CBT For Social Anxiety

I had sessions with Paul throughout the pandemic which was an extremely challenging time for me. I struggled to cope with the negative emotions that arose from the end of a long-term relationship as well as the feelings of anxiety, isolation and loneliness being in lockdown by myself.

Paul was so easy to talk to and provided me with the kind, caring and empathetic ear
that I needed during significant life changes and the intense emotions that came with it. Initially, I felt quite anxious being so emotionally vulnerable with a man, but Paul helped me work through that fear and anxiety, and I soon felt safe opening up during our sessions.

Paul is incredibly kind, supportive, patient and empathetic. He’s also sharp and alert which was helpful during my many rants and tangents – he really helped keep me on course. Our sessions had a huge impact on my life; I quit smoking, I take better care of myself, I am more emotionally and financially stable, and I am in a secure relationship. Paul would give me full credit for all of that, but I owe a great deal to our sessions.

I highly recommend working with Paul and I have his contact details neatly stored if I need a little extra emotional support in the future. Thank you Paul.

Working with Jess has been so helpful for my recovery journey. I was experiencing a worsening of my mental health during pregnancy and Jess really helped me to manage my anxiety better. I also learned an incredible amount about myself and gained new insights, even though I had been in therapy for years before with different therapists. The approach that Jess took allowed me to dig deeper and truly understand myself, my thoughts and my behaviours. I really appreciate her warm and supportive approach, which made talking about difficult topics so much easier. I feel that I have a new perspective on life and look forward to the future.

I reached out to KlearMinds due to a very intense feeling of anxiety and depression which had been going on for months. I was then working with Jess to help me overcome this, and I cannot speak highly of the care and tools I was given to move forward and positively. The sessions were very opening, as well as homework for me to practice and work on whilst not at a session – which I believe was pivotal in helping me overcome this down state. Jess’s experience and knowledge was very welcoming and she was very reassuring in helping me understand that this would all pass – which at sometimes I felt as though it would not. I always felt safe and unjudged, regardless of what my mind was thinking which helped me tremendously and gave comfort. I hope to use the tools provided by Jess throughout my life, but if things ever do take a turn again I would not hesitate to reach back out and continue with the support I was provided.

I found Amanda at a time when I felt really low. I’d been affected by bereavement, trauma, a family member discovered cancer and my child developed a chronic health condition all in a short space of time. It all just felt like too much. On the surface I was coping with the day to day, but I was tearful, incredibly anxious, traumatised and wasn’t enjoying life as much as I should. Amanda is warm, kind, intelligent and patient. Through our sessions I felt supported, gained awareness of why I felt the way I did, got perspective on what had happened and developed coping strategies.

I couldn’t ask for more than that! Amanda was always empathetic but not afraid to ask challenging questions when necessary to help identify unhelpful thinking. I looked forward to our sessions where I felt I could be totally open and it was lovely to have a space where I could talk everything through candidly with someone I trusted. I am feeling happy and balanced and am enjoying life and can’t thank Amanda enough for helping me navigate this last year.

Carmen was amazing. I’m incredibly grateful for all of the work she has done with me. When I first came to her, I was feeling very overwhelmed and anxious but she made me feel completely safe and understood from the start. Her warmth, insight, and guidance helped me find confidence and calm in many situations I’ve been faced with since beginning with her. Working with her has been transformative and I couldn’t thank her enough.

I have struggled with anxiety for my entire life and when I first met with Judy I thought she would help me manage it but I would never be able to overcome it. With Judy’s help I would no longer consider myself an anxious person. I do not experience anxiety on a daily basis like I used to when I first started therapy, and even more than that I now go months on end without even having the most minimal symptoms of anxiety. The way that I describe the effect that therapy has had on me is that it has allowed me to finally be myself, without anxiety preventing me from doing things or making me act in ways that I am ashamed of or regret afterwards. I am able to be fully present in my relationships and experiences, without worrying about the future or the past while talking to people or doing things.

For anyone who experiences anxiety on a day to day basis, or if anxiety is preventing you from working, attending social events, or just being able to be present in your own life, I could not recommend therapy with Judy more. Without her I would still be living under a cloud of worry, and I feel grateful that I was able to find Judy so early in my life, because I really feel I would not have been able to get to where I am now without her help. Therapy is much more than talking to someone – if you have anxiety it is a mental illness and you need a good doctor to help you through it. I am thankful to Judy for helping me through it, and could not recommend her more to anyone who is struggling with anxiety. It is not something that you have to live with!

I fell ill in the 1980s as a teenager with what we now know as chronic fatigue syndrome. At the time, however, this condition was poorly understood by the medical profession, so I didn’t have a diagnosis. This was a very traumatic period for me, exacerbated by the distressing treatment I received from my doctor and the educational psychologists. They wrongly attributed my illness to anxiety and claimed I was simply avoiding school, placing the blame squarely on me.

Fast forward nearly 40 years, and life has been incredibly challenging. My illness prevented me from completing my education or working. Having lost faith in the medical profession, it was only after experiencing extreme depression and anxiety following topical steroid withdrawal that I felt compelled to consult psychiatrists.

Thankfully, the medical understanding of chronic fatigue syndrome seems to have progressed. I found an excellent psychiatrist who recommended psychotherapy. I was initially hesitant about more therapy, as my previous experience with Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) on the NHS, while somewhat helpful, hadn’t addressed the underlying causes of my problems.

Searching online, KlearMinds was the first result for chronic fatigue syndrome therapists. I was assigned Judy Harrison as my therapist, and we began weekly Zoom sessions, gradually building a strong therapeutic relationship. She possessed a deep understanding of the somatic aspects of the nervous system and how to work with these to alleviate anxiety.After a few sessions, Judy recognized that Internal Family Systems (IFS), often called parts therapy would be particularly beneficial for me. We engaged in sessions where I dialogued with my traumatized parts; which helped to strengthen my adult self and develop self-leadership.

This process was incredibly powerful, and I noticed significant positive changes in my relationship with anxiety. I am now able to guide myself out of anxious states by communicating with my different parts and making more conscious decisions.

Recently, my spiritual teacher invited my wife and me on a trip to India. Initially, I declined due to my health concerns. However, within 24 hours, I decided to seize this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. I hadn’t traveled or been on holiday for 22 years. With three months to prepare, Judy continued to support me with weekly sessions, helping me to overcome any mental obstacles.

My trip to India was a great success, and I am deeply grateful to Judy for her invaluable support in helping me reclaim my life. For my final session with Judy, I traveled into central London by train and also enjoyed a five-hour outing in the city – something completely unthinkable just a year prior.

I came to Judy when I found myself with increasing anxiety, problems with sleeping and lack of appetite. I felt like my head was a muddle of negative thoughts and while this hadn’t been triggered by one particular event, I knew that it was being antagonised by workplace stress and conflict, as well as a lifelong lack of self-confidence. I immediately connected with Judy who listened patiently. I knew I wanted to understand why I think like this, but ultimately I wanted to move forward with practical techniques to help me cope better. Judy helped me firstly understand my anxiety, she also made me realise that I wasn’t alone in the way I think. We recognised my triggers and my responses to situations, but also talked through some previous experiences which had shaped my mindset. We developed techniques to help me cope better, rebuilt my confidence and I can honestly say I have felt like a different person ever since. If like me, you are reading these reviews and recognise your own thoughts and feelings, go ahead and start a course of therapy, I couldn’t recommend Judy more highly.

Jess is absolutely fantastic. She supported me throughout my rather tough times. I honestly don’t know how I would’ve pulled through without her. She is very easy to open up to and she understands in depth what I’m going through. I’ve always looked forward to our sessions. She went above and beyond to help me feel secure and reassured me during times I needed it. Thank you so much Jess!!

Amanda was able to help me think through a lot of thoughts that made me feel extremely stuck and hopeless at the time. It’s not a quick fix but with the will to put in mechanisms that Amanda gave me and realisations that I was able to have through therapy, I am doing much better and am able to cope with my anxiety and OCD a lot better. 

I believe the whole experience was a process but one that I will continue with confidence. Amanda was extremely understanding throughout and approached my issues in a way that made me feel heard as she understood the mechanics of my thought process. I will definitely contact KlearMinds again in the future if I feel I need to reach out again. Thank you.

Carmen has deep empathy for her clients, actively listening to you and truly understanding what you said and unsaid. She creates a space for you to be vulnerable without being judged, develops a safe and trusting relationship to allow you sharing worries, thoughts and feelings. She understands your needs and support you through personal challenges.

Throughout the journey, you will be able to be aware of what you have been neglected and explore a new way to process things from another perspective. Personally, Carmen helped me to realize the importance of having self-love, guided me to set the healthy boundaries and for once in my life I am truly looking after myself gently.

Working with Paul was fantastic. As an expat transitioning to life with London, my days were filled with anxiety in navigating newness in every aspect of life & missing my life back in my home country. Paul is incredibly attentive and a great listener, and he was able to help me navigate this new experience. By the time we wrapped up, the amount of progress I made surprised even me! Couldn’t recommend Paul enough.

I have worked with Judy for 9 months with the goal of managing my ever-growing OCD rituals and related health anxiety.

There are two things I really want to share with people who are looking for help.

#1 Effort: What truly surprised me was how little effort it took on my side. All I had to do was attend my sessions and talk. The more we talked, the more I thought about what Judy taught me outside of my therapy sessions and that’s where the impact starts to come.

#2 Impact: The changes come gradually, and whenever you get the chance to look back you are stunned that an entire set of OCD rituals has fallen away and your quality of life has skyrocketed.

In retrospect, I’d say the hardest part was to get to a point where I felt that I needed professional help. Whatever you are going through right now is much harder to deal with than talking to Judy or one of her colleagues.

Finally, a few words about Judy. She is the definition of a professional and does a great job of guiding you to the solution. Rather than just telling you what to do. This way you truly internalise what you learned about yourself and your condition.