Nicholas Stuart

Accredited Cognitive Behavioural Therapist (CBT)

Nicholas Stuart

Accredited Cognitive Behavioural Therapist Specialising in Anxiety, Depression, and Trauma

BSc, BSc (Hons), BABCP Accredited.

Pronouns - Him/He

I have over twenty years’ clinical experience working in the NHS, the first ten years were in secondary mental health care services helping people with serious mental illnesses remain out of hospital. For the past ten years, I have been working in talking therapies/IAPT, with my most recent principle training/work in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT).

I trained at Kings College University in London, and obtained my qualification to practice Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) in 2018, and have been effective in treating hundreds of people since then in the NHS as a BABCP accredited therapist at a top London NHS Talking Therapies service. 

For over 5 years I have been delivering NICE approved high quality treatment to help people overcome or better manage depression and/or anxiety disorders. I also make effective use of Acceptance Commitment Therapy (ACT), Compassion-focused Therapy (CFT) blending these approaches successfully alongside CBT. This is in conjunction with high quality supervision and alongside updating my continuous professional development in many different mental health conditions. 

I prioritise my relationship with my clients and I am a gentle and friendly as well as experienced therapist. 1 in 4 people suffer with anxiety and depression, and my aim is to help alleviate this. 

My main specialisation/interest is in trauma and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) as well as other anxiety conditions such as illness/health anxiety. I am passionate to help people try to overcome these and many more conditions besides. 

Moreover, other areas of interest and expertise include depression and low self-esteem, particularly where these arise from people with perfectionist tendencies.

I find the work interesting and I like helping people in a collaborative way to address the problems and challenges they face. In addition, I also help people with stress, addictions, alcohol dependence, relationship issues and a range of other problems. 

It can be lonely suffering with anxiety and depression, but it does not need to continue to be this way, so if you reach out then I hope to be able to try to help you.

How I work:

I start from a position of trust, openness and acceptance, and from here we will work togetherto develop a shared understanding of the difficulties. Right from the outset, we will identify key goals for therapy and work out what the best approach might be. 

We will decide this by collaborating and looking in depth at the problems you are seeking help for. We will also seek to identify and harness your strengths as we try to overcome the main difficulty that’s holding you back. 

The approaches I draw from are all based on the best available evidence (NICE) guidelines to provide effective treatment. Please also note that the pace of therapy should be appropriately matched, and that you feel listened to and heard if problems arise. A problem heard/talked about is a problem halved is a good way of approaching the work that we will do together.

Nicholas is an expert in the treatment of the following problems:

• • Anxiety - Stress

  • Anxiety - Agoraphobia

  • Anxiety - Generalized (GAD)

  • Anxiety - Health

  • Panic / Panic Attacks

  • Anxiety - Performance

  • Anxiety - Separation

  • Anxiety - Fears of abandonment

  • Anxiety - Social

  • Anxiety - Phobias

  • Emetophobia (Specific Fear of Vomit)

  • Depression - Low Mood

  • Depression - Major

  • Emotional Regulation

  • Grief / Bereavement / Loss

  • Low Self-Esteem

  • Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)

  • Perfectionism

  • Health conditions - Acute / Long Term

  • Relationship - Attachment issues

  • Sleep - Problems

  • Sleep - Insomnia

  • Trauma - Childhood Trauma

  • Trauma - Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

  • Trauma - Complex

  • Work - Bullying

Nicholas is also experienced in the treatment of the following problems:

•  Anger

• Chronic Fatigue / ME

• Depression

• Family Issues - Conflict

• Hoarding

• Pain management

• Skin/Hair picking (trichotillomania / dermatillomania)

• Work - Stress

Models of Treatment Nicholas is experienced in;

• BABCP Accredited CBT Therapist

• Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)

• Exposure Response Prevention (ERP)

• Integrative Therapy

• Mindfulness

• Acceptance & Commitment Therapy (ACT)

• Compassion Focused Therapy (CFT

Professional Accreditation/Qualifications

• BABCP - 00000997874

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.