ABCDE... connecting thoughts and behaviours

Cognitive Behavioural approaches encourage you to develop more positive thoughts about yourself, and your environment, with the goal of helping you understand how your thoughts affect emotions and behaviours. In our sessions, you will learn to observe what you tell yourself about an experience,  your interpretation of the meaning of the situation, and your beliefs about yourself, other people, and events. We find more helpful alternatives for you that are more positive, realistic, and constructive, and based on your goals for what you want from coaching or therapy.

We work in a structured, interactive manner, which uses explorative questions and a range of different exercises and behavioural experiments. It is an effective psychological approach focussing on the 'here and now', rather than on the past. It is a structured, problem-solving approach to emotional problems, based on the principle that the way we feel is largely influenced by our thought processes. Our thoughts also influence how we behave towards ourselves and others, and how we view and pursue our goals, in work and in life.

The ABCDE Model gives an overview of the Cognitive Behavioural approach:

1. Activating Event or Adversity – the process begins by identifying the event which causes or triggers mental or psychological stress, or other negative emotional shifts. These are not always significant – people can be greatly affected by superficially trivial events or words. Recognising the issue is sometimes difficult but is an important first step in rectifying its effects. If it is a particularly traumatic event, a I will use a delicate touch to encourage discussion of your memories and experiences, and support you as we examine the situation.
2. Beliefs – these are the systems which have facilitated your response to the prior experience/stimuli. These are often negative, limiting beliefs and challenging these restrictions is a crucial step in your recovery, and achieving your goals. During this stage, one may begin to examine the logic surrounding these belief systems, and why they have developed in the first place. We will work through any harmful “self-talk”, particularly if self-talk is conveying a pessimistic output towards your skills, knowledge or abilities - so if it's in the way of you achieving your goals, we work through it together!
3. Consequences: Emotional, Psychological – these are the consequences of your belief systems on your actions. Believing you are going to be 'bad' at a certain task or in a certain situation can often be self-fulfilling. For instance, a lack of confidence will not allow you to perform under your own pressure / low self esteem will cause you to avoid situations and to struggle in forming healthy relationships and attachments.
4. Disputes: Challenging Self-Defeating Beliefs – this is when I support you to examine unhelpful / harmful belief systems. We look at your belief systems and ask 'how is that helpful'... Your situations and experiences are approached with care, and issues are subsequently addressed and repaired.
   We examine unhelpful beliefs from a number of perspectives:
   Empirical: Asking what is the basis for these beliefs?
   Functional: Examining if the beliefs aid working towards another, possibly unconscious goal?
   Logical: We ask, does the belief make sense, or is it part of another underlying belief system? We then carefully construct new, helpful, beliefs, that help you achieve your goals.
5. Effects – The impacts of altering or removing the pre-existing harmful belief system. This is when new habits and patterns are formed, and previous mental processes are deconstructed and reconstructed as to have positive outputs. These often work in positive feedback loops – greater results encourage more self-belief and encouragement to deal with more complex issues as we proceed.

My consulting room is in 193 Victoria St, London SW1E 5NE, and I also work online if you would prefer.

We would start with a free introductory 10-15 minute chat. You can outline your challenges and I can offer some initial thoughts. I will then suggest how we might work together.

We then start our sessions with a diagnostic session; we take a look at your journey, and what you would like our work to focus on, and achieve. We will look at your thoughts and beliefs, and come to understand how they relate to your behaviours, feelings, and day-to-day functioning.

Sessions take 50 minutes - I work with you to develop new perspectives, thinking, and behaviours that enable you to address specific problems, more effectively. A typical session includes a review on work thus far, a check in on how you're doing, and how you are finding working with the model. We then undertake some further exercises, and conclude with an overview of what's been covered in the session, and setting the theme for the next session.

Therapy can last between 7-20 sessions; we meet weekly, and the length of therapy depends on the nature of your problems and on your progress. I will discuss my treatment recommendations with you, and I will let you know how many sessions I think you will need to attend. When you feel ready to end therapy, we have a wrap-up session. If needed, we can also plan any follow-up appointments which usually take place at 3 / 6 month intervals.

If the nature of your issue might not suit the Cognitive Behavioural framework, we will explore options; I will suggest a suitable alternative, and refer you on. I can also refer you to a Psychiatrist, or to a specific assessor if necessary, as part of our working together.

Fees

My fees for face to face or online sessions are £120 per each fifty minute session, and I can either invoice you at month-end, or you can pay on the day. Free initial consultation - The initial complimentary 15 minute consultation can either be face to face or online, this is a no-obligation meeting and is free of charge.

My qualifications include:

• MA System-Psychodyanmics - Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation Trust
• PG Dip CBT - Postgraduate Diploma in CBT, Goldsmiths, University of London
• Advanced System-Psychodynamic Coaching Practitioner - Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation Trust
• Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, Practitioner for Steps i and ii
• Rational Emotional Behavioural Therapy - Action Learning Practitioner
• Psychotherapeutic Approaches to Counselling - PG Certificate from Birkbeck University of London
• B.Ind.Des - University of Limerick

With my best wishes, 

John