Joel Oliver
Accredited CBT & EMDR Therapist
Joel Oliver
Accredited CBT and EMDR Therapist
Anxiety Disorders Specialist
Pronouns: He/Him
I’m a client-centred CBT therapist with specialist experience in treating Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD), Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD), and trauma. I’m passionate about the therapy journey and genuinely love what I do. My approach is grounded in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), and I often draw on Compassion Focused Therapy (CFT), Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing (EMDR), and Internal Family Systems (IFS) to tailor treatment to each individual.
I see therapy as a collaborative and deeply respectful process. I’ll work with you to understand what you’re going through, and support you in making meaningful behaviour changes aligned with what matters most to you. I have a strong appreciation for how our minds work — including the harsh self-critical patterns we can get caught in — and how these can keep us stuck. My aim is to help you build compassion towards the parts of yourself that may have been exiled, burdened, or shaped by earlier trauma.
I’ve worked in mental health for over 20 years. For the past six, I’ve been a senior CBT therapist at the National Anxiety Disorders Residential Unit, working alongside Professor David Veale, supporting individuals with severe and enduring anxiety disorders. Whilst at ADRU, I have been fortunate enough to work with many patients with complex OCD and BDD. Helping people reclaim their lives from OCD and BDD is something I am extremely passionate about.
I have a long-standing commitment to learning and professional development, always seeking new ways to enhance and refine my practice. It would be a privilege to work alongside you — to help you reconnect with your values, build self-compassion, and move toward a life that feels more meaningful.
Joel’s areas of specialism include:
Anxiety
Anxiety - Stress
Anxiety - Agoraphobia
Anxiety - Generalised (GAD)
Anxiety - Death
Anxiety - Health
Anxiety - Panic / Panic Attacks
Anxiety - Performance
Anxiety - Social
Anxiety - Phobias
Emetophobia (Specific Fear of Vomit)
Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD)
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
Body Image Problems
Depression - Low Mood
Low Self-Esteem
Work - Stress
Trauma - Road Traffic Accidents
Joel’s is also highly experienced in the treatment of:
ADHD
Anxiety - Separation
Anxiety - Fears of abandonment
Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD)
Alexithymia - difficulty identifying/ expressing emotions
Depression - Seasonal Affective Disorder
Self Harm
Eating Disorders - Anorexia & Bulimia
Eating Disorders - Over Eating & Weight Loss
Carer Problems
Grief / Bereavement / Loss
LGBTQI+ Related Issues
Gender Identity Issues
Loneliness
Pain management
Perfectionism
Procrastination
Skin/Hair picking (tricotillomania / dermatillomania)
Relationship - Codependency
Relationship - Communication difficulties
Sexual dysfunction
Life transitions
Work - General Problems
Trauma - Childhood Trauma
Trauma - Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
Trauma - Complex PTSD
Trauma - Rape / sexual assalt
Trauma - Childhood sexual abuse
Joel’s statement of skill for working within LGBTQI+ Related Issues:
I am committed to creating safe, respectful, and affirming environments for LGBTQI+ individuals. I actively use inclusive language, respect people’s pronouns and identities, and seek to challenge assumptions or stereotypes. Visibility and allyship are important to me, and I believe that small, everyday actions, such as listening openly, showing understanding, and ensuring inclusive practices, can make a significant difference. I have attended LGBTQI+ training at The South London and Maudsley NHS and have treated patients with care, openness and sensitivity.
In my professional role, I strive to ensure that services are accessible and welcoming for people of all gender identities and sexual orientations. I continue to learn and reflect on best practice in LGBTQI+ inclusion, and I am open to feedback so that I can grow as an ally.
Therapy models & approaches Joel can use in her practice:
Acceptance & Commitment Therapy (ACT)
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)
BABCP Accredited CBT Therapist
Exposure Response Prevention (ERP)
Compassion Focused Therapy (CFT)
Eye Movement Desensitisation & Reprocessing (EMDR)
Integrative Therapy
Mindfulness
Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy
Internal Family Systems (IFS)
Interpersonal therapy
Person-centred therapy
Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT)
Joel works with:
Adults (19-65+ Years)
Adolescents (16 - 18 Years)
Joel Qualifications and Training
Accredited member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BABCP)
CFT Chair Work T Bell 2019
CFT for Trauma Deborah Lee 2024, 2025
EMDR Level 1-3 Sandi Rickman 2024
IFS Intro - 2025
Vast experience of using EMDR, ACT and multiple chair work at the National Anxiety Services, ADRU and also in private practice.
What does CBT involve?
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) is a psychological approach based on scientific principles, proven by research to be effective for a wide range of difficulties.
CBT is a collaborative therapy, where client and therapist work together to understand problems in terms of the links between thoughts, feelings, and behaviours. The cognitive side of CBT looks at how people interpret situations, symptoms, and events, and how the beliefs they hold about themselves, others, and the world influence their difficulties. CBT uses strategies to help people notice and evaluate the kinds of automatic thoughts and assumptions that arise, and to develop more balanced and helpful ways of thinking.
The behavioural side of CBT focuses on the patterns of response people use when they are distressed. Avoidance, safety behaviours, or reducing activity might feel protective in the short term, but often keep problems going in the long run. A key part of CBT is helping people to test out their fears and assumptions in new ways through behavioural experiments—structured, real-life opportunities to discover whether their worries or beliefs truly hold up. For anxiety-related difficulties, CBT often uses Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP), where individuals gradually and safely face feared or avoided situations while resisting unhelpful coping strategies. This process helps to reduce anxiety, break unhelpful cycles, and build confidence in new patterns of responding.
The overall aim of CBT is to directly address distressing symptoms, reduce emotional suffering, re-evaluate unhelpful thinking, and support more adaptive behaviours. Therapy is problem-focused and skills-based, drawing on a shared model of understanding and working towards the client’s own goals. While CBT emphasises difficulties in the here and now, it also recognises the role of past experiences in shaping current challenges.
Between sessions, clients are encouraged to practise skills, try out new strategies, and record experiences to bring back to therapy. Progress is continually monitored and adapted to ensure the most helpful outcomes. CBT is an inclusive approach that can support people of all backgrounds, abilities, cultures, and identities.
What is Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing (EMDR) Therapy?
EMDR is a psychological therapy for the treatment of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). It is designed to alleviate the distress associated with traumatic memories. EMDR facilitates the accessing and processing of traumatic memories to bring these to an adaptive resolution. After successful treatment with EMDR, emotional distress is relieved, negative beliefs are reformulated, and anxiety is reduced.
Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing integrates elements of many effective psychotherapies in structured protocols that are designed to maximise treatment effects. The effectiveness of EMDR for PTSD has been demonstrated by research, and EMDR is recommended as an evidence-based procedure by the British Department of Health, among other professional bodies.