Turning what you know into changes you can actually make
I work with people who often understand what they would like to change but find putting that knowledge into practice much harder. You may have read the books, tried different approaches or know exactly what you “should” be doing, yet still find yourself struggling with your weight, confidence, motivation, stress or patterns that repeatedly get in the way.
My background combines sport and exercise psychology with a PhD focused on motivation and health behaviour change and 21 years’ experience in weight management. This means I’m particularly interested in the gap between knowing and doing: understanding what is making change difficult for you and turning that insight into practical, achievable steps.
- 21 years’ experience in weight management
- HCPC-Registered Sport and Exercise Psychologist
- PhD in Health Behaviour Change
Could we be a good fit?
You may find my approach useful if:
You understand the theory and know what you “should” be doing, but struggle to translate that knowledge into lasting change.
You have tried repeatedly to manage your weight, only to find that changes work for a while before old patterns return.
Low confidence, fear of judgement or worrying about what other people think is holding you back.
Perfectionism or all-or-nothing thinking makes it difficult to feel satisfied with your progress or respond flexibly when things don’t go to plan.
You find it difficult to slow down, prioritise yourself or make consistent time for exercise, rest and your own wellbeing.
You want therapy to be active and goal-focused, with practical steps between sessions as well as time to understand what is getting in the way.
What working together can look like
When we first meet, I want to understand what has brought you to therapy, why now and what you would eventually like to be different. We’ll look at how the difficulty is affecting your day-to-day life and begin making sense of what might need to change.
You don’t need to arrive with perfectly formed goals. Part of our early work can be understanding what matters to you and deciding together what you would like therapy to help you achieve.
Understanding what is getting in the way
My primary approach is Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT). It is a present-focused approach that helps us understand how your thoughts, emotions and behaviours interact and how those patterns may be keeping you stuck.
We may look back at earlier experiences when that helps us understand how you arrived where you are today, but our main focus will be on helping you develop skills and confidence that you can use in everyday life.
I sometimes describe CBT as a “doing therapy” rather than just a “talking therapy”. We may only spend 50 minutes together each week; much of the important change happens in the rest of your week.
That means we will usually agree an action plan together. You will always be involved in deciding what to try, understand why we are doing it and have the opportunity to consider whether it feels realistic and useful for you.
Making change work in real life
I am also trained in Motivational Interviewing, which influences how I approach change. Rather than simply telling you what I think you should do, I’ll ask questions that help you explore your own reasons for change and work out solutions that make sense to you.
When something hasn’t worked before, I want to understand why. We can look at what you have already tried, what helped, what didn’t and what got in the way.
That includes previous experiences of therapy. If therapy hasn’t been useful in the past, I don’t assume that means therapy cannot help you. We can understand what happened previously and think carefully about what would need to be different this time.
My style is friendly and empathic, but also active. If you like structure, working towards goals and are prepared to challenge yourself and occasionally move outside your comfort zone, we may work particularly well together.
Ultimately, I want you to leave therapy not only understanding yourself better, but with greater confidence in your ability to make and maintain changes without needing me there.
Areas of experience
My work has included supporting people with a range of behavioural, emotional and health-related difficulties, including:
Weight management, disordered eating, exercise and body-related concerns.
Health-related, social and work-related behaviour change, including difficulties translating intentions into sustainable action.
Building self-worth, confidence and motivation, including social anxiety and fear of judgement.
Stress, slowing down, creating time for yourself and developing more sustainable patterns around work, exercise, rest and wellbeing.
About Paula
Paula’s professional background brings together sport and exercise psychology, health behaviour change and more than two decades of experience in weight management.
Her PhD focused specifically on motivation and health behaviour change, and this continues to shape the questions at the heart of her work: why can we know what we want to do, understand why it matters and still struggle to put it into practice?
Rather than assuming that someone needs more information or simply needs to try harder, Paula is interested in identifying what is getting in the way. She combines psychological understanding with practical action, helping clients turn insight into realistic plans and build greater confidence in their ability to make changes that can continue beyond therapy.
Qualifications & Professional Credentials
Paula is an HCPC-registered Sport and Exercise Psychologist with 21 years’ experience working in weight management.
PhD in Health Behaviour Change
Liverpool John Moores University (2012)
Current professional development
Beck Institute, USA (CBT Certification — in progress)
Paula is currently working towards CBT certification with the Beck Institute. This qualification is not yet complete and should not be presented as a current certification.
HCPC-Registered Sport and Exercise Psychologist
Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC)
Registration number: PYL28668
What happens when you get in touch?
Start with a conversation
Your free 20-minute discovery call is an opportunity to tell us what has brought you to therapy, what you are looking for and ask any questions you may have.
Find the right fit
We’ll consider your needs, preferences and what you would like from therapy, then recommend the practitioner we believe is best placed to support you.
Agree the next step
If you feel comfortable with the recommendation, our team will talk you through availability, fees and how to arrange your first session.
Fees
Paula’s session length and current fees were not included in the questionnaire response and should be confirmed before publication.
We’ll confirm current availability and answer any practical questions during your discovery call.
You don’t have to have it all figuer out
You may know exactly what you want help with, or simply know that something needs to change.
A free 20-minute discovery call is a chance to talk through what’s been happening, ask any questions and understand the right next step for you.
Confidential – No pressure – Clear next steps