About me

Hello. I’m Hugh Palmer, a Systemic Psychotherapist, based in the East Riding of Yorkshire.

I primarily work with families and couples, but can refer clients who seek individual therapy to appropriately qualified colleagues.

I work from an office in Beverley on Thursdays and Fridays, and currently am offering online sessions as well as seeing clients face to face.

I offer therapy to people regardless of their abilities, age, gender, culture and orientation and actively support anti-discriminatory practice.

I  originally trained as a nurse, and registered as a General Nurse in 1983, then as a Mental Health Nurse in 1988. I ended working as a lecturer in Higher Education and undertook my Certificate in Education in 1994. Much of my career was spent working at Leeds University and then, after spending a couple of years living in New Zealand, I worked at the University of Hull, until returning to work in the NHS in 2013, where I worked as a family therapist in outpatient CAMHS, inpatient CAMHS and outpatient adult mental health settings. I also spent several years working with Relate, developing online training for them and tutoring Relationship Counsellors.

I now work privately and much of my recent work has been with a local authority, with families who have adopted children and support foster parents and staff who work with looked after children.

I have particular interests in trauma, bereavement and the therapeutic relationship.

I am informed by social constructionist theories and the work of Gregory Bateson. More recently I have become involved in thinking about ecology, and how all of us can take a greater responsibility in caring for the environment that we are part of ourselves.

Apart from therapy, I enjoy being a grandparent and am a keen amateur photographer (I took most of the images used on this site). For more photographs visit my photography site