I regularly ask clients for feedback on their experience of therapy and my role as therapist. Here are some comments from clients I have seen in the last year. Names have been changed to protect confidentiality.

Catherine (26) - low mood and problems at work

"I'm less hard on myself and my confidence is returning. When I have a bad day now I'm able to deal with my negative thoughts and work my way through the problems. It's strange to realise that my way of thinking caused most of the difficulties in the first place, but that means I can fix them, too."

Michael (50) - marriage break-up and low self-esteem

"Talking about my marriage problems allowed me to take a completely different perspective. It was like the sun coming out from behind the clouds. I used to think that I was 100% responsible for the break-up - that I was a failure and no-one would accept me. Now I realise that's not true. I can think about moving on and starting a new life."

Kate (36) - bereavement

"Losing Dad came as such a shock; I was devastated. There didn't seem any point in going on and I couldn't face work. I didn't want to talk to Mum about it - she was so unhappy - and the rest of the family seemed to be falling apart.

Therapy gave me the chance to talk about how I really felt. It was a huge relief to stop trying to hold it together for the sake of others. Gradually I was able to start thinking about his death differently - not just what I'd lost but all the things I'd gained from him and the values that he'd passed on to me. It still hurts that he's not around, but I feel a connection with him that I can carry with me."