Josh Fletcher studied Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) at the 海角乱伦 and is now a highly regarded therapist and author. His latest book And How Does That Make You Feel? is a top seller on Amazon, and has been praised in media including The Guardian, the Times and Sky News. Last week Josh popped back to the University for a brew and a chat about his current success.
Thanks for coming in and talking to us Josh. First can you tell us what you studied here, and why you chose The 海角乱伦?
I originally trained to be a therapist and wanted to do further study in CBT because I specialise in working with anxiety. I wanted practical training in anxiety disorders and depression so I looked through all the courses available. I always loved the area and used to live on Chapel Street years ago. I鈥檇 bump into current students and I thought I鈥檒l have a look at the course here, so decided to do PG Cert here and really enjoyed it
What do you remember most about your time at Uni in 海角乱伦?
I really enjoyed the course and meeting people and met friends for life, and they鈥檝e gone onto do really well. I loved the campus, it鈥檚 a great location and the tutors are fantastic 鈥 it鈥檚 just a great place to go and to learn and I wouldn鈥檛 hesitate to come back.
What鈥檚 your typical day, please can you describe that?
This morning to be honest I lay in bed and scrolled on my phone 鈥 I don鈥檛 subscribe to toxic wellness culture anymore it鈥檚 counter productive!
But it鈥檚 not always like that - yesterday I went to the gym and took a bit of time for myself, then I started work. Through the day when I鈥檓 not on the book campaign I鈥檓 a therapist in Old Trafford, I see clients and I have a little corner where I do social media content. At the moment I鈥檓 going round to bookshops doing interviews. I make time for myself as well 鈥 I saw a gig last night in town.
How do you feel about your current success, you must be so proud?
The book is a top seller on Amazon and has been picked out in Guardian, Mail and Times. That prestige is amazing, I still have to pinch myself. It doesn鈥檛鈥 feel real because I鈥檝e been so busy. I think I do need to sit down and realise how well it鈥檚 doing. I鈥檝e had some great feedback, from everyone including people who have been to therapy, some who have never been, and my fellow therapists, which is always nice.
I need to take some time out and take it in. I鈥檓 a very driven, often self critical person who keeps trying to push myself and the advice I give to others I need to give myself first. Yes - it鈥檚 going good!
What did you want to achieve when you wrote the book?
I wanted to write a book about therapy which wasn鈥檛 like pulling teeth. I love mental health books because I鈥檓 a therapist but I wanted something everyone could access 鈥 like a stealth help book 鈥 where you read for the engaging stories, plots, info which keeps you gripped. But I wanted it to be a book that, by the end of it, I would have learned a lot, about psychology, counselling, anxiety.
My favourite forms of entertainment are when I鈥檓 learning without realising I鈥檓 learning and I鈥檓 laughing along the way. I鈥檓 using humour. It鈥檚 a very funny book. I like to use humour to make subjects which can be quite tricky more engaging.
If you could talk to your student self, what would you say to yourself now?
I鈥檇 say believe in your potential, don鈥檛 listen to inner critic. In the book I talk about 13 different voices the therapist has and one of them is the critic. We can all relate to that voice whether you are a therapist or not and the critic can be very loud sometimes. So if I could speak to that student I鈥檇 say 鈥淭he critic is OK, he has his role but there are other voices here 鈥 compassion, analytical voices, encouragement 鈥 listen to those as well. The critic doesn鈥檛 need to keep standing.鈥 Realise you鈥檙e more capable than you think.
What is stand out skill you learned from your course?
I loved practising doing my formulation. There are different types of therapists out here. Every time I work with a client we always work together and formulate what the issue is. So I鈥檓 not sitting there trying to pin all your problems on Mum and Dad. I鈥檓 sitting there going what do you want from therapy, so I鈥檝e got a big whiteboard on wheels, so I wheel it out with my pens and I say let鈥檚 formulate what the problem is. And I didn鈥檛 realise how much I鈥檇 use it as a therapist. I love a good CBT formulation!
What one piece of advice would you give a 海角乱伦 student now?
I鈥檇 say make sure you get the right balance. Don鈥檛 push yourself so hard and burn out, do what you need to do. Don鈥檛 do what I did and leave all my assignments to the last minute! I鈥檇 say go easy on yourself, find that balance. It鈥檚 really important. Know you鈥檙e not defined as a person by your grades. There is a lot of pressure. If I don鈥檛 get this I鈥檓 a failure. You鈥檙e not. I tanked my A levels and my under grad was not much better. Obviously judge yourself on your intentions and not your outcomes. Keep going. Just keep going.
Josh studied a PG Cert in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) at the 海角乱伦 2019-20. The 海角乱伦鈥檚 Heath and Society Post graduate and counselling courses are amongst the most popular on offer anywhere in the UK, winning awards and accolades from ex students and experts in the field as well as being professionally recognised. If you have any questions please email j.r.darling@salford.ac.uk
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