How Can I Help You?

Your concerns

Are you struggling with substance or alcohol use, trauma and/or despair? Utilising my neuroscience and addictions academic and professional background, I will support you to not just survive but regain control of your life one day at a time.

Cognitive Counselling provides various styles of therapy to treat different addiction, trauma and emotional problems. The core of the techniques is a collaborative approach to discover what it is you are going through, what it is you are unable to help yourself with and what tools I can provide for you to succeed on your own.

An important aspect in being able to create change in ourselves, is the ability to acknowledge what needs to be changed. This acknowledgement can sometimes be the most difficult part.

Evidence based approach

My collaborative approach works on a similar basis to psychoeducation. This technique provides information related to the biology of the brain and the workings of the human mind. It is an evidence-based therapeutic intervention derived from studying psychology, neuroscience and their relation to addiction and mental health for over 10 years. My therapeutic approach aims to teach a combination of awareness and problem-solving toward the routines that might be negatively affecting day-to-day life. I am not only here to listen your issues, but I am also here to actively help you solve them.

Psychodynamic therapy

A space is created where you can share your trauma and stress in your own individual circumstances, learn about why you are going through these experiences and how your life could be changed for the better. I have put my extensive education into practice by working closely with clients in hospitals, as well as alcohol and narcotics recovery services such as my current part-time work at Castle Craig Hospital. During this time, one of the most significant realisations I have taken away from my extensive training is the need for a belief in clients who are struggling to believe they can be accepted by others despite the many flaws they are seeing in themselves. I work with clients to get them into a place where they can start to have hope again.  

Cognitive therapy

A more short-term version of my approach is facilitated through CBT, DBT, ACT, Mindfulness and Solution-Focused Brief Therapy. These techniques focus on recognising the maladaptive thoughts and behaviours which may be causing feelings such as hopelessness or blocks to our progression such as self-doubt. These feelings and blocks can stand in the way of how we want to live our lives and it is important we work to identify them, in order to find the right tools to overcome them.

My contribution to this process is based on sharing my experience and knowledge of psychological and neuroscientific concepts and interventions to increase awareness of what some of these obstacles might be. I believe awareness of our own limitations and knowledge of tools that can overcome them, will provide the freedom to be who we want to really be.

Analytic therapy

While the approaches can be separated into the different labels mentioned above, something I strongly believe in is the fact that not just one specific technique of therapy should be used to help clients. The therapy I aim to offer combines various types of analytic therapy together, tailored for your individual needs as a unique person. From experience I have found it is essential for clients to share what they believe is going well and what they could see being improved in the therapy sessions. This is critical as the sessions are yours and it is okay for you to spend time working on only yourself in what you believe is the most effective way.

It is also important to note that no matter how big or small you might perceive your issue; your difficulties do matter, and you deserve help.

*If you would like to know more about whether I am the right person for you, I strongly recommend reading the “My Background” section.