Intensive Short-term Dynamic Psychotherapy with Dr Leo Russell

  • Dr Leo Russell is a Clinical Psychologist registered with the Health and Care Professions Council (Registration Number: PYL25766). He is an accredited ISTDP Teacher and Supervisor with extensive experience across NHS and specialist mental health services. Dr Russell has worked across a wide range of settings, including in health and neuropsychology services, community mental health, inpatient eating disorders, early intervention for psychosis, and in child and adolescent mental health services.

  • Intensive Short-Term Dynamic Psychotherapy (ISTDP) is a focused, evidence-based therapy that helps you understand and overcome the emotional patterns that can drive anxiety, low mood, relationship difficulties, and even physical symptoms. Rather than just managing symptoms, ISTDP works by helping you access and process underlying feelings that may have been avoided or pushed aside, often leading to meaningful and lasting change. It is an active, collaborative approach, where we work together to identify what is getting in the way and help you move towards a greater sense of clarity, resilience, and emotional wellbeing.

  • At present the therapy clinic is full. There is space for one person to be added into the waiting list slot for when the next therapy space becomes available.

    Dr Russell’s therapy clinic runs on Tuesdays with fixed time slots for assessment and therapy sessions at 9:30am, 11:15am, and 1:45pm. Please click here to see the dates for this year.

  • The total cost of an assessment is £400 (this consists of 3 × 90 minute sessions).

    The cost of therapy is £300 per month, paid on direct debit, which works out at approximately £110 per session over the course of 2026.

  • All sessions are currently offered online only. Patients will be required to sign a therapy contract as part of the therapy agreement. This will be shared over email prior to confirming the original assessment block.

    Dr Leo Russell is an ISTDP Teacher actively engaged in training other professionals to become ISTDP therapists. Potential patients are asked for consent to record therapy sessions and to use the recording to teach other therapy professionals. This is on the basis of strict confidentiality consensus where trainees are bound by their professional ethics of their registered bodies.

    Some people very reasonably feel that they would prefer not to have video recording as part of their ISTDP therapy. This is completely okay as it is important to feel comfortable with your therapists set-up. In such cases, Dr Russell is happy to recommend colleagues who are able to work without video recording. 

  • The first step is to complete this intake form by clicking here. Please email Dr Russell to confirm you have done this. If there is current availability or a waiting list space then Dr Russell will assess your form for initial suitability for treatment.

    The next step would be an assessment block of three sessions. This enables Dr Russell to assess if ISTDP is a good fit for you at this time. If you found this beneficial and yourself and Dr Russell both felt this was a good way forwards then you would be offered to continue with the individual therapy programme immediately.