How to book an appointment for Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT)

Openforwards CBT & Counselling Services

(Birmingham, UK / Online & Telephone)

We are here to help

Tell us a little about yourself, how you are struggling, and we’ll be in touch to take you through the next steps.

Please complete the form below as honestly as you can.  Choose to book in for a consultation or let us know if you want more information.  Prices start at £95 per session.

Please note that we are no longer accepting referrals for Health Insurance.

How much does therapy cost on average?  How do our prices compare to others?

Commonly Asked Questions:

My problems aren’t that serious. Will I be taking up someone else’s place?

Many people we’ve helped have been worried that their problems aren’t severe enough to speak to a counsellor. They are anxious that their therapist will think they are complaining about nothing. It would upset them if they knew someone else was missing out because of them.

It is thoughtful to be concerned about other people. If this is you, then you are probably very good at taking care of others. However, this worry speaks to a bigger problem with which you struggle – you believe you don’t deserve the help.

While this concern for others is heart-warming, you probably suffer from low self-esteem. You may put other people’s needs before your own, sacrificing what you need or want in favour of keeping the peace.

You may struggle with feelings of guilt, embarrassment or shame. It is understandable because these feelings are challenging to handle. Our therapists can help you to be kinder to yourself and build a better balance in your relationships. If you are stuck and want to change, then we would love to help.  We offer a range of therapies including:

• Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)
• Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
• Compassion Focused Therapy (CFT)
• Eye Movement Desensitisation Reprocessing (EMDR)
• Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT)
• Systemic Family Therapy

Please contact us today by completing the form above.

Will talking about my problems make me feel worse?

It is wise to be cautious about starting therapy, and I think it is essential to understand if it can make you worse. Here are some factors to help you work out if now is a suitable time to commit.

How stable is your home life?  If you’re struggling to pay the bills or you are at risk of losing your home, then now is not the best time to begin therapy. You would be better off addressing these difficulties first.

Do you have a stable enough income?   You need money to pay for therapy, and we discourage people from paying for sessions on credit. The more debt you get into, the more insecurity you create for yourself.  We all fall on hard times, and you may have struggled to establish a regular income.  We believe that you need some financial security to make the emotional and financial commitment to psychotherapy.

I won’t get the time off work – do you offer evenings or weekends?

Yes.  We have therapy appointments available on Saturdays and some weekday evenings.  Please see who is available.  The majority of our available appointments are on weekdays and during typical daytime working hours.   We do our best to accommodate your preferences, so please get in touch.

Many people we’ve helped have been worried about getting the time off work. If you talk to your employer, then they may offer you some flexibility to come to appointments.

We can offer you sessions during lunch breaks or at the start or end of your working day too. You can save time on unnecessary travel as well by opting for online meetings.

Is going to therapy a sign that you are weak?

In years gone by, there has been more significant stigma towards mental wellbeing.  Many people who would have benefitted from therapy have stayed away because they were worried about prejudice. Thankfully, our culture has become a little kinder, and we are more understanding of our shared humanity.

Our cultures sometimes purport a warped version of what it means to be strong or weak. Strength is not your ability to deal with things on your own. It is not remaining rigid, but being flexible to adapt.  Survival of the fittest is about adapting to your context, and you suffer if you try to deal with things in the same old ways.

Rather than being weak, asking for help and going to therapy is a sign of strength. It takes courage and shows wisdom. If you are stuck, it isn’t your fault. Evolution is not perfect, and we are all destined to suffer. We fall into holes that we didn’t know were there. There is strength in recognising that you would benefit from professional help and then taking the responsibility to ask for it.

What if I am not motivated enough – will it still help?

The top three reasons why we don’t do stuff that is good for us are:

• I don’t have the time

• I don’t have the energy

• I don’t have the money

How true for you are each of these statements?

Therapy does take work and commitment. If your therapist teaches you the right strategies and you do the work between sessions, then you should start to see the improvements. However, if you can’t get off the starting line, then what’s the point?

We all struggle with motivation at least some of the time, but a person can’t be unmotivated. If you watch TV all day, then you are motivated to do that.

Under many circumstances, people don’t change unless they feel uncomfortable enough. You might know that change is essential; just like we know, sitting around and eating bad food makes us unhealthy. However, we can still do it too often.

Your therapist will help you build motivation and commitment to implementing new healthier habits. They can help you to feel more uncomfortable about staying the same, and this can energise you to pick up some new behaviours.

Therapy doesn’t just work for the super-motivated, and many people feel ambivalent at the beginning. On the one hand, they want to feel better, and on the other hand, they don’t know that they can change. Putting that aside, if you’re going to change, that is a useful starting position.