Atticus Psychotherapies is a psychological therapies practice based in Sale, Trafford, serving South Manchester and the wider UK through both in-person and video appointments. Co-directed by Keira O’Dell, a BABCP-accredited psychotherapist, the practice brings together clinical psychologists and therapists with experience across NHS, private and specialist settings.
The service is structured around detailed assessment and the delivery of evidence-based talking therapies. Its work covers a broad range of emotional and psychological difficulties, including anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress, relationship concerns and the effects of difficult or traumatic experiences. Atticus also has particular experience in Functional Neurological Disorder (FND) and Non-Epileptic Attack Disorder (NEAD).
A team combining clinical and specialist experience
Atticus Psychotherapies operates with a multidisciplinary team whose professional backgrounds span clinical psychology, cognitive behavioural psychotherapy, perinatal mental health and dentistry-related anxiety. The team provides support for adults, adolescents and families, with therapies selected according to the person’s circumstances, aims and presenting difficulties.
Keira O’Dell’s clinical focus includes Functional Neurological Disorder, Non-Epileptic Attack Disorder, complex trauma and trauma-focused therapy. She has worked in neuropsychology and has 20 years of NHS experience, including work at the Manchester Centre for Clinical Neuroscience at Salford Royal. Her training includes Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing, Psychodynamic Interpersonal Therapy. She is also a founding member of the FND Society and has contributed to publications concerning non-epileptic seizures and Functional Neurological Disorder.
Other members of the team include Dr Peter Blease, a highly specialist clinical psychologist and accredited cognitive analytic therapist who is involved in NHS supervision and training. The practice also includes clinicians with defined areas of interest, such as post-natal mental health, dental phobia and needle phobia.
An assessment-led route into therapy
The practice begins its therapeutic process with an initial telephone consultation. This call is intended to establish whether Atticus Psychotherapies can offer appropriate support and to identify which clinician or specialism may be most relevant.
Where therapy is suitable, this is followed by a one-to-one assessment. The assessment provides an opportunity to consider the individual’s difficulties in greater depth, discuss their goals and develop a plan for therapy. Rather than applying a single model to every situation, the practice uses this stage to determine the most appropriate therapeutic approach and to agree how progress will be measured.
Therapy sessions are then delivered on an individual basis, with regular reviews of goals and progress. The process ends with a final review, intended to establish whether the agreed aims have been met and whether the person feels ready to finish. This structure places assessment, collaboration and review at the centre of the service rather than treating therapy as an open-ended process without a defined focus.
CBT and practical work with thoughts, emotions and behaviour
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, or CBT, is among the principal approaches offered by Atticus Psychotherapies. It examines the connections between thoughts, emotions, physical sensations and behaviours, helping people identify patterns that may be maintaining distress.
The therapy is used for difficulties including anxiety, panic, depression, low mood, phobias, health anxiety, obsessive-compulsive difficulties, trauma and post-traumatic stress. It can also support people who are adjusting to physical health conditions or neurological symptoms.
CBT at the practice is structured, collaborative and goal-focused. It may involve developing a shared understanding of a difficulty, identifying unhelpful beliefs or avoidance patterns, and learning practical strategies that can be used between sessions. In work with depression, the emphasis may include reducing withdrawal from meaningful activities and addressing self-critical thinking. In anxiety work, therapy can focus on the interaction of worry, physical symptoms, safety behaviours and avoidance.
Relational therapies for entrenched patterns
Alongside CBT, Atticus Psychotherapies provides Cognitive Analytic Therapy and Psychodynamic Interpersonal Therapy. Both approaches place greater attention on relationships, emotional patterns and the influence of earlier experiences.
Cognitive Analytic Therapy, or CAT, integrates cognitive, psychodynamic and attachment-based ideas. It is particularly relevant where difficulties feel repetitive, long-standing or closely connected to relationships. CAT explores patterns in the way a person relates to themselves and others, considering how these may have developed and how they continue to affect current emotional wellbeing.
The approach is typically time-limited and may use jointly developed tools such as reformulation letters and diagrams. These are intended to make recurring cycles more visible, helping people recognise patterns of self-blame, withdrawal, fear or interpersonal conflict and consider alternative responses.
Psychodynamic Interpersonal Therapy similarly focuses on the relationship between past experiences, current emotional functioning and interpersonal life. It provides a reflective space in which people can explore emotional difficulties, early attachments and relational dynamics. PIT aims to support greater self-awareness and a more nuanced understanding of persistent distress.
Trauma-informed therapy and EMDR provision
Trauma is a significant area of clinical work within Atticus Psychotherapies. The practice recognises that distressing experiences can shape how people view themselves, others and the world, sometimes contributing to emotional difficulties, avoidance or a reduced sense of control.
Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing, known as EMDR, is offered for people affected by traumatic or distressing events. The method involves recalling difficult memories whilst focusing on external stimuli, including guided eye movements. Its purpose is to help individuals process memories that remain emotionally overwhelming and reduce their continuing impact.
The team’s trauma-informed work is designed to be paced carefully, with attention given to emotional safety, choice and stability. Several practitioners are trained in EMDR, including Keira O’Dell, Dr Peter Blease and Dr Danielle Verity. This breadth of experience is particularly relevant to the practice’s work with complex trauma, PTSD and FND-related presentations.
Flexible access across South Manchester and online
Atticus Psychotherapies offers appointments in Sale, Trafford and across South Manchester, including areas such as Altrincham, Hale, Chorlton and Stockport. Video therapy is also available, allowing the practice to serve people elsewhere in the UK.
The organisation emphasises discretion, professional standards and flexibility around therapy locations and appointment times. Its clinicians are members of relevant professional and regulatory bodies, including the British Association for Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapies, the Health and Care Professions Council, the Association for Cognitive Analytic Therapy and the EMDR Association.
With a team spanning specialist NHS services and independent practice, Atticus Psychotherapies occupies a defined place in the North West’s psychological therapy sector. Its assessment-led model, range of evidence-based approaches and particular experience in trauma, relational difficulties and Functional Neurological Disorder provide a framework for therapy tailored to individual circumstances and goals.
Address: 7 Hampden Road, Sale M33 3SH