Hello, I'm Sarah
About Sarah Cosway — CBT Therapist in Canterbury
My Story
A different kind of route to becoming a CBT therapist
Mental health is actually my second career.
For many years I worked in the corporate sector for a blue-chip company. A world that was demanding, fast-paced, and, if I'm honest, not quite right for me.
I always felt that if I had the chance to start again, I would have taken a different path, and a redundancy in 2011 gave me that chance.
I was lucky enough to be offered the opportunity to train as a Psychological Wellbeing Practitioner within the NHS's Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) service at Psicon in Canterbury.
That felt like the beginning of something.
After gaining my PGCert in Low Intensity Psychological Interventions (CBT) from the University of Surrey, I continued working within IAPT and, in 2016, was given the opportunity to train as a fully qualified CBT therapist (still within Psicon in Canterbury) gaining a PGDip in Psychological Therapies: Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (Pass with Merit) from Canterbury Christ Church University.
I continued to work at Psicon in Canterbury as a CBT therapist until 2019, then moved to the University Medical Centre Psychological Therapies service at the University of Kent at Canterbury, where I worked until 2021 — when I took the step of setting up Cosway CBT as my own private practice.
That corporate chapter wasn't wasted, though.
Years of working in a high-pressure environment gave me a genuine understanding of what burnout, chronic stress, and the feeling of being "out of sync" actually feel like from the inside...not just on paper.
My Approach to CBT
People don't fit neatly into boxes, and I don't treat them as if they do.
While CBT is the evidence-based framework at the heart of my practice, I take a holistic approach; one that takes the full picture into account.
Often it's the wider context of someone's life, their relationships, their history, their sense of self, that sheds light on what's really going on.
A strict "treat the condition" approach can miss that.
I'm particularly passionate about third-wave CBT approaches, especially Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT).
Time and again I have seen people make remarkable progress not by trying to eliminate or "fix" their unwelcome thoughts and feelings, but by changing their relationship with them.
That shift, from fighting your inner world to finding a different way of living alongside it, can be genuinely transformative.
My aim is always to create a safe space where you feel comfortable addressing what matters most to you.
It can be scary coming to therapy, especially for the first time, you may not know what to expect, or you may be worried about what might be involved.
That's completely understandable, and it's something we can work through together from the very first session.
Qualifications
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PGDip in Psychological Therapies: Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (Pass with Merit)
— Canterbury Christ Church University
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PGCert in Low Intensity Psychological Interventions (CBT) — University of Surrey
Accreditation
I am a BABCP Accredited CBT Therapist: the British Association of Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapies is the UK's leading professional body for CBT, and accreditation means I have met their highest recognised standard for clinical training, practice, and ongoing supervision.
BABCP accreditation is specific to CBT and sits above general counselling registrations. It is the benchmark used by the NHS and the insurance industry when verifying therapist credentials.
Continuing Professional Development
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IAPT Long Term Conditions Training
— Canterbury Christ Church University & University of Surrey
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IAPT Supervisor Training (including Supervision of Psychological Wellbeing Practitioners and CBT Supervision)
— University of Surrey
Experience
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10+ years working in mental health
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NHS IAPT Therapist, Psicon Canterbury (2013–2019)
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CBT Therapist, University Medical Centre Psychological Therapies, University of Kent (2019–2021)
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Private Practice, Cosway CBT (2021–present)
Testimonials
Ready to take the first step?
You don't need to have everything figured out before reaching out. A free 15-minute consultation gives us the chance to meet, and for you to get a sense of whether working together feels like the right fit (with no obligation either way.)
