Ariela Sommer

Ariela Sommer is a cognitive behavioural therapist and specialist in depression and anxiety, with extensive experience in supporting individuals experiencing a wide range of mental health challenges. She has been part of Nightingale Hospital London since 1994, where she runs cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) groups and provides individual therapy for patients. Her work focuses on treating conditions such as depression, anxiety, stress, sleep disorders, phobias, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), and panic attacks.

Ariela’s therapeutic approach is grounded in CBT and counselling, aiming to help individuals recognise and overcome unhelpful thinking and behavioural patterns. Her work places particular emphasis on behavioural change and cognitive restructuring to support emotional wellbeing. She has led therapy groups addressing issues such as perfectionism, performance and presentation anxiety, low self-acceptance, difficulty tolerating uncertainty, and health-related anxiety.

With a practical and compassionate style, Ariela helps patients understand and modify unhelpful beliefs, supporting them to regain control over their thoughts, emotions and actions. She is especially experienced in treating generalised anxiety disorder, health anxiety, phobias and panic attacks, using evidence-based techniques including exposure and behavioural strategies.