Lisa Blake

Professional Profile

My name is Lisa and I am a qualified Occupational Therapist and accredited Cognitive Behavioural Psychotherapist registered with the Healthcare Professions Council (HCPC) and the British Association for Behavioural & Cognitive Psychotherapy (BABCP), working with Think CBT offering remote therapy from London, NW10, Cardiff & The Vale of Glamorgan, CF.

I have over 30 years experience working in mental health with children, adolescents and adults. My clinical practice includes the treatment of a wide range of complex psychological, behavioural and emotional problems where I have worked in a range of settings including the voluntary and private sectors, residential, hospital and community settings of Adult Mental Health, Child and Adolescent Mental Health, Primary Care and Rehabilitation.

I predominantly work with adults and adolescents aged 16 and over. I value diversity within my work and have experience in the application of therapy in different cultural communities. I work with a range of issues including addictions, anxieties, depression and low mood, fears and phobias, grief and loss, health related problems, self-esteem, trauma, OCD, personality disorders and emotional dysregulation, schizophrenia, psychosis, work and life stress.

Cognitive behavioural therapy combines cognitive and behavioural approaches to make you aware of the negative thought patterns and behaviours, and teaching you ways to change them. Instead of looking at your past, cognitive behavioural therapy focuses on helping you resolve present symptoms and issues. I may also incorporate different therapeutic approaches where I feel these may be helpful of mindfulness, acceptance and commitment and motivational interviewing. I use these approaches either individually or in combination to provide a tailored approach to each client's individual needs and preferences.

A willingness to improve your mental health is an important first step in therapy and more so being able to talk about it with someone you can trust. By understanding your personal needs we will be able to find solutions that work best for you. We will look at what is causing you difficulty at this time and how this is impacting upon your life and general well-being in order to make sense of your own responses and behaviours. I take a holistic approach to CBT where your religious and spiritual beliefs are considered within treatment. We will explore what gives your life meaning, what gives you hope and how I can help you to feel connected to these things whilst you are with me. Whilst I typically challenge clients to overcome their fears or hopelessness in order to live more satisfying and meaningful lives, I try to do so in a way that is warm, supportive and encouraging.

Where appropriate I will effectively and responsibly utilise humour within treatment. As well as the health benefits of humour, I feel it enhances the therapeutic alliance and increases trust between you and me. I find that this can help you gain perspective and can assist with thought processes by helping you to get unstuck as well as helping you to accept yourself more. I actively encourage end of session feedback because I want you to be your own best advocate. Figuring out what does and doesn’t work for you helps keep our communication open and transparent.