Sarah was recommended to me when I was struggling with a dread of being contaminated by asbestos. It had reached a point that I didn’t even want to leave the house. I wouldn’t even go into the garden. I couldn’t say the word “asbestos” and if I ever heard the word, I felt sick in the pit of my stomach. I knew I needed to do something, but I didn’t want to. Finally, my family convinced me to phone Sarah.

The CBT was effective and I made some good progress with that. The DBR was really powerful and helped with deeper issues that were associated with my fear of asbestos, that I wasn’t aware of. I felt really comfortable with Sarah and at ease each time. She actually listened to me and never made me feel like I was silly.

I would encourage anyone who is struggling with a fear like this to seek help as I am glad I did.

(In person, male, aged 31, Dec 2024)

I suffered from emetophobia and health anxiety from the age of 13 following a traumatic experience. This affected my social life and my IBS. My preoccupation with this controlled a lot of my thoughts and my behaviours. Throughout the sessions with Sarah I have learned how to control my worry about this using metacognitive therapy (MCT).

EMDR helped me to unpick the traumatic experience in a subtle way and it didn’t feel overwhelming. I had initially felt hesitant about doing it for fears that it would rip a plaster off and open up lots of unpleasant memories in the session, which didn’t actually happen. The DBR was fascinating, gentle and calming. It helped me to process things in a subtle way. I want to say it felt “non-invasive” and unconscious.

Throughout the time I saw progress in my ability to travel, see friends and go out for meals. As I controlled my worry and managed my anxiety, my IBS symptoms eased.

(Female, aged 22, in person therapy, April 23)