Trainee CBT Therapist

I’m Sandra, a qualified Modern Foreign Languages teacher. I studied Cultural Psychology as part of my degree and am now a member of the BABCP as a trainee CBT therapist. After working as an interpreter for ethnopsychiatrists, I began supporting young people in schools, including those with ADHD, autism, and other forms of neurodiversity, as well as adults in the charity sector. Many of the people I work with feel lonely, as if they don't quite fit in or truly belong. I apply Cognitive Behavioural Therapy techniques throughout my work to help clients understand their thoughts, feelings, and behaviours and to break unhelpful patterns. As a storyteller, I also guide clients using visual imagery to move from places where they feel stuck, such as a hole, toward a positive destination. Along the way, I help them discover tools, including support and coping strategies, to move forward with confidence.

My approach is warm, gentle, and non-judgmental. I tailor CBT to each person’s life and values, and clients often say they feel relaxed, that I’ve genuinely got their back, that they learnt tools to move forward towards their goals and that they enjoy sharing a laugh along the way.

I work with adults and young people experiencing:

• Challenges linked to ADHD, autism and other forms of neurodiversity
• Feeling of not fitting in, not belonging
• Low self esteem
• Self criticism and high levels of shame
• Worry and anxiety
• Low mood and depression

‘Clouds do not always mean rain’ (Nigerian proverb).