About me
I am a fully qualified Cognitive Behavioural Therapist and EMDR Therapist(Eye Movement, Desensitization and Reprocessing).
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) is a psychological therapy that is effective for the treatment of stress, anxiety, depression and trauma, including PTSD.
Having a range of emotions is normal but they can become difficult if we begin to experience them too severely and frequently; they are distressing and can start to impact on our lives and wellbeing. Cognitive Behavioural Therapy helps the individual to understand the relationship between emotions, thoughts (cognitions) and behaviours to understand what it is that is maintaining their mood.
I work alongside the individual to develop this understanding and we use it as a springboard to develop individual strategies to overcome the problem and allow the person to return to their previous self, to flourish and become their own therapist.
Alongside my CBT, I am interested in Compassion Focused Therapy which has growing evidence to support the alleviation of distress that people can feel and further strengthens the work carried out using CBT.
I am an accredited member with the British Association of Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapy (BABCP) the lead organisation for CBT in the UK. Accreditation means that I have completed the training and am competent to practise as a CBT therapist. It requires that I keep up to date with evidence based research and the development of skills and techniques.
Accreditation is important, even if you do not choose to use my service I would suggest that you check that your therapist is accredited with the BABCP, if it is CBT that you are seeking out.
EMDR stands for Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing. It is a brief and effective evidence based treatment that is recognised by NICE for the treatment of trauma and other emotional disorders. When we experience a traumatic event or events, the memories can leave an 'imprint' on us which contributes to negative thoughts, feelings and behaviours in the 'now'; this therapy helps to process the distress this causes and restore well being. I am a registered member of the UK and Ireland EMDR Association.
For more information please look at the link ‘What is EMDR?’ on emdrassociation.org.uk
Training, qualifications & experience
I graduated from Liverpool University with a B.Sc in Occupational Therapy in 1996. I have worked in the NHS for over 16 years and pursued a route in mental health, which has seen me work in a variety of clinical settings - in-patient work, forensic (secure settings), community work and eventually into specialist services offering CBT.
In 2011 I completed my Post Graduate Diploma in High Intensity Psychological Therapies at the university of York and continue to work as a Cognitive Behavioural Psychotherapist for the NHS.
As mentioned, I am accredited with the BABCP as a Cognitive Behavioural Psychotherapist.
Member organisations
Registered / Accredited
Being registered/accredited with a professional body means an individual must have achieved a substantial level of training and experience approved by their member organisation.

British Association for Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapies
The BABCP is the lead organisation for Cognitive Behavioural Therapy in the UK.
Membership is open to anyone with an interest in the practice, theory or development of CBT. BABCP also provides accreditation for CBT therapists.
BABCP accredited members adhere to the Standards of Conduct, Performance and Ethics in the Practice of Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapies, and are willing to be scrutinised in this adherence as required.
Areas of counselling I deal with
Other areas of counselling I deal with
Skin picking
Social Anxiety
Sleep Difficulties
Agoraphobia
Therapies offered
Fees
With regards to fees, you will find that there is a going rate and I am competitively priced. Fees are normally discussed during a telephone consultation and can be paid by session or in advance. All ongoing sessions last 50 minutes.
Hours of work: I am flexible and am happy to offer daytime and evening appointments. I work Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays and the occasional Friday.
If you are uncertain about whether CBT is the right therapy or have any queries, then please call or e-mail me for an informal discussion (without you having to commit to anything). Even if I am unable to help, I am willing to make recommendations for the right type of therapy.
Further information
Following a call or e-mail contact, and on the basis that CBT does seem appropriate, we will arrange to have an initial assessment which will last for 60 minutes. This can allow you to work out whether the CBT rationale and me as a therapist, seem like a good fit for the problem that you are wanting to address. We will work towards understanding the problem and to find out what the factors are that are maintaining it. There is no pressure to proceed with further sessions from this first session.
I am a co-founder of MoodWise with my colleague and we cover Leeds, Wetherby and York. Please have a look at our website for further information.
Thank you for reading my profile.