Thrive with Katie Ward

General information

In 2005 Rob Kelly – a psychotherapist with over 25 years clinical experience – began testing a variety of simple psychological interventions he had been developing, with the help of a researcher at Cambridge University.

For some time, Rob had been disillusioned with traditional forms of therapy: they were often drawn-out, stressful and expensive for the client and all too frequently, not that effective.

Despite this, he did however manage to help a number of people make incredible changes in their lives. Rob pinpointed exactly how they were creating their symptoms and problems and showed them how they could overcome them WITHOUT the need for therapy.

Rob has mapped out the cognitive processes and thinking styles that are linked to the limiting beliefs people held about themselves and their lives. He is confident that it wasn’t the experiences of the past that causes the symptoms, stress, anxiety and conflict, but the BELIEFS about those experiences held in the present.

As a much more effective way to overcome psychological problems, The Thrive Programme was born.

Over the last ten years, Rob and his team have moved further and further away from the ‘medical model’ (waiting until someone is sick or ill and then trying to fix them) towards a ‘health model’ (giving people the skills and resources to manage their own mental well-being, so that they don’t become sick or ill). This is now the core element of the programme.

Rob has now trained more than 100 Thrive Programme consultants and with their help, tens of thousands of people all around the world are now living their lives to the full.

Rob continues to undertake research and further develop his insights and skills. The Thrive Programme is now being used in schools, prisons, organisations, businesses, psychiatric hospitals and sports clubs. The books are currently being translated into several languages.