Leanne Alston

CBT & EMDR Therapist

Leanne Alston

Accredited CBT and EMDR Therapist

Pronouns - She/her


Leanne is an Accredited Psychotherapist with over 10 years’ experience of working within the NHS and supporting people with their mental health struggles. She is also the co-founder of a private clinical practice where she continues to support people to learn more about their mood and mental wellness so that they can take steps towards becoming their own therapist. She is warm and compassionate and believes in jargon-free therapy. She wants her clients to get the most out of therapy and to feel part of a team working towards achievable therapy goals.

 

She is qualified to treat a range of mental health problems using Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing and Couples Therapy for Depression. She works with adults aged 18+.

 

Leanne’s specialist interest areas include:

  • Stress and overwhelm because of major life events and work

  • Feeling stuck and not knowing how to move forwards

  • Depression and low mood

  • Low motivation and procrastination

  • Generalised Anxiety Disorder (GAD) and excessive worry

  • Obsessive Compulsive problems

  • Phobias

  • Panic Disorder

  • Trauma and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

  • Pain management

  • Low mood and anxiety struggles that occur alongside or as a result of long-term conditions such as diabetes, cancer, chronic pain, fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome.

  • Relationship problems

  • Communication difficulties in relationships.

 

Expert in the treatment of the following problems:

  • Anxiety - Generalised (GAD)

  • Anxiety - Panic / Panic Attacks

  • Anxiety - Performance

  • Anxiety - Social

  • Depression - Low Mood

  • Low Self-Esteem

  • Loneliness

  • Anxiety

  • Anxiety - Stress

  • Anxiety - Agoraphobia

  • Anxiety - Separation

  • Anxiety - Fears of abandonment

  • Anxiety - Phobias

  • Emetophobia (Specific Fear of Vomit)

  • Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD)

  • Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)

  • Chronic Fatigue / ME

  • Eating Disorders - Anorexia & Bulimia

  • Carer Problems

  • Hoarding

  • Pain management

  • Health conditions - Acute / Long Term

  • Health Condition - Cancer

  • Perfectionism

  • Procrastination

  • Sleep - Problems

  • Life transitions

  • Work - General Problems

  • Work - Redundancy

  • Work - Stress

  • Long COVID

  • Trauma - Childhood Trauma

  • Trauma - Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

  • Trauma - Complex PTSD

  • Trauma - Road Traffic Accidents

  • Trauma - Rape / sexual assalt

  • Trauma - Childhood sexual abuse

 

Models of Treatment Leanne is trained and experienced in;

  • Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)

  • BABCP Accredited CBT Therapist

  • Exposure Response Prevention (ERP)

  • Mindfulness

  • Eye Movement Desensitisation & Reprocessing (EMDR)

  • Couples Therapy for Depression (CTfD)

Professional Accreditation/Qualifications

  • British Association for Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapies (BABCP) 160086


Feedback from Leanne’s Clients.

Life-Changing Support from Leanne

“I genuinely believe the greatest thing I could ever have done is ask for help, and I'm so glad my path crossed with Leanne’s. You saved my life. All I can say is thank you.” Anonymous

Empowered to Heal with Leanne’s Guidance

“Leanne was amazing throughout my time haing CBT. She knew the perfect amount to push me without it feeling too scary! She helped me learn to help myself which is important for me to continue the improvement in my mental health. Thank you so much” Anonymous

What is CBT?

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) is an evidenced based & well researched talking therapy. It is recommended by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) for many mental health problems.

It is most commonly used to treat anxiety and depression, but can be useful for many other mental and physical health problems.

CBT focuses upon how your thoughts and behaviours impact upon your emotions and physical symptoms.

CBT is collaborative treatment and typically involves doing homework tasks between appointments.

It aims to teach you to become your own therapist, teaching you tools so you can keep using the strategies and techniques you have learned after you have finished therapy.



What is EMDR?

EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing) is a therapeutic approach designed to help people heal from trauma and highly distressing experiences. When a person goes through psychological trauma or significant stress, their brain may struggle to fully process the event. This can leave the person feeling "stuck" with disturbing emotions, thoughts, and bodily sensations that resurface as if they were reliving the experience.

EMDR helps to reprocess these stuck memories, allowing the brain to resolve them in a healthier way. This often leads to a significant reduction, or even elimination, of distressing symptoms, improving emotional well-being.

Recognised by the World Health Organisation (WHO) in 2013 as an effective treatment for trauma and trauma-related disorders, EMDR has been extensively researched and proven to help with a wide range of psychological difficulties. The therapy follows a structured eight-phase protocol that ensures safety and guidance for the client. During sessions, bilateral stimulation—such as guided eye movements or tapping—helps the brain process traumatic memories in a controlled and conscious manner.

Many clients find that EMDR can lead to faster, more lasting results compared to traditional talk therapy alone, making it a highly effective option for addressing trauma and other distressing life events.

 

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