Ruven Hanohov

I combine Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT) with ideas from philosophy, particularly the work of thinkers like Socrates and Epictetus. A common thread is learning to examine how we make sense of what happens to us, and how those interpretations influence what we feel and how we respond.

In practice, we get specific. When something repeatedly triggers anxiety, shame, anger, overwhelm, or self-doubt, I want to understand what is happening in those moments. What are you feeling? What is going through your mind? What are you telling yourself about the situation?

Once these patterns become clearer, we have something we can actually work with. We can examine the thinking behind the emotional reaction, question what may not be serving you, and develop ways of responding differently. The aim is not to force a particular way of thinking, but to find ways of looking at things that are more helpful and more consistent with the life you want to lead.

Before the first session

Before we meet for the first time, I send you an intake form. I find this really helps in three ways:

• It gives you a chance to organize your thoughts

• It gives you the reassurance that I already have an idea of what is going on

• It gives us a starting point we can return to as things develop

The form is sent through a secure platform and can be completed at your own pace. This means we can use our first session to focus on what matters rather than spending most of the time collecting basic information.

Our first session

The first session is about understanding what brought you to therapy and beginning to make sense of what is happening. I’ll ask questions along the way, and we may look more closely at a specific situation or pattern rather than trying to cover your entire history at once.

You might already have a clear idea of what you want to work on. Or you might simply know that something isn’t quite right and not yet know exactly why. Either is fine.

Wherever possible, I want you to leave the first session with a clearer understanding of what may be going on and how we could work with it. The first session is not about solving everything straight away, but it should give us a sense of whether my way of working makes sense for you.

Ongoing sessions

How often we meet is up to you. In my experience, once per week at the beginning is a good starting point. Later, we can gradually phase out sessions and meet less frequently as things improve, but nothing is set in stone.

The work itself will depend on what you bring and what we discover along the way. Sometimes that means understanding a recurring pattern. Sometimes it means challenging a particular way of thinking. Sometimes it means trying something out in your everyday life and seeing what happens.

The goal is not simply to feel better during the session. It is to understand yourself better, change the patterns that keep causing problems, and develop the skills to deal with whatever life throws at you.

Self-employed non-medical practitioner for psychotherapy

Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT, Albert Ellis) – Advanced Level II

Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT, Albert Ellis) – Foundation Level I

Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT) and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) for Depression

Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT) and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) for Anxiety Disorders

Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT) and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) for Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)

Socratic Dialogue Applied in Therapy

Certified Instructor in Progressive Muscle Relaxation (PMR)

Master’s Degree in Creativity and Innovation