Skip to main content

Trauma and stress

CBT for PTSD in London

Trauma-focused CBT for single-event and complex presentations, in adults.

How I see this presentation

My background in trauma work began in NHS Scotland Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, where formulation-led assessment of complex presentations was central to the clinical work. I have been working with trauma in independent practice in the City of London for fifteen years, with both single-event PTSD and complex presentations where multiple events across years are part of the picture. Post-traumatic stress disorder presents in a range of ways: intrusive memories or images, nightmares, hypervigilance, avoidance of reminders, an altered sense of self after the event, and a flatness that gets in the way of ordinary life. I am explicit at the outset about what the work involves and what it asks of you.

How I tend to work with it

The lead modality is trauma-focused CBT (TF-CBT), which NICE recommends as a first-line treatment for PTSD. Unlike generic talking therapy, TF-CBT has a specific structure: formulation and stabilisation first, then carefully paced processing of the traumatic material. The processing work is introduced only when stabilisation is established. Where the picture includes complex pain or sustained anxiety, the integrative range, including ACT and REBT, supports the wider clinical work without diluting the trauma focus.

What a course might look like

Sessions are 50 minutes, typically weekly. PTSD work is often longer than a brief CBT course, and it is reasonable to expect a structured course of several months rather than weeks. We review progress every four to six sessions and agree the next phase explicitly. The pace is set with you, and the framework varies per person.

Next step

If what you have read here fits what you are experiencing, getting in touch is straightforward. Henry responds to all enquiries personally, typically within one working day. An initial call carries no commitment.

If you have been researching for a while and want to ask a question before booking, a brief enquiry is the right place to start.

Book a session or send a brief enquiry.

Approach

Read more about how I work.

The Approach page sets out CBT as the primary modality, with REBT, ACT, coaching, and bereavement counselling alongside in service of clinical depth.

Read about my approach

WHEN YOU'RE READY

Book your first session with Henry.

You don't need to know what you want from therapy before you book. The first session is for getting that clear.