Camilla works at The Pink Protocol, an online specialist psychosexual therapy practice
What attracted you to become a therapist?
My interest in therapy began in childhood, when I became curious about the therapist’s capacity to recognise and understand what others might overlook. I was drawn less to being heard than to the attentive, interpretive role of the therapist.
Qualities that other adults sometimes labelled “too much” or “too intense” were welcomed by the therapist as enthusiasm, vibrancy and curiosity. Therapy offered a place where questions were natural, rather than silenced through frustration. I was very much drawn to what the therapeutic space represented: safety, attention and hope.
Although my route into therapy was not straightforward, my background in social work and practice education allowed me to recognise that support frequently centred on navigating systems, signposting and addressing practical needs. While these interventions are undoubtedly critical, I increasingly felt drawn to offering those facing deeply personal difficulties something more meaningful than another referral.
This commitment became more focused through my work with women affected by sexual violence and exploitation. Listening to their experiences revealed how trauma, stigma, sexuality, relationships and wider social attitudes intersect, while also exposing how rarely people are offered a safe space in which to explore the enduring effects on intimacy and sexual wellbeing.
That awareness shaped not only the work I wanted to undertake, but also the therapeutic environment I hoped to create. I have long been interested in the conditions that enable people to feel safe, comfortable and fully themselves, from colour, texture and sensory experience to the atmosphere of the room itself. The Pink Protocol emerged from this conviction that to be taken seriously in therapy should never require us to leave parts of ourselves at the door.
Becoming a therapist therefore represented a shift from simply wanting to understand and help, towards developing the clinical capacity to accompany people as they make sense of their own experiences. I wanted to offer the kind of space that had first captivated me. In retrospect, I recognise that much of what adults once experienced as “excessive” was connected to my neurodivergence, although I was not diagnosed with ADHD and autism until adulthood.
Where did you train as a therapist?
I hold an MSc in Psychosexual Therapy and am registered with COSRT as a psychosexual therapist. My clinical training included a placement with the Barts Health NHS Trust East London Psychosexual Service, alongside counselling work supporting survivors of sexual violence.
Can you tell us about the type of therapy you practise?
Psychosexual therapy is a specialist talking therapy that explores the emotional, psychological, relational and physical factors affecting intimacy and sexual wellbeing. It gives clients a confidential, non-judgemental space to discuss concerns that may feel difficult to raise elsewhere, without assumptions about what their bodies, relationships or sexuality should look like.
I chose to specialise in psychosexual therapy because of my professional work supporting women affected by sexual violence and exploitation. That work brought me into close contact with the ways trauma, stigma, social expectations and inequality can shape people’s relationships with themselves and others. My work with women in the sex industry also strengthened my interest in feminist, sex-worker-affirmative practice and in challenging the assumptions and stigma that can surround sexuality.
Psychosexual therapy felt like a natural extension of that work. It allows me to bring together my clinical training with my wider professional experience and to offer people a space to explore the parts of their lives that can sometimes be left out of traditional conversations about mental health.
How does psychosexual therapy help with symptoms of trauma?
Trauma can affect how people experience their bodies, relationships, intimacy and sense of safety, sometimes long after the immediate experience. Psychosexual therapy can provide a space to explore these feelings, at a pace that feels manageable for the individual, helping them understand the connections between their experiences, emotions and relationships.
Rather than treating symptoms in isolation, we can reflect on what those experiences mean and how they may affect intimacy, boundaries, desire, arousal or relationships. The aim is not to prescribe what intimacy should be, but to help clients understand themselves more fully and identify what feels right for them.
What sort of people do you usually see?
I provide inclusive psychotherapy for individuals, couples, and clients in diverse relationship structures aged 16 and over, specialising in psychosexual health and trauma recovery. My practice addresses physiological and psychological challenges, including concerns surrounding desire, arousal, orgasmic functioning, and genito-pelvic pain/penetration disorder, as well as the enduring impacts of trauma and sexual violence. I offer a deeply affirming space for LGBTQIA2S+ clients, individuals from conservative religious or cultural backgrounds, and anyone navigating sexual shame, identity exploration, or bodily disconnection to safely rebuild intimacy and self-worth.
I also offer support for compulsive pornography use and unmanageable sexual behaviours. Additionally, I work with clients in kink and consensual non-monogamy communities, honouring a multitude of relational and sexual paths without imposing a single standard.
People come to therapy for many different reasons, and my role is to meet each person where they are.
Have you noticed any recent changes in mental health, or in wider attitudes?
I think we are living through a particularly complicated time in relation to gender, sexuality and identity. There is greater visibility and public discussion around subjects that have historically received little meaningful attention, but this sits alongside significant social and political tensions. The rise of the manosphere, continuing violence against women and girls, femicide, debates around trans rights and the stigma experienced by people working in the sex industry are all part of a wider environment impacting on people’s sense of safety, identity and belonging.
Dedicated to improving therapeutic access, I actively welcome those who face systemic barriers to care, including sex workers, survivors of exploitation, and those with insecure immigration status, ensuring a supportive environment, free from institutional judgment.
It is my responsibility to ensure care is genuinely safe, appropriate, and culturally competent. When providers lack contextual or social awareness, therapy risks repeating the very stigma clients are seeking solace from.
What do you like about being a therapist?
I value holding a confidential, non-performative, and unedited space, where clients can explore difficult or previously unarticulated experiences.
I view therapy as a collaborative process. My role is to help clients develop their own self-understanding and make meaningful choices, rather than providing prescriptive answers.
Witnessing clients reconnect with parts of themselves that previously felt inaccessible and hear them begin to speak of themselves with greater compassion and confidence is deeply rewarding. It is a privilege to accompany them as new possibilities emerge.
What is less pleasant?
One of the challenges of therapeutic work is recognising that people’s wellbeing is often shaped by circumstances beyond the therapy room. I can help someone develop greater understanding, new ways of responding, and to make meaningful changes in their lives, but external systems also need attention.
It is difficult to witness the impact of stigma, discrimination, trauma or inadequate access to support, particularly for clients who have long gone unheard. However, I believe that individual and social change are bound together. We may not be able to fix broken systems instantaneously, but we can contribute to the wider process through building insight and creating safer conditions, one conversation, and one relationship at a time.
How long have you been with Welldoing, and what do you think of us?
I have recently joined Welldoing, so I am still getting to know the platform. I was particularly drawn to the way you match clients’ needs with practitioners’ expertise. I am looking forward to familiarising myself with the site’s resources and networking within our professional community.
What books have been important to you in terms of your professional and personal development? Do you ever recommend books to clients?
My professional and personal growth has been deeply influenced by a few of the following key texts that challenge stigma and expand clinical perspectives.
We Too: Essays on Sex Work and Survival, edited by Natalie West with Tina Horn and with a foreword by Selena the Stripper, has been particularly influential in shaping my thinking about whose experiences are centred in conversations around sexual violence, exploitation and survival. I found its intersectional perspective especially important, particularly in considering how race, class and working in the sex industry can influence whose experiences are heard, believed and given legitimacy.
Essential Clinical Care for Sex Workers: A Sex-Positive Handbook for Mental Health Practitioners, by Theodore R. Burnes and Jamila M. Dawson has also helped me professionally, particularly in considering how clinical practice can be genuinely affirming and responsive to the experiences of sex workers, rather than imposing assumptions or stigma.
Systemic Sex Therapy, by Katherine M. Hertlein, Nancy Gambescia and Gerald R. Weeks, has been valuable in developing my clinical understanding of sexual difficulties within their wider relational and systemic contexts.
Menopausing, by Davina McCall resonated with me because of the significant gaps that still exist in education and conversation around menopause and women’s health. I found it particularly interesting in considering how little women are taught about these changes until they experience them.
I do sometimes recommend books to clients, but I tend to do so selectively, with intention, and according to what feels relevant to the individual. Books help introduce new conversations, so I use them more as tools for thought, rather than as a blueprint for understanding one’s own lived experience.
What do you do for your own mental health?
Looking after my mental health means giving myself permission to slow down. I value quiet time at home, being creative, and walking my Chihuahua, Buttercup. I jokingly call our walks “Pink Protocrawling.” They keep us present, stopping me from mentally rehearsing a growing to-do list.
I find comfort in joyful surroundings and value humour. Being able to laugh at myself is a highly effective way to gain perspective.
I have also learned to recognise my limits. Therapists are not immune to pressure. A sustainable practice requires genuine rest and time away from work, without turning self-care into another performative chore.
You are a therapist in London. What can you share with us about seeing clients in this area?
Working online and in London allows me to support clients from a wide range of backgrounds and circumstances. London's incredible diversity is directly reflected in those who seek psychosexual therapy.
I am committed to making therapy accessible to individuals who may not see themselves represented in mainstream services. My goal is to provide an inclusive space where diverse identities and lifestyles are fully understood, never requiring explanation or justification.
What is your consultation room like?
My consultation space is designed to feel warm, welcoming, and distinctly non-clinical. Because The Pink Protocol emphasises sensory experience, the environment incorporates colour, comforting textures, and playful details, while remaining calm and private.
I want clients to have control over their environment. Whether they prefer softer lighting or simply need a safe space to settle without feeling the pressure to perform, their comfort is the priority.
There may also be the occasional appearance from Buttercup the Chihuahua, our unofficial Chief Mindfulness Officer, though her therapeutic credentials remain under review.
What do you wish people knew about therapy?
I wish more people knew that therapy is a proactive space for prevention, reflection, and self-understanding, rather than a resource reserved only for moments of crisis.
While friends and family provide vital support, we often filter our thoughts to avoid causing worry or feeling like a burden. Therapy offers a dedicated environment where you do not have to manage the professional's reactions or protect their feelings. You are welcome to bring whatever feels confusing, uncomfortable, or unfinished, with the dedicated time to begin making sense of it.
What did you learn about yourself in therapy?
Therapy has taught me the quiet power of reflexivity, a capacity that evolves as we grow. There is a persistent, patriarchal misconception that with time, women become invisible, but I have found the radical opposite to be true. Self-acceptance has rendered me entirely visible to myself, allowing me to meet my own experiences with genuine curiosity and compassion.
For me, therapy was never about becoming a finished product. It is about developing the resilience to hold space for who I am as I change, honouring both my natural abilities and my unique challenges. For neurodivergent individuals, this distinction is vital. There is immense freedom in working with how our brains naturally operate, rather than forcing ourselves to play an exhausting, metaphorical game of life Jenga, where everyday demands feel like pulling a structural block from an already compromised foundation. By adopting the right tools, we can stop merely managing our survival and start leveraging our strengths.
The world is challenging enough without waging an internal war. Therapy provides the self-compassion and practical strategies needed to stop fighting our own wiring, enabling us to live more comfortably, more authentically, and more fully as who we truly are.
