English speaking psychotherapist and psychiatrist in Zürich
Dr. med. (GB) Tom Stockmann
Facharzt Psychiatrie und Psychotherapie FMH, Member of the Royal College of Psychiatrists (UK)
about me
I studied medicine at the University of Oxford, and trained in psychiatry and psychotherapy in London, becoming a member of the Royal College of Psychiatrists in 2013. I worked as a UK National Health Service (NHS) consultant before moving to Switzerland.I am qualified as a psychiatrist and psychotherapist but by choice the majority of my activity is psychotherapy.
Psychotherapeutic approach
I offer a patient-centred, flexible and creative integrated therapeutic approach. I draw on several influences. Of particular significance is mindfulness and other secular aspects of Buddhist/'Eastern' practices, including particular attitudes to awareness, emotion and the body, with an emphasis on the acceptance and bearing of discomfort. Here there is overlap with ‘third wave’ approaches such as Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and Dialectical Behavioural Therapy (DBT). Also important are existential philosophy and therapy, person-centred and humanistic therapy, psychodynamic psychotherapy, cognitive behavioural therapy and open dialogue.I am wary of the tempting but counterproductive oversimplification and medicalisation of our complex human experience, seen for example in uncritical use of diagnostic labels without thought of the wider context. I aim for a unique and thoughtful, yet pragmatic collaboration with each patient.My patients usually prefer to engage exclusively in psychotherapy. However, as required, I can offer advice around medications. I have particular experience with safely stopping ('deprescribing') existing psychiatric medications. I find that an evidence based approach to psychiatric medications leads to them seldomly being used.
publications
I have held medical education and research fellowships, with honorary academic positions at University College London, Sheffield University and Queen Mary University of London. I have multiple peer-reviewed academic publications, including a widely-read paper re-examining the link between low serotonin and depression.
Stockmann, T., & Bajorek, T. (2018). Pocket Tutor Psychiatry (2nd Edition). London: JP Medical Ltd
Medication and DeprescribingMoncrieff, J., Long, M., …, Stockmann, T., et al. (2026). Antipsychotic discontinuation and reduction in people with schizophrenia and multiple-episode psychosis: the RADAR mixed-methods research programme including RCT. Programme Grants for Applied Research, 14(5).Acknowledgement in: Taylor, D., & Horowitz, M. (2024) The Maudsley Deprescribing Guidelines: Antidepressants, Benzodiazepines, Gabapentinoids and Z-drugs (The Maudsley Prescribing Guidelines Series).Moncrieff, J., Crellin, N. E., Long, M. A., Cooper, R. E., & Stockmann, T. (2019). Definitions of relapse in trials comparing antipsychotic maintenance with discontinuation or reduction for schizophrenia spectrum disorders: A systematic review. Schizophrenia Research.Moncrieff, J., & Stockmann, T (2019).
1. Introduction for therapists on how psychiatric drugs work;
2. What psychiatric drugs do by class.
Both in: Guidance for Psychological Therapists: Enabling conversations with clients taking or withdrawing from prescribed psychiatric drugs https://prescribeddrug.info/Stockmann, T., Odegbaro, D., Timimi, S., Moncrieff, J. (2018) SSRI and SNRI withdrawal symptoms reported online. International Journal of Risk and Safety in Medicine.
Open Dialogue and Relational PsychiatryRazzaque, R., Stockmann, T. (2020). Models of Care (Faculty of General Adult Psychiatry, Royal College of Psychiatrists)Stockmann, T., Wood, L., Enache, G., Withers, F., Gavaghan, L., & Razzaque, R. (2017). Peer-supported Open Dialogue: a thematic analysis of trainee perspectives on the approach and training. Journal of Mental Health.Razzaque, R., & Stockmann, T. (2016). An introduction to peer-supported open dialogue in mental healthcare. BJPsych Advances.
PsychotherapyKingsley, M. J., Stockmann, T., & Wright, D. (2017). Digital lives in psychotherapy: ‘the other in the room’. Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy.Stockmann, T. (2015). Qualitative Analysis of Medical Student Balint Groups during a Psychiatry Placement. Journal of the Balint Society.
Serotonin and DepressionMoncrieff, J., Cooper, R. E., Stockmann, T., Amendola, S., Hengartner, M. P., & Horowitz, M. A. (2024) Difficult lives explain depression better than broken brains. Molecular Psychiatry 29, 206–209Moncrieff, J., Cooper, R. E., Stockmann, T., Amendola, S., Hengartner, M. P., Plöderl, M., & Horowitz, M. A. (2023). The serotonin hypothesis of depression: both long discarded and still supported?. Molecular Psychiatry, 1-4.Moncrieff, J., Cooper, R. E., Stockmann, T., Amendola, S., Hengartner, M. P., & Horowitz, M. A. (2022). The serotonin theory of depression: a systematic umbrella review of the evidence. Molecular Psychiatry.