Desmond Shortt

I have worked for the NHS as a  professional CBT therapist since 2013.

My clients have had anxiety and low mood:

e.g. panic, Generalised Anxiety (worrying),  Panic, OCD, PTSD, phobias, low mood, social anxiety, and low self-esteem.

In CBT therapy we use a  collaborative approach to dealing with the clients' problems - success is a joint effort from therapist and client.  Goals are identified and a path to those is followed. Clients are encouraged to discuss any reservations or obstacles - this is all part of the therapy. 

My role is to work out how clients' behaviour or thinking, is unhelpfully keeping them stuck, and then to build alternative helpful behaviour and thinking. All of this is done in a team effort between therapist and client. The clients role is to get curious about their own unhelpful habits and to try out alternatives.

As part of my own ongoing professional development,  I attend further professional training regularly which expands and deepens my skills and knowledge.   Also, I attend regular supervision which I believe is necessary for the continuous improvement that all therapists should strive for.  This is reflected in the improvement in the lasting outcomes for my clients.

Sessions cost £80 for up to 1 hour.

After an initial assessment, the goals of therapy are established with the client.

The goals are based on making change for the client and each week we look at unhelpful thinking and behaviour - which may be causing the person to get stuck.

Unravelling unhelpful practices and replacing them with helpful and practical ones.

Each week the person would be given tasks to do and to challenge their unhelpful behaviours, and to leave these in the past.

This is not only just talking but making lasting changes.