About Chris Finn
CBT Psychotherapist, Life Coach & Author
I’m Chris Finn, a BABCP-accredited Cognitive Behavioural Psychotherapist, Life Coach and author of A Clear Mind.
My career has taken me from senior leadership in the corporate world into psychology, NHS mental health services, university teaching, psychotherapy and coaching.
I spent 14 years working in the NHS, including as a Senior Cognitive Behavioural Psychotherapist, and spent five years teaching CBT at university level. Alongside my clinical work, I’ve worked with thousands of people to better understand their minds, overcome psychological barriers and create meaningful change.
Today, my work brings those different strands together. I provide CBT therapy for people experiencing difficulties such as anxiety, stress, overthinking and burnout, and life coaching for professionals who want greater clarity, confidence and effectiveness.
What connects both sides of my work is a fascination with a simple question: what helps people change?
My Story
As someone like you who knew that there was more possible beyond my negative beliefs, I’ve had some tough times too. I wasn’t born privileged. Life was pretty rough growing up. I just about survived childhood having a lot of barriers in my way, little money, little support, and never having anything handed to me.
I worked hard to achieve everything I have by following my passions and interests. I excelled in the environments I put myself in, always finding myself in leadership no matter what the sector. By my early-twenties I became a successful leader in the corporate world.
It was in this role working so closely with people’s development, my passion for human performance, psychology and coaching was ignited. At this time, at age 26, I met a life coach. This was when I woke up. Before then, it felt like I was just drifting through life.
This coach had the single biggest impact on the trajectory in my life. He truly helped me see past my limitations and he helped me discover my purpose, my passions and my dreams.
From that moment on, I wanted to do for people what he had done for me, (but I’ll come back to that later).
My coach helped me see past my fears and self-doubt, my fake confidence, and my mind-made obstacles.
Once that was out of the way, I went for my dream...
At this time, I wanted to train as a Psychologist and be the first in my family to go to university.
The first step was getting on a degree programme in Psychology, but my application was declined at university.
The thing was though, I had a fire in my belly, and I knew this was what I was supposed to do. I had woken up to my calling. I called them up and explained to them that I had never been more sure of anything in my life. I told them that I would be top of their class and would be their best student.
They heard me. And they let me on the programme...
Experience & Qualifications
My professional journey has taken me through psychology, NHS mental health services, university teaching, psychotherapy, coaching and leadership.
I spent 14 years working in the NHS, including as a Senior Cognitive Behavioural Psychotherapist, and spent five years as a Senior Lecturer teaching CBT at university level.
My training and qualifications include:
- BABCP-accredited Cognitive Behavioural Psychotherapist
- Master’s degree in Cognitive and Behavioural Psychology
- First-class BSc (Hons) in Psychology
- Postgraduate Certificate in Psychological Therapies
- Mindfulness teacher training
- Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) training
- Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) training
- Compassion-Focused Therapy (CFT) training
- Certified Transformative Coach
- Executive and Leadership Coaching training
Alongside my clinical and coaching work, I’m the author of A Clear Mind: The Less Is More Mindset to Wellbeing & Performance.
Over the course of my career I’ve worked with more than 6,000 people from an enormous range of backgrounds — from people struggling with anxiety and confidence to professionals, leaders and business owners wanting to perform at their best.
What matters to me is not simply having qualifications, but being able to bring together evidence-based psychology, practical experience and a genuinely human approach to helping people change.
How I Can Help
My work now centres around two main areas.
CBT Therapy
If anxiety, stress, overthinking, burnout or difficult past experiences are affecting your wellbeing, CBT therapy can help you understand what is keeping the problem going and make practical, evidence-based changes.
I offer CBT therapy in person in Ferndown, Dorset and online.
Life Coaching
If you are functioning reasonably well but feel stuck, lack direction, overthink decisions or want to perform with greater clarity and confidence, life coaching may be the better fit.
I work mainly with thoughtful professionals who want to create meaningful change in their work or life.
Chris Finn, BSc (Hons), PGCert, PGDip (CBT)
