Frequently Asked Questions

What is Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)?

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) is a structured, evidence-based psychological therapy that helps you understand the relationship between your thoughts, feelings and behaviours.

Rather than simply talking about what's happening, we'll work together to understand why a difficulty may have developed, what's keeping it going now and, most importantly, what you can do differently. CBT is collaborative - I'm not going to sit silently taking notes while you do all the talking! We'll develop a shared understanding of what's going on and use practical strategies to help you make changes both during and between sessions.

One of the things I particularly like about CBT is that the aim isn't for you to stay in therapy forever. It's about helping you understand yourself better and develop skills and strategies that you can continue using long after therapy has finished.

What can CBT help with?

CBT has a strong evidence base and is recommended for a wide range of psychological difficulties. I particularly work with anxiety disorders, including panic attacks, social anxiety, health anxiety, phobias and generalised anxiety, as well as OCD and intrusive thoughts, depression, low self-esteem and perfectionism.

CBT can also be used to treat PTSD and other difficulties, and sometimes people come to therapy without a neat label for what they're experiencing at all. That's absolutely fine. We can use our first sessions to understand what's been happening, what's getting in the way of the life you'd like to be living and whether CBT is likely to be helpful.

If you're not sure whether CBT is right for what you're experiencing, that's something we can talk about during a free introductory call.

How is CBT different from counselling or other types of therapy?

There are lots of different types of psychological therapy, and no single approach is right for everyone.

CBT tends to be more structured and goal-focused than traditional counselling. Although we'll absolutely consider your past experiences when they're relevant, CBT places particular emphasis on understanding what's happening now - the patterns of thinking and behaviour that may be keeping a problem going - and what we can do to change them.

Sessions are collaborative and focused on making changes in everyday life. Rather than me simply listening or telling you what to do, we'll work together to understand the problem, test out different ideas and develop strategies you can use outside therapy.

Does online CBT work?

Yes. CBT works particularly well online because most of what we do together involves talking, understanding patterns, developing new ways of responding and trying things out between sessions. You don’t need to be sitting in the same room for us to do any of that.

All of my CBT sessions are online. We meet by video, usually for around 50 minutes, and sessions work very much as they would face-to-face. We’ll agree together what we want to focus on, make sense of what’s keeping the problem going and work out what might help you begin changing it.

There are some practical advantages too: no travelling, no sitting in waiting rooms and you can have therapy from somewhere you feel comfortable. I work with young people and adults aged 12+, so for younger clients we’ll also think together about privacy, practical arrangements and whether online therapy feels like the right fit.

How many CBT sessions will I need?

There's no one-size-fits-all answer to this. Many people benefit from somewhere between 6 and 20 sessions, but it depends on what you're experiencing, how long it's been going on and what you'd like to achieve.

We'll talk about this together and regularly review how therapy is going. CBT isn't about keeping you in therapy unnecessarily — the aim is to help you develop the understanding, confidence and skills to manage difficulties independently.

How do I find a qualified CBT therapist?

CBT is a specialist psychological therapy, so it’s worth checking that the person you’re considering is properly trained and accredited. In the UK, the main professional body for CBT therapists is the British Association for Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapies (BABCP). BABCP accreditation means that a therapist has completed recognised specialist CBT training, has appropriate clinical experience and supervision, and continues to meet professional standards through ongoing training and development.

I’m a BABCP-accredited Cognitive Behavioural Therapist, as well as a CBT lecturer and clinical supervisor. You can also check whether any therapist is accredited by searching the BABCP register.

Qualifications matter, but so does the person! CBT is collaborative, and feeling comfortable with your therapist is really important. That’s one of the reasons I offer a free 15-minute introductory call before you decide whether you’d like to work with me.

What is a BABCP-accredited CBT therapist?

BABCP stands for the British Association for Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapies. It’s the main professional body for CBT in the UK.

BABCP accreditation isn't simply membership of an organisation. Accredited therapists have to demonstrate that they have completed appropriate professional and specialist CBT training, gained substantial supervised clinical experience and meet BABCP’s standards for CBT practice. They also have to maintain their accreditation through continuing professional development and ongoing clinical supervision.

I’m a BABCP-accredited Cognitive Behavioural Therapist, and I also teach and supervise CBT therapists as part of my university role.

If you’re looking for CBT, checking the BABCP register is one of the easiest ways to establish whether someone has recognised specialist CBT training.

Is everything I say confidential?

Yes. What we talk about in therapy is confidential, with some important exceptions - principally if I'm concerned that you or somebody else may be at serious risk of harm.

I'll explain confidentiality and its limits clearly when we first start working together, so you'll know from the outset what information is kept private and the circumstances in which I might need to share something.

What’s the difference between coaching and CBT?

CBT is a psychological therapy that helps you understand and change patterns of thinking and behaviour that may be contributing to emotional distress or keeping difficulties going. Coaching tends to focus more on where you are now, where you'd like to be and what's getting in the way of moving forward.

There can be some overlap, particularly because my coaching is informed by CBT. The main difference is what we're trying to achieve: in therapy, we're usually working with a specific psychological difficulty, whereas coaching is more focused on personal or professional development, building confidence, achieving goals and making meaningful changes in your life.

How do I know if coaching or CBT is right for me?

You don't need to know before you contact me! If you're experiencing significant emotional distress or struggling with a particular psychological difficulty, CBT may be the more appropriate place to start. If you're generally functioning well but feel stuck, held back by self-doubt or ready to make changes in your personal or professional life, coaching may be a better fit.

Sometimes the distinction isn't immediately obvious, and that's absolutely fine. I offer a free 15-minute introductory call so we can talk about what's going on and decide together which approach is likely to suit you best.

Can coaching help with self-confidence and resilience?

Absolutely - these are actually two of the areas I particularly enjoy working with.

Low confidence often isn’t simply about ‘not believing in yourself’. There can be all sorts of things underneath it: an overly critical inner voice, perfectionism, fear of failure, comparing yourself with other people, worrying about what others think or avoiding things that make you uncomfortable.

Coaching gives us an opportunity to understand those patterns and, importantly, start doing something differently. My approach is informed by CBT, so we’re not going to spend our sessions chanting affirmations at the mirror and hoping for the best! We’ll look at what gets in your way, what matters to you and how you can develop confidence and resilience that actually holds up when life gets difficult.

Do I need to have a mental health problem to benefit from coaching?

Not at all. You don't need to be struggling with your mental health to benefit from coaching.

You might be feeling stuck, held back by self-doubt or perfectionism, facing a change in your personal or professional life, or simply know that you'd like something to be different but aren't quite sure how to get there. Coaching gives you dedicated time and space to understand what's getting in your way and work out what you want to do next.

What happens in a coaching session?

Coaching sessions are collaborative and shaped around what you'd like to achieve. We'll explore your goals, understand the thoughts, beliefs and patterns that may be getting in your way and work out what you can begin doing differently.

My approach is psychologically informed, so we're interested in understanding why you might keep getting stuck - but we won't stop there. We'll turn that understanding into changes you can try in everyday life and use what happens between sessions to help us work out what to focus on next.

Is coaching evidence-based?

My approach to coaching is informed by evidence-based psychological principles, particularly CBT. That means we'll draw on established ideas about how thoughts, beliefs and behaviours influence how we feel and what we do, rather than relying on motivational slogans or one-size-fits-all advice.

I also bring my experience as a CBT therapist, lecturer and clinical supervisor to my coaching work, while keeping coaching distinct from psychological therapy.

How many coaching sessions do I need?

There's no set number. Some people come with a very specific goal and find that a few sessions are enough, while others choose to work with me over several months as they make more substantial changes.

We'll regularly review what you're getting from coaching and whether continuing to work together is useful. The aim isn't to keep you coming indefinitely — it's to help you reach a point where you feel confident moving forward without me.

Can I do both CBT and coaching with you?

Potentially, yes, if it's appropriate. Sometimes someone may begin with CBT to address a particular psychological difficulty and later find that coaching is useful for thinking about confidence, goals or what they want next.

We wouldn't simply blur therapy and coaching together, though. We'll be clear about what we're working on and whether we're working therapeutically or using a coaching approach, and we can discuss what makes most sense for you.