Sandra Anderson

CBT Therapist
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About

I qualified in August 2018 with a Diploma in cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) counselling and group work, and have been employed as a therapist since then. I achieved my accreditation with the British Association for Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapies (BABCP) in July 2023 and have provided several thousand clinical hours of one-to-one therapy; both face to face and via telephone counselling sessions. 

I have worked as an affiliate for Priory since 2022. Therapy involves a variety of therapeutic techniques, including person-centred, solution-focused, integrative, interpersonal and CBT. These are used to support clients with different presenting issues such as depression and anxiety, eating disorders, relationship issues, bullying and stress in the workplace, obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) and bereavement.

I have also facilitated groups dealing with assertive communication and self-esteem. I am a highly motivated practitioner with a wealth of experience also coming from my earlier career in social care, working with various social services across different age groups.

As well as undertaking therapeutic sessions, I also conduct pre-assessments using the generalised anxiety disorder questionnaire (GAD-7) and patient health questionnaire (PHQ-9) to identify any risk and a client’s suitability for therapy. Where therapy is recommended, this is followed up with an agreed number of sessions where I work together with my client to alleviate their presenting condition. I provide Priory with regular reports on a client’s progress and am also responsible for completing discharge papers at the end of therapy. Cases can be complex and so my work may require case conferences with other health professionals such as psychologists and doctors.

Qualifications

  • Diploma in CBT and group work

Patient feedback

When I was referred to you five months ago, I was truly scared that my life would be stuck the way it was - too afraid to leave the house alone, depressed, constant panic attacks. Then came the eating disorder diagnosis and again, I was scared recovery would never be possible. I cannot thank you enough for the support you have given me in what has been one of the hardest periods of my life. You've taught me skills and tools that I use every day and will carry on using - such as the importance of not putting pressure on myself, that unhelpful days are just that and nothing more, and that it's OK to hate whole wheat pasta! Thank you again from the bottom of my heart.

Patient feedback

Thank you again for all the sessions you’ve had with me over the past couple of weeks. I found it very useful to check in with you every week and take stock of how I’ve been feeling. I felt a notable difference from when I first started our sessions until the last session, and the advice you gave me was balanced and easy to follow. I felt that you understood and were sympathetic to the worries I had, whilst also guiding me towards letting go of those negative thoughts and focusing on the present. I will definitely be using these skills in future to maintain my mental wellbeing.

Patient feedback

I just wanted to reiterate my thanks and gratitude to you for the help and support you’ve given me during our CBT sessions. You gave me a safe space to talk, took time to listen to my history and then helped me make sense of some tricky issues that have troubled me for a while – I have really valued the sessions we have had, they really have made a difference. As I write, I am very aware of the progress I have made and the tools that I now have to move forward with positivity and confidence – I even have a smile back on my face! Thank you and take care.

Patient feedback

Thank you for our sessions over the past 6 months or so. I have found them to be very useful, both from the tools and techniques that you shared with me and encouraged me to use, and also just in having an outlet to talk through some things to better understand myself and my situation in a safe and open environment. I have found you to be very supportive and reassuring and have the experience to understand what it is I was trying to convey and to them support in finding the best route to answer any issues. As discussed in our final session, I am in a much better place than I was last summer and our sessions have been the catalyst to that. Many thanks.

Patient feedback

I am incredibly relieved and proud to have completed 20 sessions of CBT over the past six months with you as my therapist. From the very beginning you made me feel comfortable in confiding with you and opening up about my fears and anxieties. You guided and supported me through those very difficult times and taught me the tools I needed to become more self-aware of those negative thoughts and emotions, and how to manage them going forward. I have worked hard to embed those good habits and processes in my life and, along with a mild course of SSRIs, I know that I am in control of my anxieties. You have changed my life for the better and I am truly grateful for everything you did to help me get to this point on my journey.

Patient feedback

Bonjour and I hope my email finds you fine I am writing to you to say thank you for all support you provided during our sessions together. You are a good listener, patient in digesting the person in front of you – looking into the details and always guiding with a smile and understanding. Your advice was helpful and can be considered as a good start for better mental health maintenance. I was lucky to have you as my mental health doctor. Wishing you best of luck in your professional and personal life.