Where are you located?

My team and I are located in Reading, Berkshire, in the UK, but we provide online therapy to anyone in the UK.

What population do you work with and which disorders do you primarily focus on?

I work with children, adolescents, and adults with depression and anxiety disorders. I particularly specialise in supporting people with low mood, depression and low confidence/self-esteem. I also have a good knowledge and lots of experience working with people with Autism Spectrum Conditions (ASC).

What are your credentials?

I trained in CBT Therapy, so I have an Undergraduate Degree in Psychology (BSc Hons) from the University of Bristol, and then had to work for a few years to gain experience before completing a Postgraduate Diploma in CBT (PGDip) from the University of Reading. I also have accreditation with the British Association for Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapies (BABCP), which is the gold standard for CBT Therapists. All in all, my training took around 8 years. I also lecture at a local university, so also have Associate Fellowship with the Higher Education Academy (AFHEA)

Do you accept insurance?

We accept insurance from WPA, Cigna, and Aviva.

What is your theoretical orientation? Why did you choose that orientation?

CBT therapy is what I specifically trained in, and absolutely love! I chose it because it has the power to help people in a brief timespan; many of my clients feel so much better within 10 sessions. It also skills people up to become their own therapists, and therefore rely less on therapy going forward. There’s a saying that we hope our clients will make us redundant in the end!

I also really love some of the third-wave CBT approaches and do incorporate elements of this in my work with clients, such as mindfulness, values, and self-compassion.

What is a mental health “golden nugget” you can give over?

This is a tricky one — there are so many! Many of my clients benefit from knowing that thoughts are not facts. The negative thoughts you have circling in your mind are just opinions and ideas. Take some time to challenge them; see the bigger picture of information and then re-assess the validity of those thoughts.

What type of coffee do you enjoy best and how do you like your coffee? (If you don’t drink coffee that is fine too!)

I love coffee! However, I’m a big advocate for decaf — caffeine can mimic symptoms of anxiety which can feel uncomfortable. I often ask for an oat-milk, decaf latte, occasionally with a flavour like hazelnut. Fun fact… my first job was as a Barista in a coffee shop.

When/How did you first become interested in a career in psychology? Why did you choose your specialty?

I think I first thought about psychology as a career when my mum suggested taking Psychology for A Levels (optional qualifications you take in the UK when you’re aged 16–18), so I was about 15 years old at the time. It sounded really interesting, and I loved the idea of being able to help people for a living. I’ve always been that friend who was a shoulder to cry on, so it felt like something I could naturally do.

So, I took it for an A Level in college, already expecting to continue it as a degree at university and turn it into a career, and I actually flunked my first homework! I went to my teachers the next day and told them I was quitting, and they refused to let me. I am so glad that happened. I went from flunking my homework to getting 96% in my final A Levels exam. That was definitely a lesson in resilience and not giving up.

What aspects of clinical work do you enjoy most and why?

The best bit has to be hearing a client tell me ‘I think I’m ready to stop therapy’. That means we’ve reached their goals, and they’ve learned helpful techniques that they’re ready to try out on their own. It’s definitely sad to see them go, but I know I’ve done my job well. We really celebrate ending sessions, sometimes we’ve even had cake. It’s a big accomplishment.

What aspects of research are you most interested in and why?

I think research is hugely important to our field — we need to test out different therapies with different types of mental health difficulties to see what works. CBT has a huge evidence base for a variety of difficulties.

I’ve been involved in several research projects, including trialing a new CBT protocol to manage depression in adolescents which we delivered in a school setting and testing the effectiveness of an online CBT program for adults. Both were shown to be effective. I also did some research many moons ago looking into the stigma of psychotherapy for medically unexplained symptoms (and yes, there was a stigma).

Do you work alone or are you a part of a group practice?

There are three of us in our clinic, but at the moment, I’m the only therapist on the team (I’m also the Clinical Director). I have a lovely Clinical Assistant who is helping to create workshops and resources for us to provide to people who may not be ready to take the step of seeking one to one support but would like to better understand their difficulties and make some changes. We also have a Managing Director who helps us strategise and reach our goals. As we continue to grow, we will be taking on more therapists and have several lovely therapists ready in the pipeline, including more CBT Therapists, a Counsellor, Art Therapist, and Family Therapist. It will be amazing to offer different specialties to help a wider range of people.

What do you do for self-care?

I love this question because I think self-care is so important. If we don’t take care of ourselves at work, we can burn out. Did you know that burnout is now a diagnosable condition?

I think as a therapist, self-care is especially important as we need to take care of ourselves first before helping others. It’s like the analogy of putting on our own oxygen mask first on a plane, before helping anyone else around us.

So I personally make time for myself each day. My self-care activities change, but at the moment my favourite thing to do is watch a good Netflix show, under a cosy blanket, with candles and some snacks!

You can visit Anjali and Brighter Life Therapy at:

Website: www.brighterlifetherapy.co.uk

Instagram www.instagram.com/brighterlifetherapyuk

Facebook: www.facebook.com/brighterlifetherapyuk

Email: [email protected]

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