressured or overly clinical.
Working With Adults
Alongside his work with children and families, Tony works with adults experiencing difficulties including:
- anxiety and excessive worry
- panic and phobias
- OCD
- depression and low mood
- low self-esteem
- perfectionism
- loneliness
- trauma and PTSD
- stress and significant life changes
His style can be particularly helpful for people who value practical support, clear thinking and a calm therapeutic relationship.
Professional Experience
Tony’s experience includes:
- therapeutic support for young people and families
- consultation with parents and carers
- collaboration with schools and other professionals
- work with social workers and safeguarding teams
- supporting the development of care plans
- training teachers, foster carers, police officers, social workers and youth offending teams
- experience within independent healthcare and children’s services
This wider experience helps Tony bring both an individual and systemic perspective to therapy.
Current Practice
Tony is a Director of Mindspace Therapy Studio and provides therapy to adults, teenagers, children and families.
He maintains his professional development through ongoing training, workshops and regular clinical supervision.
His current work continues to draw on his extensive experience across therapy, family work, education, healthcare and children’s services.
Who Tony Often Works Well With
Tony may be a particularly good fit for:
- children or teenagers who feel nervous about therapy
- parents wanting help understanding and supporting their child
- adults who prefer a calm, practical and supportive style
- people experiencing anxiety, OCD, low mood or trauma
- clients who want therapy with structure but without feeling pressured
- families where emotional difficulties are affecting relationships or everyday life
Qualifications
- Postgraduate Diploma in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, Buckinghamshire New University
Specialist training in CBT for anxiety, depression and a range of emotional and behavioural difficulties. - Bachelor of Psychology (Hons), University of Malta
- EMDR Practitioner Training, Level 1,2,3,4 Sandi Richman, London
- Level 1 EMDR Child & Adolescents (CORE Training), Child Trauma Therapy Centre
Professional Accreditation
-
- BABCP-Accredited Cognitive Behavioural Therapist, Number - 130854
Continuing Professional Development
Tony regularly undertakes additional CPD to maintain and develop his clinical skills.
His ongoing professional development includes further learning in areas such as:
- CBT
- EMDR and trauma
- anxiety and OCD
- work with children and adolescents
- safeguarding
- family and systemic considerations
- emotional and behavioural difficulties
- evidence-based psychological practice
He also maintains regular clinical supervision and continues to develop his practice through professional workshops and training.
