Depression & Low Mood

TESTIMONIALS

CBT for depression and stress

My progress is remarkable in such a short time because when I came to see Sarah, I felt so low and there I felt there was no way out. An event had triggered historical experiences. CBT with Sarah has been a really good fit for me.

I am now better than my ‘normal’ before I started, because I have lots of little tools and I have learnt things about myself that I didn’t realise. I feel more compassion towards myself as I was quite hard on myself before.

(Female, aged 58, in person, July 2024)

CBT for depression and stress

I started seeing Sarah when I was at a very low point.  I was suffering from depression, and I was struggling with chronic work stress. It reached a point where it had affected my relationships. I had lost my direction. 

Through CBT and trying a range of tools and techniques, I was able to find some methods that worked for me.  I have been able to build some of these techniques into my daily life, which has helped with the stress, and I no longer have depression. I have also been able to gain a much better perspective of wider issues. 

I felt comfortable with Sarah and was able to relate to the structure of the sessions, where we would have a bit of a catchup, practice techniques in the session which I could use in my life. She built the sessions around what worked for me.  I liked the clear explanations and processes.

(Male, age 49, October 2021)

CBT for Depression and Anxiety

When I contacted Sarah, I felt panicky, down and exhausted. I had started to withdraw from others and felt hopeless. I felt flat although there was a feeling of being constantly wound up in the background. I have always been successful in my life and yet I just did not know how to deal with how I felt at the time, which was incredibly frustrating. 

I had thought that it was my life situation which was largely contributing to how I felt. Working with Sarah I developed insight into how I was approaching my current events and how to make the correct changes for myself. 

I now feel so much more in control of my behaviour and thinking. I feel calmer and more positive. I am writing this during the third lockdown and yet I feel more resilient and better able to cope. 

(Female, aged 45, February 2021, virtual sessions)

CBT for depression

I have just had my final session of CBT. When I started I felt awful. If I am honest, I did feel a bit suicidal on occasions. I felt hopeless and I just felt I was never, ever going to be right again. I had lost my appetite and had no motivation to do anything.  

I have been committed to therapy from the start and have practiced all the techniques and strategies that we covered in the sessions. Not only have I recovered from my depression, I actually feel like a different person. I have enjoyed the therapy. I have even caught up on modern technology e.g. listening to podcasts and using a smartphone.  My family have seen a big difference in me, which is lovely to hear. Sarah is easy to talk to and I found that whatever issue I came up with, she always had a suggestion for how we could work on this.

I feel so much better. Life seems lighter and easier. I am over the moon and so grateful. I am determined to carry on with all that I have learned in the sessions with Sarah. 

(Female, aged 73, virtual sessions)

Remote CBT Sessions to treat depression

I went to my GP and was diagnosed with severe depression and anxiety. My employer provided me with 12 sessions. I had counselling when I was younger, but this didn't work so I didn’t expect CBT to work. But I was hopeful that it would. Due to COVID-19, we had all of our sessions online, which would not have been my original choice. However, it worked really well.

Working with Sarah I learned some valuable skills. After 12 sessions my depression scores have gone from severe to mild. My anxiety level is normal. I am impressed with how quickly and how well it has worked.

I felt I could trust Sarah. Although there was an age difference between us, I felt she understood me and was able to help me. I am definitely glad I gave Symmetry CBT a try.

(Male, aged 18, June 2020)

CBT for the treatment of anxiety and depression following a car accident

I was scared to start CBT because I didn’t want to open up and I dreaded talking about the accident.

After 5 sessions I noticed a real difference even though I had stopped my anti-depressants, because I became pregnant. It surprised me how well I coped coming off the medication. 

I am now confidently driving again. Sarah has helped me so much. I even applied what I learnt to deal with a previous trauma which no longer haunts me.  I feel a better and stronger person. I’m glad that the accident happened so that I could work with Sarah. 

(Female, aged 33, December 2019)

CBT for Depression and Anxiety

I felt so, so low and didn’t want to be around.  In desperation I asked a friend for help and she recommended Sarah. I learned very quickly that I could trust Sarah. She listened to what I said, processed it and then came up with relevant strategies to help me. She never judged what I said. Her focus was on using that information to help me move forward. After the first session I walked out of the door thinking “I feel safe. I’ve got someone to help me”.

Within 8 sessions of CBT, I no longer had depression and heightened anxiety. I decided to have some EMDR sessions to process some upsetting memories. Now I just feel completely different, which is wonderful. I feel more self-confident, calmer, resilient and I can speak up for myself.

(Female aged 48, November 2019)

I was in a very bad place. I was at an all time low and had reached the point where I felt incapable of doing anything. I was lucky to have support from work who were understanding and recommended Sarah.  When it came to the time for the first appointment I felt anxious about opening up about myself. I work in an industry where people rarely talk about their feelings and concerns.  It was something I never thought I was able to do. I also felt the fear of the unknown and was wondering what I was letting myself in for. Thankfully my family drove me to the appointment and encouraged me to go in. I’ve never looked back. 

Within a couple of weeks of CBT I began to notice a positive change. The first technique Sarah taught me just clicked for me. It felt like a light bulb moment. From then on I felt a positive progression. Along with applying the strategies from the sessions, I have made some healthy life style changes. I am glad I was able to overcome my initial reservations and made the effort to attend the appointments, which have greatly helped me in overcoming my depression and heightened anxiety. It has helped me put aspects of my life into perspective.

Male, aged 51 (September 2019)

CBT for Depression and Anger

Sarah was recommended to me by a friend, who had seen how low I had got.  I felt very anxious and embarrassed at the thought of seeing a therapist, because of the stigma attached to mental health issues. But I found the courage and made an appointment. 

Sarah made me feel so relaxed and I was able to open up about all of my issues.  I endured an abusive and difficult childhood. Although I touched on this briefly with Sarah, we did not focus our work on this. She taught me very useful skills to manage my anger and to deal with the cause of my depression. These skills are now in full use in my day to day life. I developed a better understanding of myself and my mind. I learnt how to stop fighting life and to stop putting all my effort into trying to be happy.  Funnily enough now I have stopped trying so hard to find happiness and am applying what I have gained from these sessions, I am so much happier. 

(Male aged 49)