brainAndrew Lewis-Smith
Hello, I am

Andrew Lewis-Smith

Cognitive behavioral therapist (BABCP Accredited)

I am an experienced clinician who works with a wide range of difficulties.
I use CBT and other useful psychotherapies, includine ACT and CFT therapies.

Get in touch

ABOUT ME

Professional background

I’m passionate about helping people get back on track, thrive, and improve their mental health and overall wellbeing. While I originally studied Geography, I soon realised my real drive was working with people. That led me to train at several leading psychotherapy institutions, including the Institute of Psychiatry in London, the Oxford Cognitive Therapy Centre, the Tavistock Clinic, and the Psychology Department at Birkbeck College.

I work with individuals from all walks of life, supporting steady recovery and helping each person build on the strengths they already have. My approach is grounded in evidence-based psychotherapy that’s proven to work, backed by both research and real-world results. I tailor everything to each client’s unique needs and goals, combining solid clinical methods with the latest in best practices.

Personal background

Outside of work, I’m a parent to three young adult children. I’m passionate about keeping fit, especially strength training and yoga and I practise regular meditation. I follow a Buddhist path in life and I have a regular and longstanding meditation practice

I have my own experience of struggles with mental health difficulties as I have had periods of depression and anxiety. I have also had to live with a chronic and enduringly physical health condition so know how poor physical health can be a cause of mental health difficulties.

Andrew Lewis-Smith

WHAT I DO

My approach

I offer one-to-one therapy that draws on powerful, evidence-based approaches to help you better understand your thoughts, emotions, and behaviours. Whether you're struggling with anxiety, low mood, self-esteem, or specific challenges like OCD or eating difficulties, therapy is tailored to your needs. Below, you’ll find the core methods I use to support meaningful and lasting change—each one chosen to match your goals, pace, and strengths. I offer individual therapy using a range of evidence-based approaches, including:

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Cognitive Behavioural Therapy

CBT helps you identify unhelpful thoughts and behaviours, and replace them with patterns that actually work for you.

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Acceptance and Commitment Therapy

ACT helps you stop fighting difficult thoughts and feelings, and start living in line with what really matters to you.

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Compassion-Focused Therapy

CFT builds self-kindness and emotional strength, especially helpful if you’re stuck in self-criticism or shame.

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Mindfulness and Buddhist Psychology

Mindfulness practices and Buddhist-informed wisdom support calm, clarity, and awareness of what’s happening in the moment.

Session structure

The structure of the first session is a 60 minute assessment designed to help us get to know each other and understand what you’re looking for in therapy. This is a chance for you to share:

After that, we agree on goals, start self-monitoring, and build a clear map of what’s going on and how we’ll work through it—step by step, at your pace.
My approach integrates CBT, ACT, CFT, and mindfulness-based techniques, tailored to what suits you best.

CBT helps people work with their thoughts and beliefs—spotting unhelpful patterns, handling difficult emotions, and developing new ways of thinking and behaving.

WHO I WORK WITH

I work with adults and young people from the age of 14 years. My specialist focus is working with under-18s, helping them manage challenges, build emotional resilience, and develop skills that support long-term wellbeing. Whether you’re a teenager navigating anxiety or a young adult working through low mood or self-esteem issues, therapy is shaped around your unique experiences and goals.

Support Areas

I work with a variety of difficulties, including:

Although I work with a broad range of difficulties across the life span I have a number of particular specialisms.

  1. Adults who have low self-esteem and who are really hard on themselves and find it hard to be kind to themselves.
  2. Adults who struggle to find meaning and purpose in their lives. This can be linked to professional issues, struggles with spirituality and/or religion or perhaps more existential concerns such as the climate crisis and the the profoundly negative effects on the natural world.

Risk & Saftey

I work with individuals experiencing low to mild levels of risk.

If you're dealing with more complex needs, such as severe self-harm, suicidal thoughts or intent, or active risk to yourself or others, please contact the emergency services on 999 or 112 or go to your local NHS Accident and Emergency department.

QUALIFICATIONS

I bring over 30 years of experience in mental health and social care, having worked in the field since 1992.

My qualifications include:

I’ve also completed numerous additional trainings to meet ongoing professional requirements.

I regularly take part in continued professional development (CPD) and clinical supervision, both for my own practice and as a supervisor to other psychotherapy professionals.

GET IN TOUCH

If you’re interested in working together, please get in touch. I’m happy to answer any questions you have about therapy, my approach, or how we can work together.

I offer a free 15–20 minute initial telephone conversation to help you decide if I’m the right fit for you.

To book an appointment, please contact me via email. I’ll get back to you as soon as possible.

If you would like to view the contract and terms of service, please click here to see as a pdf or here as a word document

Under Construction

This site is a work in progress and may not have fully accurate information - please check back later