I worked within NHS mental health services for 14 years. I completed my CBT training in 2011 and I have extensive experience of using CBT to help people work with emotional problems such as:

• Depression
• Low self-esteem
• Panic attacks and agoraphobia
• Social Anxiety Disorder
• Chronic worry (or Generalised Anxiety Disorder)
• Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
• Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
• Phobias
• Health anxiety
• Sleep difficulties
• Body image difficulties
• Some eating disorders
• Perfectionism

I recognise just how difficult it can be to ask for help and to start a course of therapy. I believe it is important to provide a safe and supportive environment and establish a trusting therapeutic relationship from the outset. This can help people to take the necessary steps that will ultimately reduce emotional distress and improve the quality of their lives. CBT focuses on helping people to develop a better understanding of their difficulties and learn new ways of thinking and acting. I adopt a compassionate, non-judgmental, and collaborative approach with all patients.

I am also a qualified clinical supervisor and have provided supervision to individual therapists and groups, from trainees to more experienced therapists. For 6 years I was a teacher, tutor, and clinical supervisor on the IAPT CBT course at the University of Sheffield, which trains future CBT Therapists. Furthermore, I was the Programme Director for the Postgraduate Certificate in Clinical Supervision, which trains clinical supervisors who supervise Education Mental Health Practitioners (EMHPs) working within schools helping children of all ages. I was also the Programme Director for the IAPT Supervisor Programme, which trains clinical supervisors who supervise clinicians working within IAPT services.

I have enjoyed delivering workshops and career talks to local universities and to the public. I also acted as a discussant for a symposium on ‘IAPT and Primary Care’ and delivered a workshop at the 2019 BABCP national conference. The title of the workshop was ‘Maximising your effectiveness as a CBT Therapist’. Indeed, spreading the word of CBT and that mental health matters is something I am very passionate about.

I receive regular clinical supervision and ensure I am up to date with the latest developments in CBT. I am committed to Continued Professional Development and I am an accredited member of the BABCP. I am DBS checked and have Public Liability Insurance.

Abi’s face to face sessions are held at Horbury, Wakefield.