Individual psychological therapy with me is a safe and confidential space to understand your problems, make sense of why you do the things you do to cope, heal your emotional wounds and learn new ways of managing your feelings and relationships. The relationship you have with me and how you feel when we are together is extremely important so you can feel safe enough to share what is going on for you. I will do all I can to help you to feel comfortable from the start and this may be something we need to work on over a longer period of time if you find it hard to trust people because of what has happened to you..

My approach

My starting point for treatment is Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (called ‘CBT’ for short). Studies have shown that CBT can help many people with a range of problems but it is not right for everyone and everything, which is why I am also trained in other evidence-based approaches. The kind of person you are, the issues you are facing, and the change you are hoping for will all help to shape the approach we take.

The duration of therapy depends on the changes you are hoping to make. Six sessions is generally considered as ‘brief therapy’, some treatments last up to 20 sessions; long term therapy can be up to a year or more. We can fix a number in advance if you wish.

What to expect from the first appointment

Our first meeting will be an opportunity for us both to think about whether we might work well together. I will need to hear a bit about your situation, and you will want to get a sense of me so that you can decide whether I might be someone you can trust and open up to.

Therapy starts with an assessment, which is an opportunity for me to understand why you are here, what your goals are, what has happened in your life and how you have coped. I will use my psychological knowledge to help us develop a shared understanding of why you are struggling. We can then discuss the treatment that we think might help and I will let you know if I can help. If I think I can, the next step will be down to you: we can make a plan straight away or, if you prefer, you can take some time before deciding what to do. next