Ross Addison

Ross is a Psychologist specialising in the treatment of children, adolescents and families using Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT).

Ross expressed a strong interest in psychology from an early age. The aspects of what makes people feel, think and behave in certain ways was always something that captured his interest; wanting to find answers for why we all do things in different ways, or respond in different ways. CBT was a model of therapy that really resonated with Ross, appreciating its collaborative, warm, structured and focused approach, always keeping central the goals and aspirations of the client, to help them achieve what they want to throughout the interactive process of treatment.

Ross relocated to Dubai in 2014 and has since worked across 3 previous clinics, supporting and practicing CBT to families from a range of backgrounds across various mental health concerns. The goal of CBT is to deliver a tailored evidence based therapy to the client, ensuring all the time that the goals of the client remain paramount to the intervention, through a process of trust, empathy and collaboration. CBT is very much a problem solving type of therapy, and can be applied at a pace that's most suitable and useful to the individual.

As well as supporting families, Ross has also spent much of his time supporting the community in other ways. Through school talks and presentations, training of school counselors, writing for local newspapers and magazines, as well as promoting an online self help resource through Instagram.

Ross started working as an Assistant Psychologist in 2005 at The Priory UK with 16-75 year olds, presenting with a range of mental health concerns, and it was his first exposure to working within this career. This role confirmed to Ross that supporting and helping people really was something that he felt a deep connection to, which perhaps emerged from experiencing mental health concerns himself as a young person.

Ross next took a position with Richmond CAMHS UK in 2009, applying CBT based treatments to young people and teenagers from the age of 3-18, and also had training to integrate other therapeutic models such as Art Therapy and Systemic Therapy principles. This was Ross’s first specialist child and adolescent position, becoming qualified and registered to practice as a CYP (Child and Young Person) CBT Therapist in 2012 from University College London and Kings College London jointly. Up until Ross relocated to Dubai in 2014, his position with Richmond CAMHS was to provide evidence based CBT treatment to children and young people, through individual, group and family therapy, including parenting support, across a range of childhood mental health concerns.

Following Ross’s relocation to Dubai in 2014, he identified that to support the community fully, he should advocate and help train universal services staff in mental health awareness, as well as doing what he can to support the community in better understanding how to identify mental health concerns, reduce the stigma, access services and engage in self help tools.