My Approach - ACT Therapist

I strongly believe in the power of acceptance and mindfulness-based approaches to support lasting change. These methods help clients develop greater awareness of their thoughts and feelings, fostering acceptance and reducing the struggle against difficult emotions. 

I drawn on a combination of four complementary, evidence-based approaches - Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Schema Therapy and Compassion Focused Therapy (CFT),  to create an integrated, flexible process of growth.

Each of these approaches offers a different but complementary way of understanding human experience. Integrated thoughtfully, they create a space that’s both insightful and practical, where you can explore, understand, heal, and move towards a rich, meaningful life.  

ACT is at the core of my approach. It helps you step out of the exhausting struggle with thoughts and emotions and instead focus on living a life guided by your values.

Rather than fighting your mind, you’ll learn skills in mindfulness, acceptance, and psychological flexibility — the ability to stay connected to what matters even in the presence of pain.

CBT helps you recognise how your thoughts, feelings, and behaviours interact. It’s structured, collaborative, and practical — focused on identifying unhelpful thinking patterns and developing new, balanced ways of responding.

Schema Therapy looks deeper — at the emotional themes, core beliefs, and coping modes that developed through early experiences and continue to shape how you think, feel, and relate today.

It’s especially powerful for clients who find themselves repeating patterns in relationships, struggling with self-criticism, or feeling driven by impossible standards.

Many clients come to therapy carrying guilt, shame, or relentless self-criticism. CFT helps cultivate warmth, understanding, and courage toward yourself — balancing the mind’s threat, drive, and soothing systems to create a more stable emotional foundation.

I have specialised experience supporting adults struggling with a wide range of addictive and compulsive patterns, including:

• Alcohol and substance use 
• Gambling and gaming addiction 
• Internet and social media overuse 
• Pornography and sexual behaviour concerns
• Sexual Messaging 
• Compulsive spending or other habit-based behaviours
   

Addiction is rarely about the behaviour itself — it’s often an attempt to manage pain, stress, or disconnection. Therapy helps you understand what sits beneath the surface and develop new, values-based ways of coping, grounded in compassion and self-awareness.

Anxiety can show up as overthinking, restlessness, tension, or constant self-pressure, while burnout often follows long periods of striving without rest.
Together, we’ll work to calm the mind and body, reduce avoidance, and build tools for resilience and balance. Therapy helps you step back from worry, reconnect with your values, and restore energy and clarity.

Depression can leave you feeling disconnected, unmotivated, or trapped in cycles of self-criticism. Our work focuses on rebuilding direction and meaning, uncovering the patterns that maintain low mood, and gently re-engaging with the activities and relationships that make life richer.

Change — whether chosen or unexpected — can bring uncertainty and emotional strain. I support clients through major life transitions, including:

• Academic and career stress 
• Relationship or family changes 
• Relocation or adjustment challenges 
• Identity exploration and personal development
   

Therapy provides space to process change, clarify priorities, and strengthen the skills needed to adapt with confidence and self-compassion.

“The goal isn’t to eliminate pain — it’s to build the capacity to live meaningfully alongside it.”.