Confidential talking therapy for common mental health problems including depression and anxiety
In person Cognitive Behaviour Therapy in Maidenhead, Berkshire and remotely through digital platforms such as Zoom
“Just having someone to talk to that listens and understands was the beginning of a new chapter for me”
Male, 45
Cognitive Behaviour Therapy
Cognitive Behaviour Therapy, or CBT, assumes that we are born as a blank slate upon which our beliefs about ourselves, the world, and others are formed through experiences. For example, I am capable / incapable, other people are trustworthy / untrustworthy, the world is a safe / unsafe place.
‘Cognition’ is the name given to all the invisible things that go on in our head; our thoughts, interpretations, predictions, assumptions, memories, fantasies etc. We might be sitting watching TV but really on the inside we are a million miles away imagining different scenarios and playing events back in our mind.
‘Behaviour’ is what we can see on the outside that we do or don’t do for example, check the light switches, avoid making eye contact, pick our skin, go for a walk, research health conditions online. Sometimes people in our lives notice our behaviour changes before we do.
CBT is a talking therapy in which we identify beliefs about ourselves, the world and other people, we identify how our beliefs inform our behaviours, and how these may be maintaining our mood. From this understanding you then set about making changes and forming new thoughts and behaviours to improve your mood. This is another assumption of CBT; that we can change. Our brain is ‘plastic’ and so through support, hard work and an open mind it is possible to develop beliefs that work better for us.
How I can help
Anxiety
Anxiety is essential for our survival. It signals to us that there may be danger and it motivates us to act. However sometimes we can feel anxious when there isn’t a threat or we can experience anxiety to an excessive extent to the point it becomes unhelpful and can significantly affect our functioning day to day. While medications can help manage the symptoms of anxiety, CBT has been shown to be an effective treatment for anxiety disorders and is recommended by the National Institute of Health and Care Excellence (NICE). CBT helps us understand the root cause of why we become anxious and equips us with tools to manage it. CBT won’t completely remove our anxiety but it will help us manage anxiety when it is excessive and unhelpful. CBT has been shown to be an effective treatment for the following anxiety disorders:
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Generalised anxiety (worry)
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Social anxiety
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Illness (Health) anxiety
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Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
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Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
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Phobias
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Panic attacks
Depression
Depressed ~ ‘Deep-rest.’ Daily life can present us with setbacks and significant life stressors. Feeling low is a natural reaction when life is hard. We withdraw, energy levels dip and it can be hard to get out of bed. This is our body’s clever way of telling us to lay low for a while and take extra care of ourselves while there are challenges out there. Depression can develop when things become unbalanced; maybe we can’t rest when we need to, or we lose our confidence and struggle to return to previously enjoyed activities, and our focus might be on things we have done wrong rather than things we are proud of. There may not be an obvious reason why we are feeling depressed. CBT has been proved to be an effective treatment for depression. It doesn’t aim to make us unrealistically positive, rather it helps us identify often rigid, depressed thoughts and hold them lighter, allowing the idea that they may not be truth and to help us develop more flexible thinking.
Other difficulties I work with:
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Hoarding Disorder
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Trichotillomania (Hair pulling)
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Skin Picking Disorder
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Emetophobia (Vomit phobia)
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Bereavement
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Low Self Esteem
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Sleep difficulties
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Stress management
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Perfectionism
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Assertiveness and Communication
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Significant life adjustments
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Disability-related issues
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Living with Chronic Pain
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Managing Long-term Health Conditions e.g. IBS
There is no need to have self-diagnosed before we start our work, it is enough to feel like something isn’t right and we can discover the likely label together if that is one of your goals. We don’t always fit into neat boxes and often difficulties can come hand in hand. If you have any questions please contact me. If I don’t work with your presenting problem then I may be able to signpost you to another place that does.
It can be easy to rush through life on auto-pilot without noticing much.
Thinking patterns and behaviours can become so familiar that we do not stop and question them or perhaps even notice what is occupying our minds. We can be feeling okay one minute and then a piece of music will play while we are queuing in the shop and all of a sudden, our mood takes a dip and it can be hard to shake it off. Practicing mindfulness gives us a pause button to become aware of what is going on in our mind and body; the fleeting memory that got pulled into our consciousness, the tension we are holding in our jaw, the slight change in our mood. This awareness of moment to moment experience then gives us the opportunity to do something, to act kindly towards ourselves, to take a grounding breath and acknowledge what is going on for us with an open heart and compassion.
Research suggests that if you have experienced an episode of depression, you are more likely to go on to experience another episode of depression. To help break this cycle and prevent relapse into depression, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) recommend attending an 8-week Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy course. Please contact me if you’d like to discuss this and find out how mindfulness can help you.
Mindfulness
I am a fully accredited, cognitive behavioural psychotherapist with 13 years of experience working for the NHS in the primary care mental health field. My background is in Psychology and I have completed further training in clinical psychology, specialising in treating common mental health problems such as depression and anxiety. Along the way I have worked for various NHS services in London and recently more locally in Buckinghamshire. Within my roles I have supervised other practitioners and managed service projects. I have tutored on the Low Intensity Psychological Therapies course at the University of Surrey, and volunteered with our accrediting body; (the British Association of Cognitive Behaviour Psychotherapies, BABCP) where we reviewed training courses and provided guidance for them to reach accreditation standards.
Around work I have attended evening courses in Counselling Concepts and an Introduction to Systemic Therapy run by the Tavistock and Portman clinic in London. In 2015 I obtained a Post Graduate Diploma in Evidence Based Psychological Therapies (CBT) with merit from the University of Reading. I have had a long-standing interest and personal practice in Mindfulness and in 2019 I obtained a qualification to teach Mindfulness completing study at the University of Exeter. Since, I have run 8-week Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) courses for recurrent depression within my NHS role.
As required by the BABCP, in order to maintain my registration as well as high standards of therapy, I receive regular clinical supervision. I also attend regular training and workshops to keep my knowledge and experience relevant and up to date.
Qualifications
- Postgraduate Certificate in Low Intensity Psychological Interventions
- Level 2 AQA Counselling Concepts
- Post Graduate Diploma in Evidence Based Psychological Treatments with merit
- Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy Teacher Training
Professional body membership
Full accreditation with British Association for Behavioural & Cognitive
Psychotherapies (BABCP). Membership number: 140886
Practice and conduct complies with and are guided by the BABCP
Standards of Conduct, Performance and Ethics.
About me
Olivia Gallon – BABCP Accredited Cognitive Behavioural Psychotherapist
& Mindfulness Teacher
What to expect from therapy
Evidence shows that CBT works best if you have weekly sessions, each lasting around 50 minutes. There may be times where occasional longer sessions are recommended, up to 2 hours. I offer sessions in person and remotely via virtual platforms including Zoom. CBT is a fairly short-term therapy; 12 sessions tend to be the average amount.
Initial sessions are assessment in which we develop a shared understanding of your current difficulty and what is maintaining it. From this you create goals and how you want things to be different. The majority of sessions will then be using CBT techniques to make these changes. And the final sessions are review and relapse prevention; how can you maintain your progress independently. You will leave with a personalised plan to maintain and continue your recovery.
I offer a free 15 minute telephone consultation in order to briefly discuss the difficulty you are experiencing and whether CBT might be a useful treatment for you. Please contact me by phone, email or complete the Contact Me form.
Appointments
Location
Appointments take place in a purpose-built therapy room at a quiet residential address in Maidenhead, Riverside, Berkshire. There is free on street parking outside. The location is within easy reach of Slough, Taplow, Bourne End, Cookham, Beaconsfield, Holyport and Windsor. Sessions can also take place remotely through digital platforms including Zoom. Many clients choose to access therapy through digital platforms as it is easy, accessible and as effective as in person working.
Availability
I have a variety of times and days available for your appointments. Please contact me to discuss your requirements.
Pricing
The cost of a session (50 minutes) is £90.
Payment can be made via bank transfer 24 hours in advance of your session. Payment will also be accepted by cash at the end of each session.
Cancellations
I require a minimum of 24 hours notice if you are unable to attend a session. If you cancel with less than 24 hours notice you will be liable for the full fee.