You may have been diagnosed with something specific or you may just know that you need help, and that the time has come to look for someone professionally qualified to help you. I like to have a chat with people before we start. That gives us a chance just to meet up and discuss things before starting. It gives both of us a chance to share our thoughts.
There are actually a lot of different ways to treat mental health problems, different types of psychotherapy. CBT (cognitive behavioural therapy) is not one specific type- it is an umbrella term for a range of therapies that have certain aspects in common. The ‘cognitive’ part involves our thinking. All of us worry about things and most of us ‘ruminate’ (churn over things about the past) to some extent. Problems arise when we start to worry or ruminate for much if not all of the time, leading to anxiety or depression, or an anxiety related condition. Too much stress is often the culprit. Sometimes we end up worrying about worrying- which is where metacognitive therapy can help.

Like all therapists no doubt, I try to tailor my approach to best support the people I work with. There is definitely no one-size-fits-all. CBT helps many but sometimes I might take a more person-centred counselling approach, allowing people just to talk and be listened to. That can be incredibly therapeutic for some people and often leads them to working things out for themselves. The key is a safe and confidential environment, with a friendly ear you can trust.

What possibly sets me apart from my colleagues is my depth of knowledge and experience around breathing. Our breathing changes with anxiety (it has been found to speed up just with opening a text) and our pattern of breathing can change quite easily in the long-term. We commonly end up with a viscous circle where stress and anxiety lead to us breathing in such a way that actually makes the anxiety worse. I help people with that. It can make all the difference.