CBT for anxiety driving a car after an accident

I am currently preparing a relapse prevention plan with Sarah and I cannot believe I have come so far in such a short time. Before starting this, I was 100% cynical about CBT and doubted it would work for me personally. I had heard from some people I know that CBT hadn’t worked for them. 

I am amazed at the mental and physical changes in me. It has improved my relationship with my husband, especially in the car! My issues because of the accident had been causing a huge strain in our relationship. I am now able to drive in and around the area of the crash and I have no ill feelings about it. 

Before the first meeting I was really nervous. I didn’t know if it was going to be like a classroom. I even imagined it might be like an interrogation environment, all compact and dark with a spotlight looking at me. Within seconds of being there, Sarah put me at ease. I felt like I could say anything and it felt a safe environment. 

(Female, aged 30)

CBT for the treatment of anxiety and depression following a car accident

I was scared to start CBT because I didn’t want to open up and I dreaded talking about the accident.

After 5 sessions I noticed a real difference even though I had stopped my anti-depressants, because I became pregnant. It surprised me how well I coped coming off the medication. 

I am now confidently driving again. Sarah has helped me so much. I even applied what I learnt to deal with a previous trauma which no longer haunts me.  I feel a better and stronger person. I’m glad that the accident happened so that I could work with Sarah. 

(Female, aged 33, December 2019)

What is remote therapy?

Remote therapy is any kind of therapy where the therapist and the client are not present in the same physical space. In the past, this has most regularly been over the telephone. However, in recent years, with improvements in online connections, this is increasingly resulting in therapy delivered by online video software.

Sarah offers online therapy using two online solutions. Both have secure end-to-end encryption, are GDPR compliant and are designed with the delivery of telehealth in mind.

The first is called Zoom and you will have seen this in action if you have watched any TV News in the past few days as this is the platform used by the UK Government for their remote press briefings.

The second is called VSee and this platform is used by over 1000 telemedicine companies worldwide as well as being the video platform used by NASA for communicating with the International Space Station.

Both of these platforms have associated apps available from the usual app stores for your devices.

Sarah makes use of both because if one has problems, then it is easy to swiftly change over to the other and to continue with the therapy session. Similarly, Sarah has routers from two different high-speed internet providers to ensure that if one is having problems, it is possible to change over to the other.

If you are looking for therapy during these difficult times, please feel free to make contact with Sarah on 07817 223669 to discuss availability.

Continuing Professional Development - Chairwork in CBT

Chairwork represents a collection of powerful experiential interventions which utilise chairs and their relative positions for therapeutic purposes. Chairwork has a rich history of applications in CBT and appears to be an effective method for treating a range of emotional and psychological difficulties.

For a more detailed description of chairwork, look at this article from the British Psychological Society.

The training was led by Tobyn Bell. Tobyn is a Cognitive Behavioural Psychotherapist, Trainer, Supervisor, and programme-lead at the Greater Manchester CBT Training Centre. He is also a Compassion-Focused Therapist and is part of the training executive for the Compassionate Mind Foundation.

Photo courtesy of Devon & Cornwall BABCP

CBT and EMDR for severe depression and anxiety

I learned very quickly that I could trust Sarah. She listened to what I said, processed it and then came up with relevant strategies to help me. She never judged what I said. Her focus was on using that information to help me move forward. After the first session I walked out of the door thinking “I feel safe. I’ve got someone to help me”.

Within 8 sessions of CBT, I no longer had depression and heightened anxiety. I decided to have some EMDR sessions to process some upsetting memories. Now I just feel completely different, which is wonderful. I feel more self-confident, calmer, resilient and I can speak up for myself. 

(Female aged 48, November 2019)

CBT for Social Phobia - Testimonial

Due to a long term illness I got stuck in a rut. I stopped seeing friends, going out and I withdrew. I had previously been a very active person. When I recovered from my illness, to my surprise I felt anxious about going out. I had never, ever had this before.  Basically my home became my safety net and unfortunately also a prison. Whenever I went out, I just wanted to go home. But being alone at home it felt worse and I got really down. 

Work provided me with 12 sessions of CBT with Sarah. I have really enjoyed the sessions with her.  Each week I have learnt something new. I have put all of this learning into practice. I have been able to challenge myself and successfully  go out socially again and meet new people. I have joined some groups which I am really enjoying. It is making my life better both socially and at work.  

If it wasn’t for the CBT techniques and Sarah encouraging me in the right way, I wouldn’t be having the fun I am having now. 100% thank you Sarah. I am grateful for everything. I feel I had a good connection with her and felt comfortable  from the get go.  

(Male aged 43, January 2020)