Tom provides individual therapy for adults and young people, with a particular focus on OCD and health anxiety. His approach is practical, collaborative, and evidence-based, aiming to help people make meaningful, lasting changes rather than simply learn to cope with their symptoms.

Tom has a specialist interest in OCD, including intrusive thoughts, contamination fears, checking, relationship OCD (ROCD), real-event OCD, moral and harm-related OCD, and presentations involving predominantly mental compulsions, sometimes referred to as “Pure O”. He also works extensively with health anxiety, including persistent fears about illness, checking or monitoring the body, seeking reassurance and repeatedly researching symptoms.

Alongside these specialist areas, Tom has experience treating a broader range of difficulties, including generalised anxiety, panic disorder, social anxiety, specific phobias, low self-esteem and depression.

Therapy begins by developing a shared understanding of the problem, how it developed and, importantly, what may be keeping it going. Tom and the client then agree clear goals for treatment and work together towards these throughout therapy. CBT is an active form of therapy. As well as talking and developing a better understanding of difficulties, treatment involves making changes both within and between sessions. Depending on the problem, this might include behavioural experiments, approaching avoided situations, exposure exercises, reducing checking or reassurance seeking, or learning different ways of responding to difficult thoughts, feelings and uncertainty.

For OCD, Tom uses CBT incorporating Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP). Treatment focuses on breaking the cycle between intrusive thoughts or doubts and the behaviours used to obtain relief or certainty. These behaviours are not always obvious. They can include rumination, analysing thoughts or feelings, mentally reviewing events, seeking reassurance, researching online and trying to determine with certainty whether something is safe or true. The aim of treatment is not to eliminate unwanted thoughts, anxiety or uncertainty. Instead, therapy helps people change how they respond to these experiences so that they become less important and have less influence over everyday life.

Sessions and fees

Therapy is provided online, allowing Tom to work with clients across the UK.

Sessions usually last 50 minutes and cost £90. Tom offers a free 20-minute initial consultation for people considering therapy. This provides an opportunity to briefly discuss what is happening, what the person would like help with and whether Tom’s approach may be suitable.