CBT for Trauma & PTSD in Cheadle Hulme & Online
After frightening or deeply distressing experiences, you may feel as though part of you is still on alert. Memories, reminders or changes in how safe you feel can affect daily life long after an event has passed.
I offer space to talk about the effect these experiences are having on you. A consultation is a chance to consider the support you need and whether my practice is an appropriate place for that work.
When Trauma-Related Distress Starts to Get in the Way
You may recognise some of these experiences. Not every example will fit, and we will take time to understand what is happening for you:
- Memories of a frightening or distressing event come back when you don't want them, sometimes feeling as if it's happening again.
- You have nightmares, or you feel jumpy, on guard or easily startled.
- You avoid people, places, sounds, smells or conversations that remind you of what happened.
- You feel numb, detached or cut off from the people around you.
- You carry strong feelings of guilt, shame or blame, or a sense that the world or other people aren't safe anymore.
- In adults, these reactions might follow an accident, an assault, a medical emergency, a loss, or long periods of feeling unsafe at home or work.
- For children, trauma-related distress may show in play that repeats what happened, going back to behaviours they'd grown out of, becoming very clingy, or difficulties with sleep and concentration.
- If you're Autistic or have ADHD, experiences such as repeated bullying, being restrained, or overwhelming medical or school situations can sometimes leave a lasting impact. Your experience of what felt traumatic matters, even if others didn't see it that way.
Making Sense of Trauma Together
After something frightening or overwhelming, it's common to feel shaken for a while. For some people, the memory doesn't settle. It can stay vivid and easily triggered, so the danger feels as if it belongs to the present rather than the past.
Your mind and body may stay on high alert to keep you safe. Avoiding reminders, staying watchful or pushing memories away are understandable ways to cope. They can bring relief, but they can also stop the memory from being processed and placed firmly in the past. Painful beliefs that formed at the time, such as "It was my fault" or "I'm not safe anywhere", can also keep the distress going.
For example, someone who was in a car accident might avoid driving and feel their heart race whenever they hear brakes screech. The avoidance protects them in the short term, but their world gradually becomes smaller.
You don't need to share details before you're ready. Together, we can start by building a sense of safety and understanding how trauma is affecting your life now. From there, we can decide on next steps carefully, at a pace you choose.
Sessions Shaped Around You
Therapy is shaped around you. In our first session, we explore how you think, communicate and learn, what feels comfortable, and what you would like support with. Adjustments are available to everyone, whether or not you have a diagnosis.
We can vary the pace, take breaks, use visual tools or written summaries, and consider sensory needs. Between-session tasks can be broken into realistic steps. If you are Autistic or have ADHD, we also consider how your experiences, attention, energy and environment affect the work, without expecting you to fit one way of doing therapy.
For children and young people, I consider developmental needs from the beginning so that materials and the approach are suitable, and review this as we work together. Parents are an essential part of therapy for younger children, helping reinforce new ways of thinking and regulating; their involvement varies with need.
Location, Fees & Common Questions
Sessions are weekly, last 50 minutes and cost £85. We can meet in person in Cheadle Hulme or online where suitable. Payment is by bank transfer within 24 hours after your session.
In-person sessions are at 11 Station Road, Cheadle Hulme, SK8 5AF. The room is quiet, has low-level lighting and is wheelchair accessible using a lift. Parking is free for up to three hours at the ASDA next door. You are welcome to bring sensory supports.
How long will therapy take?
The length of therapy depends on your needs and goals. We agree an initial plan and review the work together, rather than giving everyone the same number of sessions.
Do I need to explain the event in detail when I first contact you?
No. You can begin with how things are affecting you now and questions about support. A fuller understanding develops through an agreed, suitable therapy process.
Getting urgent support
If you feel unable to keep yourself or someone else safe, call 999 or go to A&E now. If you need urgent mental health support but it is not an emergency, call NHS 111 and select the mental health option. If you need someone to talk to, you can call Samaritans free on 116 123, day or night. For ongoing concerns, you can also speak with your GP.
My practice is not an emergency service, and messages are not monitored continuously.
A free 20-minute telephone or video consultation gives you space to share a little of what you are experiencing, ask questions about the process and explore your next steps.
Arrange a Free 20-Minute Consultation