Dr Nadim Siddiqui

Cognitive Behaviour Therapy is the most effective form of counselling or psychotherapy for most psychologically based problems. Who says so - GP's and the government body NICE (National Institute for Health and Care Excellence) ;- they recommend CBT. I also supervise other practitioners and counsellors and am a visiting lecturer teaching CBT/ACT at the  University of Manchester and University College Chester. I also run short CBT, and mindfulness courses for practitioners.

Some people offer CBT but they have minimal CBT training. I have a MSc in CBT and lecture trainees at up to Doctoral level. I am  also an external examiner for a CBT training program, and am accredited with the British Association of Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapy (BABCP, I am NOT in the more general counselling orientated British Association of Counselling  and Psychotherapy - BACP). Also I am a Chartered Psychologist with the British Psychological Society (BPS), Health Care Professional Council Registered and Associate Fellow of the BPS.

I include the above details to try and clarify what can seem like a minefield in deciding who to approach for counselling or therapy. It is up to you to decide what level of training and experience you wish to use.

There won't be embarrassing silent moments in therapy sessions with me (unless you want them!). Nor will I instruct that you must do this or that to get better. I'll help you understand the psychology and science that might underlie your problems, and help with proven techniques, in clearly planned therapy.

You can get CBT from your GP, but it it could involve group work or computer assisted CBT. Sometimes that therapy or counselling might be with newly trained therapist; my first qualification was a degree in psychology was in 1981, and I hold a Masters Degree in Cognitive Behaviour Therapy, and I have a Doctorate in Counselling Psychology at the University of Manchester. As indicated above, I am a Chartered Psychologist with the British Psychological Society (BPS) and also an Associate Fellow of the BPS (AFBPsS) and registered with the Health Care and Professions Council (HCPC). I am also on the BPS Expert Witness List for the medico legal (assessment reports, therapy and training courses) part of my work.

I am widely experienced in the NHS, psychologist, interested in problem solving. I also use third-wave CBTs of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and Mindfulness. These therapies are excellent for developing well-being and self -improvement (psychology is not just about the negative stuff!)

If you are not local to me, that's no problem, we can talk via Skype.

I can help with most types of problems, bereavement, depression, anger management, anxiety (general and specific (e.g. travel, social, exam, performance), phobias, PTSD, insomnia.

Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing (EMDR) is also very helpful for PTSD, phobias and sleep disturbance. EMDR is used by the British, US and German military, and emergency services and is NICE approved for PTSD in the UK. I got EMDR qualified in 2006, and have trained to do EMDR with adolescents and children.

I also treat phobias and obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Eye Movement Desensitisation Reproccesing  (EMDR) helps hugely with PTSD and phobias, but is best used in conjunction with CBT (I am qualified in both).

Examples of phobias
Travel, social, spiders, snakes, blood, emetophobia (sick), needles, medical, flight).

I have done  post-graduate Doctoral research at Manchester University into ruminative and intrusive thought loops, and techniques used to deal with them.
Another interesting treatment area is in working with bodily symptoms that have no attributable medical causation.

I am an advocate of Mindfulness and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT, DBT, Mindfulness). These are fantastically powerful in promoting well-being. Therapy in my view, is not just about treating problems, it is also about promoting happiness, improving performance and coping better with the inevitable fluctuations in life. These are known as "third-wave" CBT's.

I have trained Drugs and Alcohol teams, run training courses on CBT for companies and the voluntary sector and am a visiting lecturer at University College Chester and Manchester University and been on the board of a Mental Health Charity.

From £70 per session for therapy for private individuals. Rates for insurance companies, employee assistance programs and solicitors practices are different due to e.g. report writing and psychometric testing; please contact me for a firmer quote if yo are a solicitor, medical Agency or Insurer.

For Psychological reports (many types)-please contact me on 07977 400678.

I run short CBT courses in house. These can be second-wave  CBT or third-wave (ACT-Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, MBCT Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy).

I provide supervision to practioners and students (I supervise  people who are Doctoral and Masters students in counselling, psychology or CBT). This can be done by Skype if you live a long way from me, as can therapy.

I am also a person centred CBT practitioner, Rogerian core conditions and a good therapeutic relationship are essential to successful therapy and supervision.