Regardless of your difficulties, when you choose to work on yourself, you deserve a therapy that’s right for you. I strive to help you navigate your way, guiding you from wherever you are to where you want to be.
Where are you now?
Where do you want to be?
Cognitive-behavioural Psychotherapy with
Bethany Pike
Sometimes we feel overwhelmed by life, unsure of the next step, or trapped in repetitive and problematic behaviours and relationships that seem impossible to change.
Perhaps an accumulation of stress has taken its toll, anxiety and fear have paralysed you, or feeling low has sapped your motivation and stripped meaning from your life. Whatever the catalyst for seeking support, I’ll help you unpick what’s most important, become unstuck, and finally start you moving forward.
When we work together, I offer a safe space to address the difficulties holding you back. Depending on your needs, we can go where you need to go at the pace that fits you, sometimes with tears, sometimes laughter but always with warmth empathy and understanding. In our first sessions together we can choose to address current difficulties and/or focus on deeper long-standing issues.
Who I work with
Everyone I work with comes with a unique story, circumstances, challenges and strengths, but difficulties I frequently discuss include:
Dealing with Life Transitions: Our lives are marked by important steps along the way, but some steps are harder and can stop us in our tracks. I have helped many women when life put a roadblock in their way. Struggling to define your life’s direction or balance your career with plans to start a family? Maybe experiencing challenges in pregnancy or dealing with the harsh reality when life plans don’t work out. We change as we get older and so do our challenges, perhaps it’s time to explore your goals, manage menopausal changes or get support enduring loss.
Imposter syndrome and low Confidence: “I’m just a fraud” Does this thought sound familiar? When starting a new job or role, it’s common to worry we won’t measure up or compare ourselves unfavourably to coworkers – these feelings often ease as we settle and adjust. If you feel overwhelmed by self-doubt and insecurity if you fear ‘being found out’ and attribute your success to chance, you are likely exhausted by the high standards you set for yourself. We can address surrounding perfectionism, anxiety and depression that may accompany this, challenge and overcome unwarranted negative self-beliefs and overcome feelings so perceived fraudulence.
Relationships issues: Our lives are built on relationships, whether they are intimate, social or professional. Sometimes we find ourselves frustrated, anger overwhelms us, relationships falter or suffer a blow from betrayal, divorce and separation can flaw us. Sometimes we struggle to make meaningful connections and suffer loneliness and isolation. Sometimes dynamic changes with growing children or ageing parents can leave us exhausted and confused. Whatever is going on with your significant relationships we can unpick the issue and explore ways forward.
Neurodiversity and the challenges of living with a diagnosis: ADHD, Autism, now that you have the confirmation – what next?
Some people are happier once it has been named, now finally able to put the pieces together and see their lives from a new perspective, while others feel lost and uncertain about how this changes them. Together we can unpack your thoughts and feelings around your diagnosis and how this leaves ‘you’ feeling about yourself and how others see you.
Coping with the emotional fallout of a recent or historic traumatic event: Whether it’s a recent experience that shook you to your core or a long-standing pain you’ve been carrying too long. Something from childhood or just last month, perhaps you witnessed something sudden and shocking to someone else, or it happened to you. As trauma waits inside us, it requires all the energy we can muster to prevent overwhelming us until everyday life is a shell of what it could be. It is daunting to face trauma and that’s why therapy is a helpful place to take the first steps.
The types of therapy I use during our sessions
CBT (Cognitive Behavioural Therapy)
My primary approach is Cognitive-Behavioural Therapy (CBT) which provides a solid foundation for therapy to flourish. By understanding how our thoughts, feelings, and behaviours interact and how they can trap us in repetitive unhelpful cycles, we can then begin to break these cycles leading to real changes in our day-to-day life.
But we are all different and therapy should reflect this. Our goals are not always clear cut, our concerns may have no concrete solution or our losses may feel insurmountable. Drawing on my background in Integrative psychotherapy and grief counselling we can work more deeply and at the pace that’s right for you.
Psychotherapeutic Counselling
Integrative psychotherapy means I can draw tools from several therapy models as is most appropriate. Overall, I have respect for the transforming nature of the therapeutic relationship, I work collaboratively offering respect, and compassion within a non-judgemental relationship.
Alternatively, as treatment moves on, so do your goals, our therapy is always flexible. Using Positive Psychology and Hypnotherapy we can move towards building up your strengths, building motivation and increasing confidence. it can be utilised to harness your strengths, embody self-improvement and enhances personal performance.
Cognitive Hypnotherapy
Have you ever been so absorbed in a daydream you missed someone calling your name – or after driving home realising you can’t remember ten minutes of the journey? If you’ve ever been ‘lost in a good book’, or noticed time literally flies when having fun – you’ll be surprised to know you’ve been hypnotised – and you didn’t cluck like a chicken or become a brainwashed zombie. These were some of my worries having watched enough t.v/films and laughed at people’s bizarre antics in stage hypnosis shows. But after obtaining a diploma in Cognitive Hypnotherapy I understood it’s nothing to do with mind control and all to do with self-empowerment. I experienced firsthand the benefits and how guiding someone to a safe place of hypnotic comfort can be a transformational tool in therapy. For curious clients, I can integrate hypnotherapy as an adjunct to psychotherapy and offer to teach all I work with, some simple self-hypnosis skills to aid well-being, sleep, relaxation and stress reduction.
How we work together
When we begin, we explore what support could be most helpful, from there we can work towards brief-therapy with a solution-oriented approach or open-ended therapy.
Areas I work with
Who can benefit
I have experience working with a range of challenges and with people from many cultures and backgrounds. My greatest interest lies in working with women negatively impacted by poor confidence, low self-esteem or imposter syndrome, I have seen so many benefits in breaking down the past and building a new self-perspective, improving strengths and increasing personal resilience. However, I have experience working on a variety of difficulties and challenges facing a wide range of individuals, below illustrate some of these areas.
- ADHD & Neurodiversity
- Affairs, Betrayal & Infidelity
- Anger Management & Conflict
- Anxiety & Generalised Anxiety Disorder
- Bereavement, Grief & Loss
- Career & Work Related Issues
- Depression
- Fertility & Pregnancy
- Gender & Identity
- Historic & Childhood Trauma
- Impostor Syndrome
- Insomnia
- Life Changes & Transitions
- Loneliness and Feelings of Isolation
- Low Self-esteem
- Menopause and coping emotionally
- OCD & Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Disorder
- Panic & Phobias
- Personal & Professional development
- Relationship difficulties
- Sexual Abuse & Domestic Violence
- Sexuality & Sexual Issues
- Stress
Am I right for you?
Entering into therapy is a significant step, one that should feel right. I welcome all enquiries and together we can explore how I may be able to support you. My treatment approach can be adapted to your personal needs and therapeutic goals, and we can pace our work to suit you.
Psychotherapy Training, Qualifications and Experience
Clinical Experience
I am a member of the BABCP and for over seven years I’ve been working within the NHS. I have extensive experience offering low- and high-intensity cognitive behaviour therapy for a wide range of difficulties. I work one to one as well as facilitated therapeutic groups. Before this, I worked in the voluntary sector supporting the emotional well-being of grieving individuals. I continue to develop my skills, attending numerous training and enjoy keeping up with current insights into best practices in therapy.
Qualifications & Training
- Postgraduate Diploma in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy
- Postgraduate Certificate in Low-intensity Cognitive Behavioural Therapy
- Advanced Diploma in Psychotherapeutic Counselling
- Diploma in Cognitive Hypnotherapy
- Awareness in Bereavement Care
Background
Before pursuing psychotherapy, I nurtured my love for books by working in London’s largest academic bookshop. My future path was set here, not only in the pages of literature, where I gained insight into the beauty and complexity of the human condition but also in the personal and intimate connections made with book-buying Londoners going about their daily lives, which developed in me a genuine respect for the human capacity to struggle and thrive. It is still within the pages of a good book I turn to when I need reflection and self-care.
Contact:
If you have any questions or would like to schedule an initial session to assess if we are a good fit you can contact me via email or phone. I may not be able to answer your call if I am with a client but if you leave a message I’ll return your call as soon as possible.
Rates:
Individual therapy sessions
£90 per 50-minute session
Sessions:
Therapy sessions at City Therapy Space:
Tuesday & Thursday
