Julia Garden

Senior CBT THERAPIST

Advanced Integrative Diploma in CBT/REBT, Advanced Diploma in CBT/REBT-College of Cognitive Behavioural Therapies, Regents Park University

Certificate in personal coaching -The coaching Academy

Open Universirty certificate in working online with clients.

I work for YoungMinds, the leading UK’s mental health charity supporting young people’s emotional wellbeing. I engage communities and help build resilience amongst young people. I have also worked on their successful helpline supporting parents and carers.

Accredited by the National Counselling Society and Professional Standards Authority, I qualified as a Cognitive Behavioural Therapist (CBT) with a Distinction from the College of Behavioural Therapies. I specialise in REBT (Rational Emotive Behavioural Therapy), a form of CBT Therapy. REBT is a goal orientated model and proven to work, looking at the person as a whole and focuses on each person's potential. REBT looks at the way we think and teaches us to be less rigid in our thoughts. I will look at what is causing you difficulties and teach you a model that will help you achieve a more balanced way of thinking, result in long lasting emotional and behavioural change. This effective approach combined with other CBT therapies such as Compassionate Focussed Therapy, Acceptance Commitment Therapy and Solution Focussed Therapy can help you find strategies to cope with life's problems and help manage emotions, empowering you to become your own therapist. With a good therapeutic working relationship, I hope to find the most effective way of working with you.

I have regular clinical supervision and attend frequent professional development courses/workshops, having recently completed a course on virtually working with response to COVID 19. As long as clients and therapists can guarantee privacy, working online is highly effective, contrary to what we may imagine. The barrier that the screen creates can allow people to feel less exposed and you may be more willing to express yourself more openly.

I work with adolescents and adults with the following difficulties:

Depression
Ageing and related issues
Relationship issues
Self esteem issues
Perfectionism
Anger management
Work related difficulties
Resilience building
Generally feelings of unhappiness and dissatisfaction

I have a special interest and expertise in working with all types of anxiety such as:

social anxiety
panic disorder
stress related anxiety
Generalised Anxiety Disorder
Obsesssional disorders including OCD and body image issues

Anyone who has experience will know how debilitating anxiety can be and how it stops us living our lives to the full. Early intervention is key and with a combination of approaches that I offer we will address and explore your thinking styles. Anxiety is very treatable and though relapses can happen, having strategies in place can help you manage your anxiety and stop it becoming overwhelming.

Testimonials

BY JULIA GARDEN:

When our daughter aged 10 started to develop an eating disorder we were knocked for six (unbeknown to us at the time she has autism which can trigger an eating disorder). A well - meaning therapist told us she couldn’t help her and didn’t refer us to someone who possibly could which made us feel even more helpless. She became very ill and had to go to hospital. This was a horrid experience and our world was turned upside down but for the sessions with the Therapist. He was a lovely man who watched her play with a dolls house as well as draw. He was partly deaf so actually couldn’t hear what she was saying but that didn’t seem to matter - he taught her how to express herself which was key to her recovery. It was very powerful and moving to watch. When I thanked him for saving her life he said he had done nothing it was all her doing but I know she couldn’t have done it without him. 11 years later and she is living life to the full and we are beyond proud of her.

This experience was so impactful for me it was the reason I retrained as a Therapist. Talking about how you feel can be a challenge but becoming more self aware and learning how to talk about your emotions can lead to a healthier and happier outlook.

I love working for the Meyer Practice. Not being a sole practitioner I am fully supported by my colleagues and supervisors. I know that my fellow Therapists have experience in many different areas so I am assured that, following an initial detailed conversation, a client will receive the best and appropriate support. When someone asks for help they are taking a brave step and it has maybe taken some time to get the courage and confidence to reach out so it is essential that they are responded to as soon as possible. I have complete confidence that this happens at the Practice. Rapport is very important with a client and anything that can aid this is vital which is why I appreciate that the Practice manages the financial aspect of the relationship so my unique focus is on the client.

CLIENTS TESTIMONIALS:

Julia has helped me overcome my personal challenges through therapy which has improved my mental health and how I approach obstacles and situations that were previously challenging. The range of exercises we tried alongside taking the time to discuss any concerns, thought patterns and other factors such as sleep and hobbies helped me feel more comfortable to start making changes in all areas of my life. Julia’s kindness and empathy actively reminded me that I wasn’t alone in this journey and I am forever grateful to have spoken to such a wonderful person in the mental health field. Anonymous.

I saw Julia during a period in my life when I was going through a number of changes and I found her to be attentive and insightful. She helped me work through underlying issues and current concerns giving me practical tools to use going forwards. I highly recommend her. LM

I visited Julia as I wanted to explore some emotions I was feeling in relation to friendship issues, which had recently surfaced. Julia was friendly and approachable and the setting was comfortable. Over seven sessions we explored my feelings and beliefs and used some simple techniques to change the way I process my thoughts and view situations. I now have tools to hand if I face similar events in the future. I highly recommend Julia’s service. CF

I came to Julia after feeling disillusioned after a previous therapy experience. I was suffering from severe depression and while I knew that I needed a talking therapy, I was nervous about starting with anyone new. From the first session with Julia I knew that I had found the right therapist for me. She put me instantly at ease and the room where the sessions take place is calming and comfortable. Julia is compassionate and insightful, and suggests proactive approaches at the appropriate time. Over our sessions, Julia was able to help me identify how to spot negative though processes and suggest constructive ways to deal with them. Her help in getting me to reframe these negative thought processes has been life changing and has been an instrumental factor in helping me with my depression. As a result of attending sessions with Julia I am more in control and am able to practice a number of helpful techniques to help me in everyday challenging situations. However, most importantly, I am feeling generally happier with my life. I would have no hesitation in recommending Julia. KB

Ever since having my first baby and going back to work 8 months after, I felt like I was not happy or rather not able to just be and feel happy with what I have, the mood was getting the best of me and I then spent a lot of time focusing on meditation, yoga, acupuncture to restore the balance and become pregnant again (following one miscarriage) - it all did help but to a point. Having my son in the middle of Covid pandemic I realised that I was extremely lucky with my circumstances, had a lovely family of 4 and a wonderful house I always dreamed of and yet was again feeling depressed and low self worth, as well as struggling to cope with anger and frustration at times.

In therapy, I have managed to express my feelings and emotions and go through various situations in my day to day that were affecting me most, I started to learn ways to identify event triggers, feelings and resulting behaviours that I wanted to manage, while understanding deep underlying beliefs that I have developed.

My self worth had improved, I no longer feel depressed and I have identified for myself what kind of parent and wife I want to be as well as learned how to set some boundaries to protect myself and remain in control when I am faced with challenges. Julia helped me so much to face my fears and recognise what challenges I might face, what I can do about them and where most importantly I will need to deal with discomfort- and I have been away from home with children for 2 months really enjoying the trip while managing a lot of tricky situations

I am still working on managing anger when dealing with my family and working out how to balance work with family life again, but i am so much more balanced and strong overall while accepting moments of weakness and low which happen sometimes as another part of life and of being me. JM

I worked with Julia to address general anxiety for about 9 months and found it hugely beneficial. Julia was always kind, understanding, insightful and had empathy for what I was going through. I felt like she really listened and helped me to unpick where my anxiety stemmed from and how to deal with it. There were many little moments of enlightenment for me! During the time that I saw Julia, my son suffered a significant mental health episode and she went above and beyond in helping me to navigate my way through this. Julia was crucial in providing insights about what it is to be a mum dealing with young adult children and I am hugely grateful for that. She provided me with a much needed place to talk openly about what was happening and find the next step forward. I feel so much better able to manage my anxiety now but also know that I can reconnect with Julia when and if I feel the need. Thank you! JG