People often assume that because I’m a therapist, I believe therapy is the answer to everything. I don’t.
Don’t misunderstand me. I know the extraordinary difference good therapy can make because I’ve spent more than twenty-five years helping people overcome anxiety, trauma, panic, phobias and many of the emotional patterns that profoundly limit their lives. But I also know something else. Not everyone can access one-to-one therapy.
Some people are sitting on NHS waiting lists. Some live in cultures where therapy is shunned and almost impossible to access. Others would love private therapy but can’t justify the cost alongside everything else life demands of them.
That’s why I’ve never believed therapy should be the only route to resolve and release uncomfortable emotions.
Evidence-based self-help has an important place too
Not the sort of self-help on TikTok that tells you to think positively, repeat affirmations or try harder. I’m talking about practical tools that help change the emotional response itself.
For more than fifteen years, I’ve been using one particular audio-based process as part of my one-to-one work with clients. It has become one of the few resources I’ve consistently recommended because I’ve watched it help people reduce the emotional intensity behind anxiety, health anxiety, panic, emetophobia, overwhelm, social anxiety and medical procedure dread.
That’s also why I wanted to tell you about something that genuinely interests me.
The audio process I’ve used with clients for many years is now, for the first time, available as an app, and it is being independently evaluated by researchers at Edge Hill University.
Why I’ve continued using this approach for more than fifteen years
As therapists, we’re introduced to countless techniques throughout our careers. Some are helpful. Others quietly disappear because they don’t consistently deliver meaningful results. Very few become part of my everyday clinical work. This one did.
I like it because it’s reliable, straightforward and gives clients something practical they can use between sessions. Therapy doesn’t stop when someone leaves my consulting room. The real work happens when the brain begins responding differently in everyday situations.
I’ve seen this happen many times
One client of mine had avoided travelling on the London Underground for years because the anxiety felt overwhelming. She carefully organised her life around avoiding the Tube. After working with this approach, she travelled on the Underground again for the first time in years. She didn’t force herself through it. The emotional intensity had reduced enough for travelling to feel possible again, and trips on the Tube are part of her life again.
Another client had lived with severe emetophobia for many years. Meeting friends involved an exhausting ritual of packing her own food and drinks because they were the only things that felt safe. She couldn’t imagine leaving home without them. After using this process, she was able to meet a friend for lunch without carrying her emergency supplies. For the first time in years, she was able to focus on the conversation rather than constantly monitoring how safe she felt.
Of course, no therapeutic approach works for everyone, and I’d never pretend otherwise. Individual experiences differ. But after more than fifteen years of incorporating this process into my clinical work, I’ve seen enough positive change to feel comfortable recommending that more people have the opportunity to try it.
What is being evaluated?
Edge Hill University is evaluating the Orpheus app over twelve weeks. The app delivers the same audio process I’ve been using in my private practice with clients for many years. Independent Researchers are now exploring how people experiencing mild to moderate anxiety or depression respond to using the app.
Benefits of participating
Participants accepted onto the study receive free access to the app throughout the twelve-week evaluation.
In return, during the study, you’ll complete four short questionnaires. Each completed questionnaire earns a £10 Amazon voucher, meaning participants can receive up to £40 in vouchers. Anyone completing all four questionnaires will also receive free access to the Orpheus Level 1 training course after the study finishes.
Study guidelines – is this for you?
The study may be suitable for you if you’re experiencing mild to moderate anxiety or depression, speak fluent English, have a smartphone with internet access and can commit to the twelve-week programme.
Because the programme is entirely audio-based, participants need to be able to listen to spoken instructions.
It isn’t suitable for people currently receiving specialist mental health treatment or for anyone experiencing suicidal thoughts or a mental health crisis. In those situations, it’s important to seek support from your GP or mental health services.
Why I think self-help deserves more respect
There’s sometimes an assumption that if something isn’t one-to-one therapy, it can’t make much difference. I disagree.
The right self-help tool can help people begin changing patterns before they ever meet a therapist. It can support progress between therapy sessions and help maintain gains afterwards.
It doesn’t necessarily replace therapy, but at the very least it complements it. That’s why I’ve continued using this approach for more than fifteen years, and why I’m genuinely pleased it’s now being independently evaluated by Edge Hill University. The more accessible, evidence-informed resources we have available, the more people have the chance to improve their emotional wellbeing, whether or not they ever sit opposite a therapist.
Would you like to take part? We need 50 volunteers to help us with the evaluation. Act quickly if you’d like to apply. You can complete the application form here. The application takes around ten to fifteen minutes to complete and successful applicants are usually contacted within seven days.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Orpheus app a replacement for therapy?
No. It’s a self-help tool and isn’t a substitute for medical, psychiatric or psychological treatment.
Who is the evaluation looking for?
Young people and adults experiencing mild to moderate anxiety or depression who meet the study criteria and can commit to the full twelve-week programme.
Why am I sharing this?
Because I’ve used this approach with clients for more than fifteen years, I trust this process. I’ve seen it help people move beyond limiting patterns they once believed would always control their lives. That doesn’t mean it’s the answer for everyone. Still, it does mean I believe it’s worth evaluating properly and making it available to people who may not otherwise have access to one-on-one therapy.
Here is the link to the application form.
Self help therapy hypnosis audios
De-stressing and calming: £13
Closing doors on the past: £13
Future self-visualisation: £13
Letting go of the past: £13
Life Transformation Audio Bundle
Get the four audios above, plus two bonus Stop Snoring audios,
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