Senior CBT Therapist
Sarah Masters
BABCP accredited CBT Psychotherapist, CBT for Psychosis, Compassion focused Therapy
- PGDip CBT- Exeter University
- BSc Foundation level CBT- Plymouth University.
- BSc Children and Adolescent mental health- University of the West of England (UWE)
- DipHE Mental Health-UWE
I have worked with and supported individuals with a range of complex mental health difficulties for over twenty years, initially on qualifying as a mental health nurse where I worked at an adolescent inpatient unit. We worked with young people between the ages of 12-19 who were suffering with problems such as school refusal, anxiety, depression, OCD, eating disorders and psychosis. I hold a strong belief that it is essential to modify how you work and interact with young people than you would do with adults and ensure that I adjust my therapy and treatment plans in accordance with the needs of the individual in front of me.
I then went onto work as a community mental health nurse working with people
(aged 12-70) suffering with psychosis but again, this also required a range of skills to work with accompanying conditions such as OCD, anxiety and low mood.
In the last five years I have qualified as a Cognitive Behaviour Therapist (CBT) and now work half of the week in this clinical role and teach at a university for the other half of my week helping others to learn the skills necessary to deliver excellent quality CBT.
Many of my clients have needed an alternative way to view their situation to 'free' them from the distress that they have been experiencing, along with a tailored toolbox of coping strategies which they can choose from to empower them to manage the challenging experience. I have helped adolescent & adults experiencing a wide range of complex cognitive, emotional and relational difficulties, where the intervention required has been stress and/or anxiety targeted.
I can offer a safe, therapeutic space for clients to explore their difficulties using a third wave cognitive behavioural approach which also borrows from other modalities such as compassion focused approach and mindfulness. This essentially draws on a greater kindness towards oneself and works towards silencing the inner critic.
I believe client led, collaborative therapy is the most effective route to enable individuals to achieve their chosen, focused goals and would work alongside the individual I am working with to achieve this and reduce the distress they are experiencing.
Child and Adolescent 12 upwards.
Adults
OCD
Panic/Agoraphobia
Social Anxiety/phobia
Generalised Anxiety (GAD)
Trauma
Psychosis
Depression
Testimonials: Ref 1:
“I came to see Sarah because my family were concerned about the episodes of extreme anxiety and paranoia that I have experienced for many years.
At age 69 this was a challenge to reach out and ask for help but Sarah was able to put me at ease and explain the fundamentals to what was happening emotionally and, in my mind, when I get anxious and stressed.
Sarah explained why I was experiencing these things in this way and that my interpretation and appraisal of events were feeding into my distress and paranoia.
Together we built up coping strategies and a list of triggers that I could look out for and attend to so that my distress and paranoia does not increase to the extent that I am beginning to become psychotic.
This has changed my life and my family say that they have their husband and father back again.”
Ref 2:
“When I was diagnosed with anxiety and depression by my GP I could not believe it! I started to meet with Sarah and to understand what I was feeling, and thinking were completely normal and that there were ways that I could manage these experiences and still have a normal life.
Now I am back at work and am able to navigate any anxious feelings that I have, and my mood has lifted.
I cannot thank Sarah enough for her time, kindness and wisdom which have helped me onto my road of recovery”
Ref 3:
“We contacted Sarah when we had reached the end of our tether with our daughters OCD. No- one wants to admit that their daughter needs mental health help when they are only aged 12 but despite our best efforts our daughter was still suffering and very distressed.
Sarah listened to our daughter to understand the triggers and the thoughts that were leading her to comply with the compulsions and then began a behavioural approach to help her reduce the rituals she was compelled to engage with.
As parents we needed support to as it has been so difficult to see our daughter so distressed and have valued the support that Sarah has offered regarding what we as parents can do to contribute towards our daughter’s recovery.
Now our daughter can go to bed at a normal time at night and not become distressed as she was and is also back at school.”
