As a Cognitive Behaviour Therapist I aim to help you make changes in the areas of your life in which you experience difficulties. I will ask you questions which can help us develop an understanding of what has led to your problems and, importantly, what keeps these problems going. We will also talk about how ready you feel to make changes and any concerns you have about embarking on therapy.

Therapy is a collaborative process in which we decide together which goals to work towards in a warm and non-judgmental atmosphere. However, the process of change is not confined to the therapy room. It will involve you undertaking agreed tasks in between sessions (such as some reading, keeping diaries and trying things out) so that you can increase your learning and actively put into practice what we talk about in the session.

I will suggest that we try and keep track of your progress and this may involve using some measures and questionnaires. These will flow into more general conversations about your progress and how you feel in therapy in the course of regular reviews.

Cognitive behaviour therapy is informed by a large and ever-increasing research evidence base. From this and my own professional experience I know that this form of psychotherapy can help a large number of people with a wide range of problems. If, however, I do not believe that cognitive therapy would be helpful for you at this time, I shall explain why and if possible, suggest alternative ways forward.