Cognitive Behaviour Therapy

I specialize in cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT) which is an evidence-based approach. ‘Cognitive’ refers to the way we think. ‘Behaviour’ refers to the things we do. Together we identify any unhelpful thinking and/or behaviours that may be holding you back. We also identify any unhelpful cycles you might be stuck in and ways to change these. CBT is a collaborative, goal-focused therapy that is tailored to your individual therapeutic needs. Although CBT mainly focuses on changing thinking patterns and behaviours, therapy also involves recognizing and addressing previous experiences that may be affecting you currently.

CBT is not about invalidating your experiences or ‘thinking positively’. Together, we recognize your experiences and how they may be affecting how you view yourself, the world, others and the future. I help you challenge any unhelpful thoughts or beliefs that are holding you back.

CBT is collaborative

Together, we identify the main problems that you would like to work on in therapy and set goals on how to make changes. CBT is a collaborative process that we navigate together - you are the expert in you, and I bring my knowledge of CBT. I do not have all the answers and do not impose my beliefs on you; together we figure out ways for you to move forward and what’s stopping you from doing so. CBT is time limited and my job is to help you become your own therapist. Therefore, CBT works best when you apply what you’ve learned to real life situations. This involves completing tasks and/or experiments in between sessions - we set these together so as to not overwhelm you. This might be trying new things or things you have been avoiding, for example.

How to choose a CBT therapist

With so many therapists out there, choosing a therapist can feel overwhelming. The BABCP recommend choosing a BABCP accredited therapist for CBT. This is because BABCP-accredited members have met rigorous standards of training and experience in CBT. It is what they specialize in.

You can find more information on CBT, conditions it is recommended for, and BABCP accredited therapists here: What is CBT? – BABCP

Compassion Focused Therapy

I also like to use a compassionate mind approach within my therapy.

Compassion Focused Therapy (CFT) was developed by Professor Paul Gilbert to help clients with high shame and self-criticism. The therapy aims to address this by developing the client’s self-compassion.

I recommend the following book for clients recovering from trauma: The Compassionate Mind Approach to Recovering from Trauma: Using Compassion Focused Therapy by Deborah Lee with Sophie James.