I believe that asking for help takes a lot of courage and can be a daunting prospect, so let me tell you a little more of what to expect should you decide to get in touch. Firstly we can arrange a free initial consultation, by phone at a mutually agreed time.(or via message or email if you prefer) This will give me a broad understanding of what you want to work on and whether I can help. It will also give you the opportunity to ask any questions and get a sense of whether you feel we can work together before committing to your first appointment.
Research shows that the success of any therapy experience is very much related to the quality of the therapeutic relationship and I believe I bring a non judgemental, warm and kindly approach to sessions, infused with a little humour!
How many sessions you need to come for very much depends on your problem and what you’ve chosen to work on. CBT is not a quick fix approach, though relatively short term and Nice Guidelines usually advise between 6 and 16 sessions, with attendance on a weekly basis. It isn’t unusual for people to come for a course of CBT and then return a year or so later for booster sessions to reinforce or develop previous learning.
CBT is very much a collaborative approach, so the first stage of therapy is to develop a shared understanding of your problem. The first couple of sessions will usually involve developing an overview of what is problematic in terms of thoughts, feelings and behaviour, identifying vicious cycles, as well as a consideration of the roots of the problem, how the past informs the present. We can then map out a tailor made Treatment Plan, based on your hopes for therapy and what is realistic within the agreed time frame. CBT is a proactive therapy so further sessions will involve you learning skills and strategies alongside values based goal setting and problem solving. You will be supported in actively practising these skills between sessions ready for further reflection and fine tuning when you return. CBT is all about coaching people to become their own therapist, so towards the end of therapy we will develop a plan for handling setbacks and promoting emotional resilience. My nursing background enables me to offer an holistic approach to your difficulties, taking into account physical health conditions and the role of medications prescribed for mood management.
Terms of business
Fees
- Initial consultation - brief phone-call, message, email: No charge.
- £75 per Therapy Hour (55 mins) face to face, 5 minutes for endings, payment, rebooking.
- To be paid on the day of therapy, before or promptly after the session.
Sessions funded by Health Insurance Companies or through other referral agencies may be subject to a different fee as agreed with individual organisations.
Method of payment: Bank Transfer to be completed prior to session, If you do not use online banking, I can send a Paypal invoice, where you can use a Debit or Credit card. (I am subject to a fee for this Service).
Missed or cancelled appointments
Please to get in touch as soon as possible if you are unable to attend, so I can offer the slot to someone else. For less than 24 hours notice the full session fee is due.
Late arrival
If you come late to session, I may not be able to see you for longer to make up the time, so we might need to have a shorter session.
Testimonials
I found it strange that I didn't see how I was changing as I spiralled downwards. It was such a gradual change that it went by unnoticed. I was putting things off that I would normally enjoy doing but decided that I would do them when I felt a bit better, I just couldn’t be bothered. It wasn’t until I talked to Bridget that I understood that I needed to do these things in order to feel better. Once I started doing small, little things, then I started to feel more like my old self. I found that I had more energy and enthusiasm for the day ahead.
It wasn’t until I had come back up a bit that I realised how shutdown I had become. I can now take the time to enjoy my surroundings, take time to have a conversation in the evening instead of disappearing into an Ipad and make time to do some ‘me’ things. Thanks very much Bridget, I feel a whole lot better about myself and my situation.
Bridget helped me through a very dark and difficult time in my life. I can’t thank her enough for her guidance and compassion but also for the way she challenged me to see the truth of my situation. I am enjoying life now and looking forward to living my life with more self-compassion and patience. Thank you.
Nov 2022
For several years I had tried a variety of therapies with little sustained success. From the Beginning working with Bridget my experience changed. She introduced me to both new ways of thinking and behaviours which gave me practical strategies of help. Routinely she supplemented our sessions with additional information which ensured enhanced support. I am grateful to Bridget for her help and support and have no hesitation in recommending her to others.
I wanted to say thank you for your help over the past few months. I have been managing anxiety issues for many years, and tried various things, but I have found the techniques you have taught me to be very effective. I feel so much more optimistic now I know I have a ‘toolkit’ to help me when life gets difficult in the future.
2022
I have been having counselling with Bridget since June 2020 and cannot thank her enough for her help and wisdom. Bridget is totally professional, compassionate and approachable. Her CBT methods are well explained by her and easily accessible. She provides really helpful resources to user at home. As I now finish I feel stronger emotionally and mentally and have more confidence to accept myself and others and hence move forward into the future with a wiser, more accepting attitude. Life may not be perfect but Bridget has definitely helped and enabled me to face the future with a more positive attitude and more confidence. I recommend her to anyone who needs help. I definitely could not have done it without her!
August 2021
As someone who experienced anxiety in the past, the pandemic really exacerbated things and had a big impact on my mental health, seriously affecting my studies and day-to-day life. I realised that I wasn't coping on my own and needed help. By the time I got in touch with Bridget, I had never had therapy before and I’m so glad I did! Bridget was very warm and welcoming from the start. She has a fun and engaging way of explaining how our tricky human minds work and gives you the right tools to approach difficult thoughts and feelings in a different, more compassionate way. I’m so grateful to have met and worked with Bridget, I can't recommend her enough!
August 2021
I have continued to put into practice much of the tools I learnt with you. Self- compassion in particular has been an absolute life-saver and I am incredibly grateful to you for all of our sessions together. I learnt such a lot and it helped me through the very difficult year of 2020. You were always without fail kind, compassionate and supportive and I wanted to thank you so much for everything.
July 2021
Working with Bridget has more fully enabled me to understand and accept the ways in which anxiety impacts my life and it has given me tools to manage and deal with it more effectively in the future.
April 2021
After hitting emotional rock bottom last year, I had tried a handful of counselling sessions elsewhere but felt like I was not progressing hugely or able to make any 'next steps' to get my life back on track. Somebody recommended CBT to me along with ACT as potential forms of therapy, and through some research I discovered Bridget in Malvern. Despite the current climate of the world and the majority of our counselling sessions having to be conducted long distance, Bridget went out of her way to be there for me both as a counselor and for emotional support throughout, and has subsequently helped me through some of the most challenging months of my life. Through compassion therapy, 'self kindness', meditation exercises and understanding of the psychology behind negative thoughts and feelings, I now have a much greater understanding of myself, my own emotions and how to move forwards, even if small steps, towards happiness. Thank you Bridget - I certainly couldn't have done any of it without you and will definitely be following up when I next need to 'drop anchor' again!
April 2020
I started seeing Ms Bridget Maddison when I was at the lowest point of my life when I could feel anxious easily and could not carry out the very basic day to day tasks such as shopping or collecting kids from school. The CBT based approach helped me HUGELY as I gradually realised that all my symptoms actually stemmed from my worry and fear rather than physical illness. Once I started accepting that, my condition just started getting better day by day.
I found Bridget very easy to speak to and such a good listener, which to me is really important as when I was anxious I really don’t need any more distress. She always kept me relaxed during the therapy but at the same time she did try to bring me back to the schedule she has set up for the session, which is also really important for me to receive the best cure I needed at the time. Before the end of each season, she always gave me some handouts to bring home for self-read and self-help. Thus I could always learn a bit more during the two sessions.
All in all, I’m very happy to recommend Bridget to anyone who is suffering from anxiety issues. I also would like to say to anyone who is reading this testimonial. You can bring your life back and be normal again. To me, my anxiety issue is just a wake-up call. It is not a bad thing when I look back. Now I live a much healthier and happier life thanks to the anxiety issue I had just a few months ago.
April 2020
Bridget's therapy was so helpful to me. When I first went to see her my head was all over the place and I just kept getting thoughts that I couldn't stop and that just kept spiralling out of control and giving me horrible feelings I had never experienced before. I was getting mood swings and being snappy at home without understanding why and sometimes without realising. Bridget was able to get to the bottom of these issues and help me to understand why I was feeling like I did and to understand that it was anxiety that I was living with. Then with the help of Bridget's 8 week CBT course I was able to get a hold of these feelings and learn to accept them, not push them away, learn what they felt like and develop techniques that allowed me to live with the feelings and not let them take over me. I would definitely recommend Bridget to anybody that struggles with mental health issues and she really has changed my life.
2019
I contacted Bridget after experiencing moments of anxiety at work, my doctor mentioned that Cognitive Behavioural Therapy could be really useful - it certainly is! I found Bridget’s approach very understanding and proactive. I feel I know much more about myself, how the brain operates and how we can work together more effectively. I believe I have acquired life skill which I will continue to develop.
2018
I would highly recommend Bridget to anyone considering CBT counselling. She has really helped me to better understand myself and has given me a virtual bag of tools with which to move forward with confidence and choose how to be. Her manner is very supportive and non- judgemental and I found it very easy to understand the concepts and incorporate them into daily life. If, as they say, life is a journey, my experience with Bridget was like picking up a map and a compass after storms had beaten me down. It doesn't change the weather or the boat you are in, but you have some tools to allow you to choose how get you where, and how, you would like to be.
March 2017
Having suffered with OCD for 20 years I sought Cognitive Behavioural Therapy and Bridget came into my life as a blessing! She handled my situation with great care and empathy and used her extensive skills to teach me and guide me into dealing with my OCD and learning how to free myself from some of the debilitating symptoms that it causes. Bridget is professional and thorough and puts everything into helping you to heal yourself. She is compassionate yet tough when she knows that you need to be tough! She has given me tools & skills that enabled me to get my life back. She is incredible! If you need her, go and see her, you will be so thankful you did!
Lucy, Worcestershire
I want to thank you for the time that you have given to me over the last months.
This is the first time that I have needed professional help. When I first came to you I could not envisage a positive outcome or a time when I would be able to return to my old self. However, thanks to your wise counsel, vision, support and teaching I now have many new skills developed during our CBT sessions that I use daily. I truly believe that I will not be returning to my old self but in fact a new, better and more fulfilled self.
Bridget, my family and I are eternally grateful to you for our time together.
June 2016