Simon Harper

I am a BABCP accredited cognitive behavioural psychotherapist, and a published author now into my third decade of practice. I have worked with a wide range of psychological disorders: depression, generalised anxiety, phobias, addictions, eating disorders, panic disorder, social anxiety, body dysmorphic disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and have specialised in trauma and PTSD. 

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After completing a psychology degree, I became a professional hypnotherapist, by completing a diploma in ericksonian hypnosis, psychotherapy and neuro-linguistic programming. I continued training with a counselling course at Oxford University, a mindfulness based cognitive therapy course, also at Oxford University, and a university advanced diploma in cognitive skills and studies at Derby University. This culminated in completing an MSc in cognitive behavioural psychotherapy at Derby University, where I achieved first class honours. I also had a paper published in The Cognitive Behaviour Therapist; ‘ An examination of structural dissociation of the personality and the implications for cognitive behavioural therapy’.

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I have had a lifelong experience of what it like to struggle with mental health problems, and have spent decades exploring countless different ways to fix myself. This is what eventually led me to train as a psychotherapist so I could help others with techniques that work in the real world. 

 

Growing up with a domineering, critical father, the seeds were sown for self-doubt, and self-loathing. Being bullied at school began at 6 years old, and got a lot worse when I was sent away to another school. At this point the bullying reached unbearable levels. It never stopped for the next 10 years. Being an outsider was an emotional truth set in stone. 

 

I coped with and endured physical, emotional and sexual abuse by learning to survive one day at a time. Looking back there were many mental health diagnoses that were applicable: complex PTSD, depression, OCD, and social anxiety. 

 

It took decades to recover from the psychological damage, and even now, there are numerous triggers that drop me through a trap door to my past. However, because of my experiences, I have a unique perspective of living with a traumatised brain.

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For many years I could not understand why I was constantly bullied and stuck in a pattern of being unable to form intimate relationships. I became fascinated with pattern repetition, and discovered there did not seem to many books that simply explained why this happens. Four decades later, I believe that Breaking Bad Patterns will help others to understand why our brains are programmed to keep us prisoners of the past. 

 

I know from personal experience that psychological transformation is an enduring journey of small steps and with this in mind, I have given the reader 60 techniques that they can choose from. I was always looking for the ‘magic bullet’, but the reality is that you have to work hard to break bad patterns. Are you ready to begin the journey?