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Appointments:
Contact Christine on
Tel: 01737 222141
or 07909 408941
Email:
cognitive.therapist@yahoo.co.uk
CBT Register UK
European CBT Register
Member of the
Royal Society of Medicine |
Cognitive
Therapy Specialist
As an experienced and
registered cognitive therapist, my practice offers help to both
adults and young people. Patients come to me from several sources,
self-referrals, from general practitioners and psychiatrists with
whom I work. I have been providing a quality Psychotherapy service
for adults and young people (over 13 years old) in Surrey, Kent, West Sussex,
Hants and surrounding area for over
15 years.
I am a married man with three grown up children, living in
Reigate Surrey and consulting from the locations which are
listed in the Link
Clinic
Locations.
I am registered with the main body for cognitive
behavioural therapists in the UK.
Cognitive
Behavioural Therapy is recommended
by the
National Institute for Health and
Care Excellence
(NICE), and its benefits are recognised by the medical
profession and also by private health insurers with whom I am
registered.
BABCP Registered - British Association for Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapies
EABCT Registered -
European Association for Behavioural and Cognitive Therapies
Cognitive and
behavioural techniques tailored to help each individual overcome sleep disturbance, relationship
difficulties, excessive worry and frustration, morbid jealousy, stammering,
stress, anxiety, social anxiety, panic, depression, low self-esteem, post
traumatic stress disorder, eating disorders and obsessive compulsive disorders.
Counselling for those
experiencing personal difficulties such as loss and bereavement.
You can contact me directly to either find out more about the nature
and process of cognitive therapy or make an appointment to see me.
You can also consult your GP who
will be able to help you make the decision whether cognitive therapy
is appropriate for your specific problem and make a referral.
A Consultant Psychiatrist can
refer you for treatment and I am registered with most of the main
Health Insurance Companies in the UK.
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Private Appointments
Telephone: 01737 222141
Email:
cognitive.therapist@yahoo.co.uk
Ajit Perera MSc.
Cognitive
Behavioural Psychotherapist
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Reigate Community Centre
- Tel: 01737 652256
- Tel: 01737 652256
Reigate Methodist Church
Community Centre, (Behind Morrisons Loading bay), 53 High St, Reigate Surrey, RH2 9AE (click
here for map) Satnav: use Postcode RH2 7BG
and walk to behind Morrisons |
Reigate Community Centre View |
A Consulting Room |
Parking available for Patients |
Views of Exterior
and
Map |
Problems
Addressed
Through Cognitive Behavioural Therapy I have helped
many people to overcome a variety of difficulties that
have troubled them. These can be broadly classed as:
· Anxiety/Stress
· Panic Attacks
· Depression
· Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
· Phobias
· Eating Disorders
· Post Traumatic Stress
There are other situations where I have employed
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy successfully and these
are more specifically:
· Anger management
· Avoiding situations for no apparent reason
· Feelings of unreality and poor self image
· Morbid jealousy
· Stammering
· Shame & Embarrassment
· Relationship difficulties
· Low frustration tolerance
· Sleep disturbance
· Guilt
· Low Self Esteem
This list is non exhaustive but has been compiled to
demonstrate the widespread uses of Cognitive
Behavioural Therapy.
What is Cognitive Therapy?
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) is a guided approach enabling
people to discover new ways to change their unhelpful thoughts,
feelings and behaviour which impair their quality of life. For
instance, that churning feeling in the pit of your stomach for no
apparent reason or feeling of panic, embarrassment, frustration or
helplessness when confronted with a particular situation.
CBT is neither inquisitional nor judgmental and it acknowledges
the important fact that life experiences influence our reactions to
events. However, dwelling on these events will only serve to
exacerbate these feelings so instead a new and productive way is
found to deal with the fallout that has affected our thoughts,
emotions and behaviour.
Each of us is a unique individual, as we are all shaped differently
through our genes, personal histories and experiences. It is this
complex mixture that shapes our rules, beliefs, attitudes and
thoughts that gives us our perception of the world. Perception is
the inter-relation between our thoughts, emotions, behaviour and
the event / subject in question. (see flowchart below)
When we enjoy a pleasurable experience that makes us feel good,
we know that when a similar situation occurs again we can meet it
with a welcoming confidence. Conversely, sometimes when the
experience has been hurtful, bruising or distressing we try to avoid
repeating the hurt by developing strategies so that we are better
able to deal with the situation should it recur. Both these
scenarios are stored in the memory ready to be called to mind and
are perfectly reasonable and natural reactions.
However, we are not always in a calm reasoning state of mind. At
this point, when faced with a situation, all sorts of feelings and
reactions flood into the mind. It is as if we are at that point
susceptible to automatically taking on board a fixed, unhelpful and
negative mind set which is quickly triggered. This makes us
perceive the outcome with fear and anxiety. It is this unreasoned
and self fulfilling prophecy that lies at the heart of the problem.
This dilemma and its solution have been known about for a very
long time. It was the Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius (in 45 AD)
who said "If you are disturbed by an external event it is not the
event itself that disturbs you but rather your judgment of it."
Cognitive behavioural therapy enables a person who has been
through a disturbing situation to take stock and, with guidance, to
develop new and more helpful practical strategies to empower
them. This outcome is achieved by a series of small, practical,
progressive steps moving forward from now and is based on a
well tested and proven approach. The outcome we aim for is for
you to regain control and have the confidence to pursue your goals
and purposes in life.
If this makes sense to you and you require some help with a
particular problem please take the first step and phone one of the
numbers which you will find under the link
Clinic
Locations. If you
get the answer phone please do not hang up just leave your name
and number and I will come back to you as quickly as I can.
What is mindfulness based cognitive therapy (MBCT)?
Mindfulness based cognitive therapy (MiCBT) is a blend of two very different
approaches — cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) which focuses on changing our
thoughts in order to change our behaviours, and the awareness practice of
mindfulness, a process of identifying our thoughts on a moment-to-moment basis
while trying not to pass judgment on them. While cognitive behavioural therapy
has always emphasised the end result of change of one’s thoughts, mindfulness
really looks at how a person thinks — the process of thinking — to help one be
more effective in changing negative thoughts.
This is a newer (1979) add-on approach to traditional cognitive behavioural
therapy and has recently gained more attention as people look to simplify their
lives, and more people learn of the benefits of meditation.
It combines mindfulness techniques with elements from cognitive behaviour
therapy (CBT) to help break the negative thought patterns that are
characteristic of anxiety and depression. Mindfulness is a potentially
life-changing way to alter our feelings in positive ways, and an ever-expanding
body of evidence shows that it really works.
MBCT is recommended by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence
(NICE).
What is Mindfulness?
‘Mindfulness’ is a hot topic in Western psychology: increasingly recognised
as an effective way to reduce anxiety/stress, increase self-awareness, enhance
emotional intelligence, and effectively handle painful thoughts and feelings.
Although mindfulness has only recently been embraced by Western psychology, it
is an ancient practice found in a wide range of Eastern philosophies.
Mindfulness involves consciously bringing awareness to your here-and-now
experience with openness, interest, and receptiveness. Jon Kabat-Zinn, a world
authority on the use of mindfulness training in the management of clinical
problems, defines it as: "Paying attention in a particular way: on purpose, in
the present moment, and non-judgmentally."
Mindfulness is about waking up, connecting with ourselves, and appreciating the
fullness of each moment of life. Jon Kabat-Zinn calls it, "The art of conscious
living." It is a profound way to enhance psychological and emotional resilience,
and increase life satisfaction.
The Benefits of Mindfulness
Practicing mindfulness helps you:
- to be fully present, here and now
- to experience unpleasant thoughts and feelings safely
- to become aware of what you’re avoiding
- to become more connected to yourself, to others and to the world
around you
- to increase self-awareness
- to become less disturbed by and less reactive to unpleasant
experiences
- to learn the distinction between you and your thoughts
- to have more direct contact with the world, rather than living
through your thoughts
- to learn that everything changes; that thoughts and feelings come
and go like the weather
- to have more balance, less emotional volatility
- to experience more calm and peacefulness
- to develop self-acceptance and self-compassion
Evidence
Mindfulness has been shown to affect how the brain works and even its
structure. People undertaking mindfulness training have shown increased activity
in the area of the brain associated with positive emotion – the pre-frontal
cortex – which is generally less active in people who are depressed.
More than 100 studies have shown changes in brain wave activity during
mindfulness and researchers have found that areas of the brain linked to
emotional regulation are larger in people who have practiced mindfulness
regularly for five years.
Research shows that Mindfulness can help with:
- recurrent depression
- anxiety disorders
- phobias
- stress
- chronic fatigue syndrome
- OCD
- PTSD
- Insomnia
- chronic pain
Appointments:
Contact Christine on
Tel: 01737 222141
or 07909 408941
Email:
cognitive.therapist@yahoo.co.uk
I am registered with the main body for cognitive
behavioural therapists in the UK
CBT Register UK
European CBT Register
Member of the
Royal Society of Medicine
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Consulting Rooms
at: |
|
Reigate Community Centre - Tel: 01737
652256
-
Parking available for Patients
Reigate Methodist Church
Community Centre, (Behind Morrisons Loading bay), 53 High St, Reigate Surrey, RH2 9AE (click
here for map) Satnav: use Postcode RH2 7BG
and walk to behind Morrisons
The centre is located off the High Street, behind Reigate Methodist
Church. It is accessible by foot from the High Street, and by car via the
service road behind the shops - this can be reached either through
Morrison's supermarket car-park, or from Park Lane (keep left after turning
off High Street). Click on the map marker to access further detail and
directions. The full address is
Reigate Community Centre - Tel: 01737 652256
53 High Street
Reigate
Surrey RH2 9AE
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Reigate Community Centre View |
A Consulting Room |
Parking available for Patients |
Views of Exterior
and
Map |
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What can I expect at the consultation?
Your first consultation will last approximately 50
minutes to one hour during which time we shall
explore the nature of the problem giving you time to
express how you feel about it. Obtaining the
necessary information from you is my responsibility so
please don't feel that you have to remember or tell
me everything. Having identified the problem we shall
agree on an achievable goal and discuss the specific
strategies to be adopted and start to move forward.
The subsequent consultations will build on the
progress you are making, using exercises and tasks
which will be discussed and agreed on. These are to
test if the strategies we have adopted are achieving
your desired goals or if they need to be tweaked or
modified in any way.
Typically it takes between 8 to 12 sessions to attain
the desired results. In certain circumstances
depending on the nature, intensity and duration of
the problem more sessions may be required. Clinic Locations
Appointments:
Contact Christine on
Tel: 01737 222141
or 07909 408941
Email:
cognitive.therapist@yahoo.co.uk
I am registered with the main body for cognitive
behavioural therapists in the UK
CBT Register UK
European CBT Register
Member of the
Royal Society of Medicine
|
|
Consulting Rooms
at: |
|
Reigate Community Centre - Tel: 01737
652256
-
Parking available for Patients
Reigate Methodist Church
Community Centre, (Behind Morrisons Loading bay), 53 High St, Reigate Surrey, RH2 9AE (click
here for map) Satnav: use Postcode RH2 7BG
and walk to behind Morrisons
The centre is located off the High Street, behind Reigate Methodist
Church. It is accessible by foot from the High Street, and by car via the
service road behind the shops - this can be reached either through
Morrison's supermarket car-park, or from Park Lane (keep left after turning
off High Street). Click on the map marker to access further detail and
directions. The full address is
Reigate Community Centre - Tel: 01737 652256
53 High Street
Reigate
Surrey RH2 9AE
|
|
Reigate Community Centre View |
A Consulting Room |
Parking available for Patients |
Views of Exterior
and
Map |
|
|