I started training as a counsellor in 2002 at Lambeth College. Originally I trained as a person-centered counsellor and for the Advanced Diploma I trained as a psychodynamic counsellor then as an integrative counsellor. I did my placement at the Wimbledon Guild.
I was immediately dissatisfied with the counselling approach, its lack of an evidence base and especially the psychobabble of the psychodynamic approach. I went straight on to Goldsmiths, the University of London, where I studied Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) which is the treatment of choice for depression and anxiety; and Rational Emotional Behaviour Therapy (REBT) which is especially effective at addressing maladaptive core beliefs and which I use with anger. I did my placement at Mind in Croydon, where I still work, teaching an anger management group.
I have since done three short courses in Schema Therapy, for long-term treatments and especially of Borderline Personality Disorder.
Although the people who developed REBT and Schema Therapy would like to think of them as being other than CBT, in practice they are variations on a theme, and I consider myself to be a CBT counsellor regardless of which I happen to be using. The defining feature of CBT is the evidence base in the efficacy of specific treatments.