The Treatments

CBT & EMDR —
what they are and
how they help.

Two of the most rigorously evidenced psychological therapies available. Here is what they involve, how they work, and why I use them.

An Overview

Evidence-based therapy
for real change.

Not all therapy is the same. Some approaches are warm and exploratory but leave people unclear on what is actually changing or why. Others are structured but miss the human being in the room.

CBT and EMDR are different. They are active, structured, and grounded in decades of controlled research. They work with the specific mechanisms maintaining your difficulties — the thought patterns, avoidance cycles, emotional responses, and, in the case of trauma, the way distressing memories are stored and processed.

I use them not because they are fashionable, but because the evidence for them is clearer and more consistent than for almost any other psychological treatment available. They work. And I can explain why.

Guy Klein in session
BABCP Accredited · EMDR Qualified

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy

CBT — structured,
evidence-based, effective.

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy works from a straightforward premise: the way we think affects the way we feel, and the way we feel affects what we do. When unhelpful patterns develop — in any direction — CBT provides a structured way to identify them, understand them, and change them.

What distinguishes CBT from many other approaches is that it is time-limited, collaborative, and focused on change rather than extended exploration. Most CBT courses run between 8 and 20 sessions. You will understand what is happening and why at each stage. You will leave with tools, not dependence.

CBT has been tested in hundreds of randomised controlled trials. It is the gold-standard treatment recommended by NICE for anxiety disorders, OCD, depression, PTSD, health anxiety, social anxiety, panic disorder, and more. It is not a generic approach — the protocols for each condition are distinct, and I apply them with clinical precision.

NICE-recommended for anxiety, OCD, depression, PTSD, and a range of other presentations.

Time-limited — most courses run 8–20 sessions, not open-ended exploration.

Active and collaborative — you will understand the rationale at every stage.

Specific, not generic — different CBT protocols exist for different conditions, and I use them precisely.

What CBT Treats
Areas of clinical application

OCD · Anxiety disorders · GAD · Health anxiety · Social anxiety · Panic disorder · Phobias · Depression · Clinical perfectionism · Executive burnout · Intrusive thoughts · Trauma (with CBT-T protocol)

What to Expect
A typical CBT course

An initial assessment session, followed by formulation and a structured treatment plan. Weekly 50-minute sessions, with between-session tasks. A final phase focused on relapse prevention and consolidating what you've learned.

A Note on Fit
Is CBT right for you?

If you want to understand what's happening, have tools that work, and make changes that last — CBT is almost certainly a strong fit. We can discuss this in an initial consultation.

EMDR

EMDR — for when
talking alone isn't enough.

Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing is a structured, evidence-based therapy developed specifically for trauma and PTSD. It is recommended by NICE, the World Health Organisation, and most major international clinical bodies.

EMDR works by helping the brain reprocess traumatic memories that have become, in a sense, stuck — stored in a way that keeps triggering the same emotional and physical responses, long after the events themselves have passed. Using guided bilateral stimulation (typically eye movements), EMDR appears to engage the brain's natural processing systems and allow these memories to be integrated in a less distressing way.

The results can be striking. Many people find that EMDR shifts things that years of talking therapy did not. The research behind it is robust, replicable, and growing. I trained in EMDR because I saw — clinically and in the literature — that for trauma presentations, it often does what CBT alone cannot.

"EMDR is recommended by NICE as a treatment of choice for PTSD in adults."

National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE)
What EMDR Treats
Primary applications

PTSD · Complex trauma · Single-incident trauma · Childhood trauma · Accident trauma · Assault · Grief and loss · Phobias · Anxiety with a traumatic origin · Intrusive memories and flashbacks

Common Questions
What does EMDR feel like?

EMDR involves recalling difficult memories while simultaneously following a bilateral stimulus. It is structured and contained. Most people find it less distressing than they expect — and more effective than talking alone.

Endorsed by
International recognition

NICE (UK) · World Health Organisation · American Psychiatric Association · Department of Veterans Affairs (USA) · European Society for Traumatic Stress Studies

Common Questions

Things people often
want to know.

How do I know which therapy is right for me?

In most cases, we decide together after an initial assessment session, where I listen carefully and build a picture of what you're experiencing. Sometimes CBT is the clear choice; sometimes EMDR is indicated; sometimes an integrated approach makes most sense. I'll explain my clinical thinking clearly.

Do I need a diagnosis to access therapy?

No. Many people who come to see me don't have a formal diagnosis, and that's fine. What matters is what you're experiencing and how it's affecting your life — not whether it has a label.

How many sessions will I need?

Typical CBT courses run 8–20 sessions depending on the presentation, complexity, and your goals. EMDR can sometimes produce significant change in fewer sessions for single-incident trauma. I'll give you an honest estimate after the initial assessment.

Can you do CBT and EMDR in the same course of treatment?

Yes. The approaches are compatible, and for some presentations — trauma with significant avoidance or depression, for example — an integrated approach is clinically the strongest option. I'll explain when and why that makes sense.

Is EMDR available online?

Yes. EMDR can be delivered effectively via secure video, and research supports its efficacy in online formats. I offer EMDR both in person (NW6, London) and online.

What if I've tried therapy before and it didn't help?

That's a common experience, and worth exploring. In my experience, previous therapy "not working" often comes down to a mismatch — the wrong approach for the presentation, or treatment that wasn't specific enough. A thorough clinical formulation changes this.

Questions? The best
place to start is a
conversation.

Send an Enquiry About Guy Klein