Christopher Spanton

I am a highly experienced psychotherapist with over 20 years’ experience in the NHS and more than a decade working in psychological therapies. I hold the highest level of EMDR accreditation — EMDR Europe Accredited Consultant — reflecting my clinical expertise and my ability to supervise and train other practitioners. I have held senior clinical leadership roles in the NHS, including working as Clinical Lead for a large provider of NHS Talking Therapies, where I oversaw more than 500 therapists and supported high standards of care. I also advise NHS providers on the design and evaluation of therapy services. My research has been published in national and international peer-reviewed journals, covering areas such as group therapies, COVID-19 responses, culturally adaptive therapy, long COVID, and PTSD. I have also contributed to the evidence base as a trial therapist in research on avatar therapy and EMDR. In addition, I lecture on CBT in postgraduate psychotherapy courses across the UK. Throughout my career, I have supervised and trained over 100 therapists in CBT and EMDR, and I currently provide supervision to NHS and private services. I have trained with leading experts in persistent physical symptoms and receive supervision from an internationally recognised EMDR expert. Alongside my work with Alvee Practice, I work as a Highly Specialised Psychotherapist at a national NHS hospital, focusing on persistent physical symptoms such as fibromyalgia, long COVID, chronic fatigue, IBS, and functional neurological disorder.