Lucie Abadi-Johns is a psychotherapist in Manchester

What attracted you to become a therapist?

I’ve always been interested in what sits underneath the way people think, feel and behave, and particularly in the patterns we can find ourselves repeating without fully understanding why. Having personal therapy myself in my late teens and early twenties was also a really important part of my journey. I found it incredibly useful to have a space where I could slow down, understand myself more deeply and make sense of things I hadn’t necessarily had the opportunity to explore before. Experiencing therapy from the client’s side gave me a real appreciation for how valuable it can be to have someone alongside you who can offer a different perspective, without judgement.

That experience stayed with me and contributed to my decision to train as a therapist. I wanted to create that same kind of space for other people. Somewhere they can feel heard, understood and able to explore themselves honestly.

I particularly value the idea that therapy isn’t about telling someone how they should live their life, but about helping them develop a better understanding of themselves so that they can make their own choices with greater awareness and confidence.

Where did you train as a therapist?

I have a BSc in Psychology and went on to complete a Level 7 Diploma in Integrative Psychotherapy, specialising in Integrative Transactional Analysis at the Manchester Institute of Psychotherapy. As part of my clinical training, I completed a 100-hour placement.

Since qualifying, I have continued to develop my clinical practice through supervised work and ongoing professional development. I currently have more than 450 hours of post-qualification supervised practice and I am registered with both UKCP and BACP.

Can you tell us about the type of therapy you practise?

I practise integrative Transactional Analysis (TA), which gives me a framework for understanding how our past experiences can influence the way we think, feel and relate to ourselves and other people. I find it particularly useful because it helps us explore patterns that may have developed over time, while also recognising that people have the capacity to change and develop.

I work relationally with my clients, which means I place a lot of importance on the therapeutic relationship we build together. I believe that feeling safe, understood and genuinely heard is an important part of the therapeutic process. Rather than taking a one-size-fits-all approach, I work collaboratively with each client and adapt the way we work according to their individual needs and experiences.

I chose an integrative approach because I value being able to draw on different ways of understanding and working with a client, while TA provides an important foundation for how I make sense of what happens both within the client and within the therapeutic relationship itself.

One area I particularly enjoy working with is anxiety. From an integrative TA perspective, we can look beyond the immediate anxiety and explore the patterns underneath it, for example, whether someone has learned to be highly self-critical, to anticipate rejection, to please others or to feel that they need to get everything right in order to feel safe or accepted.

Understanding where these patterns come from can help clients separate what they learned in the past from what they actually need in the present. The aim isn’t simply to make anxiety disappear, but to develop greater awareness, self-compassion and choice in how they respond to difficult situations.

This can be particularly helpful for people who understand their anxiety intellectually but still feel as though they are caught in the same reactions.

What sort of people do you usually see?

I primarily work with adults and I’m particularly interested in working with people who feel stuck, anxious or overwhelmed, and with clients who want to understand the underlying patterns behind their thoughts, emotions and behaviour rather than simply focusing on the presenting symptom.

I have a particular interest in working with neurodivergent clients and young adults, including people navigating university, work, relationships, identity and the transition into adulthood. I also have a clinical interest in ADHD and the emotional and relational experiences that can accompany neurodivergence.

Clients don’t need to arrive knowing exactly what is wrong or what they need from therapy. Often, making sense of that is part of the work we do together.

Have you noticed any recent mental health trends or wider changes in attitude?

I think there is a growing willingness to talk openly about mental health, which is positive, but I also notice that people can sometimes feel pressure to understand or label themselves very quickly. Social media has made psychological language much more accessible, but it can also encourage people to fit complex experiences into a simple label.

I’m particularly interested in the increasing conversation around neurodiversity. More people are seeking assessments and exploring whether experiences such as ADHD might help explain difficulties they have had for years. At the same time, I think it is important to leave room for the individual story behind a label. Two people can have the same diagnosis and completely different experiences.

For me, therapy provides a space to slow that process down and explore the person rather than reducing them to a diagnosis or a collection of symptoms.

What do you like about being a therapist?

The relationship is probably the part I value most. I feel very privileged that clients trust me with parts of their lives that they may not have shared with many other people.

I love the moments when something starts to make sense for a client, when they recognise a pattern, understand where it came from, or realise that they have more choice than they thought they did. I also enjoy that every client teaches me something. No two therapeutic relationships are the same, so the work is constantly making me think, reflect and learn.

What is less pleasant?

The hardest part is probably accepting that therapy can’t always provide quick answers. People understandably want to feel better, and sometimes meaningful change takes time. It can be difficult to sit alongside someone when they are struggling without being able to simply fix things for them.

The work can also be emotionally demanding, which is why supervision, boundaries and looking after my own wellbeing are such important parts of practising responsibly.

How long have you been with Welldoing and what you think of us?

I’ve only been with Welldoing for a couple of months, but I’ve really been enjoying it so far. I’ve already got involved with some of the CPD sessions and I’m looking forward to taking part in more as I continue to build my practice.

I really like the way the site is set out and how easy it is to navigate, both as a therapist and for clients looking for the right kind of support. I’m looking forward to developing my ongoing working relationship with Welldoing and making the most of what the platform offers as my practice continues to grow.

What books have been important to you in terms of your professional and personal development? Do you ever recommend books to clients?

Two books that have been particularly important to me are:

Why Has Nobody Told Me This Before? by Dr Julie Smith and I’m OK – You’re OK by Thomas A. Harris.

Why Has Nobody Told Me This Before? has been valuable to me because it presents psychological ideas in a really accessible and practical way. I like the way it gives people tools and ways of understanding their thoughts and emotions without making them feel overwhelmed by psychological terminology.

I’m OK – You’re OK has been particularly relevant to me professionally because of its connection to Transactional Analysis. It explores the different ways we can relate to ourselves and others, and the patterns that can develop within those relationships. It has helped deepen my understanding of TA concepts and how they can be applied to everyday relationships and experiences.

I do recommend books to clients when I feel they might complement the work we are doing in therapy, although I think it is important that they are relevant to the individual rather than simply giving someone a reading list. Sometimes having something to reflect on between sessions can help clients continue exploring an idea at their own pace.

You are a therapist in Altrincham. What can you share with us about seeing clients in this area?

I’m based in Altrincham and work with clients across the wider Greater Manchester area, as well as online.

I’m based in Altrincham, which I really enjoy because it gives me the opportunity to work with people from a wide range of backgrounds, including many young professionals and people living and working across South Manchester. I think there can be a particular pressure in areas like Altrincham where people can appear to be doing well from the outside, while internally they may be struggling with relationships, expectations, decisions about their future or simply feeling stuck.

A lot of the people I work with are at a point where they are questioning what they want from their lives, whether that’s in their career, relationships or their sense of identity. I enjoy working with people during those periods of uncertainty because therapy can provide a space away from the pressures of everyday life to slow down, understand what is really going on and work out what feels right for them.

Being close to Manchester and well connected across South Manchester also makes Altrincham a convenient location for clients who may work in different parts of the city but want somewhere local and more personal to have their sessions.

What’s your consultation room like?

My consultation space is calm, comfortable and intentionally not overly clinical. I want clients to feel that they can settle in and be themselves rather than feeling as though they have entered a formal medical environment.

I think the physical environment matters because therapy involves being vulnerable, and feeling comfortable and safe in the room can make that process a little easier.

What do you wish people knew about therapy?

You don’t have to wait until things are at their worst before coming to therapy, and you also don’t need to have everything figured out before you start.

I think there is sometimes an expectation that therapy is about receiving advice or being told what to do. For me, it is much more collaborative than that. My role isn’t to tell someone how to live their life; it is to help them understand themselves more clearly so that they can make their own choices.

I’d also like people to know that finding the right therapist matters. The relationship is a big part of the work, so it is completely reasonable to think about whether a therapist’s approach and personality feel like a good fit for you.

What did you learn about yourself in therapy?

One of the most important things I have learned is how valuable it is to become curious about our own patterns rather than judging ourselves for having them. We all develop ways of coping that make sense in the context of our experiences, even when those ways of coping may no longer be helpful.

Therapy has reinforced for me that self-understanding is not about finding something wrong with yourself. It is about becoming more aware of your needs, your boundaries, your relationships and the choices available to you. That perspective is something I try to bring into my work with clients too.