🪴 What to Expect

📝 Assessment

Before psychological therapy can begin, I need to have a clear understanding of your difficulties, and so your first appointment will be mainly for assessment (this sometimes continues into your second session). I will ask you about your difficulties and when they began, and about what you would like to change. This will include some questions about your childhood, as it is during our early years that many of our beliefs about ourselves and others are formed. I may ask you to fill in one or two questionnaires to aid assessment. By the end of your second session, we will have agreed on your therapy goals and on how many sessions to have together before a review.

Helping you to make sense of your psychological difficulties is a very important part of therapy, and I aim for us to have an open and shared ‘formulation’ of why the difficulties began and what keeps them going, Once you have this personal understanding, it becomes clearer what positive changes you can make to reduce your distress and improve your psychological well-being.

💬 Therapy

Therapy sessions are typically held weekly, either in person at the St Andrew’s Centre in Histon or online. Each session lasts for one hour.

Most people attend between six and thirty sessions, although this varies depending on individual needs. We will have regular reviews to reflect on progress and ensure our work is aligned with your goals, such as “to have less flashbacks,” “to feel better in mood,” or “to be kinder to myself.”

🧡 Compassion Focused Therapy (CFT)

Developed by Professor Paul Gilbert, Compassion Focused Therapy (CFT) draws on evolutionary psychology and neuroscience to help us understand emotional difficulties in the context of our ‘tricky’ brains and early life experiences. These experiences—particularly our early relationships—shape how our minds develop and how we relate to ourselves and others.

Many people struggle with self-criticism, which can deeply affect mood, motivation, self-confidence, and our ability to feel safe in the world. In fact, self-criticism often plays a central role in maintaining anxiety and depression.

CFT helps us cultivate a more compassionate part of ourselves—the same part that shows kindness to a friend in distress. By strengthening this inner resource, we can approach life’s challenges with greater courage, warmth, and wisdom, rather than feeling overwhelmed or stuck in avoidance. I often suggest practicing exercises to strengthen your compassionate self between sessions.

💡 Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing (EMDR)

EMDR is a structured therapy developed to help people recover from trauma and distressing life experiences. It’s particularly effective for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and complex trauma, but can also support healing from other emotional difficulties.

EMDR works by helping the brain process traumatic memories that feel “stuck.” Through guided eye movements or other forms of bilateral stimulation, EMDR allows these memories to be reprocessed in a way that reduces their emotional intensity and impact. You remain in control throughout the process, and we move at a pace that feels safe and manageable for you.

🌱 Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)

ACT is a modern therapeutic approach that encourages psychological flexibility—the ability to stay present, open, and engaged with life, even when this is difficult. Rather than trying to eliminate painful thoughts or feelings, ACT helps you relate to them differently, so they have less power over your actions and experience of life.

ACT combines mindfulness skills with values-based action. You will learn to notice and accept your inner experiences, while also identifying what truly matters to you—and taking steps towards a more meaningful life. It is especially helpful for people who feel stuck in cycles of avoidance, perfectionism, or self-doubt.

🧠 Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) focuses on how our thoughts and beliefs influence our emotions and behaviours. For example, a thought like “I’m going to mess this up, I’m a failure” can lead to low mood and avoidance, which in turn reinforces the belief and keeps the cycle going.

These patterns are often rooted in early experiences and may have become automatic over time. CBT helps us identify and challenge these unhelpful thoughts and beliefs, so they have less emotional impact. You will also learn to develop more balanced and realistic ways of thinking that support your wellbeing.