Therapy

Cognitive behavioural therapy

Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) is a change-orientated talking therapy that provides a framework for understanding patterns of thoughts, feelings, behaviours, and physiology associated with a specific problem. This often includes thinking together about the current context and how such patterns came about.

I offer information (from cognitive behavioural; physiological; and/or nutritional perspectives), and together we figure out how to experiment with meaningful change. Deciding what happens in CBT (and between sessions) should be a process of teamwork, from which increased feelings of empowerment may positively influence other areas of life.

What is CBT suitable for?

CBT is a therapy recommended by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) for several mental health problems.

In my private practice, I offer CBT to adults with a range of problems, including:

• Depression
• Social anxiety
• Post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
• Health anxiety
• Obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD)
• Phobias
• Panic
• Low self-esteem / self-criticism
• Body image / appearance related distress
• Other anxiety based problems

Specialist eating disorder CBT

I also provide specialist CBT for eating disorders such as anorexia, bulimia, and binge eating disorder. This typically includes:

• making sense of the problem in context
• a focus on the physiological maintenance cycles
• improving nutrition and normalising eating
• exploring conflicting feelings about change
• finding alternative ways of coping with triggering emotions or interpersonal conflicts
• addressing associated anxiety, shame, or depressed mood
• improving feelings of self-worth
• working on body image related distress

While many of these themes feature in CBT for other problems, a key focus is about understanding the links with food and the body.

My CBT approach

I understand that talking and making changes can sometimes feel scary or unwanted. I welcome these conflicting feelings into the therapy space and aim to be responsive to your therapy pace and content needs.

What happens in CBT sessions?

Towards the start of each session, we plan what to discuss. This often includes: exploring thoughts, feelings, and ways of responding to a particular issue; making sense of how the problem may have developed; thinking together about what could now be different to bring you closer to your hopes for the future; and experimenting with change.