Sheetal Bharucha is a counsellor in SE1
What attracted you to become a therapist?
I wanted to be doing work that felt meaningful to me, where I was able to connect with people, to help them find out more about what they were experiencing and how together we could work towards change. I had in the past had therapy myself and found it helped me so much.
Where did you train?
I trained at the University of Greenwich where I completed my MSc.
Can you tell us about the type of therapy you practise?
I am an integrative psychotherapist, which means that I lean on different theories and techniques from humanistic, CBT (cognitive behavioural therapy) and psychodynamic therapies to find the best way to help someone.
I knew very early on that I wanted to train integratively because there was so much truth in all the different ideas and theories, so much overlap also and I wanted to be able to find the way of working that best suited my client. I feel integrative training allows me to do this.
What sort of people do you usually see?
I work in individual counselling, I see adults, young people and children.
What do you like about being a therapist?
I love that I am able to be myself, to be true to who I am and build real relationships with people that come to me for help. It can be hard to listen and share other peoples pain, you are with people at their weakest and most vulnerable but it is also a privilege.
What is less pleasant?
I find that if I am not on top of my self-care it can affect me both personally and my work and so its so important that I am constantly checking in with myself. Sometimes you have to turn clients away because you can’t take on more work and this is difficult.
How long you’ve been with welldoing.org and what you think of us?
I have been with welldoing.org for a few months now. I particularly like therapy stories, as I think it is nice for others to see how therapy has been helpful to real people.
Do you ever suggest books or apps to clients?
I do sometimes suggest books that clients may find useful in their psychoeducation and I do mention apps that may help with mindful and meditative practice.
What you do for your own mental health?
I spend time alone, I journal, make time to do things I enjoy like read and watch movies. I make sure I connect with my friends and family. I also seek therapy when I am feeling like it may be useful to talk to someone else.
You are a therapist in London Bridge. What can you share with us about seeing clients in this area?
I suppose being in the heart of London means that the majority of my clients are working professionals. Depending on where they are coming from it may take time to settle into a session, if people are coming straight from the office they need a few moments to switch gear.
What’s your consultation room like?
I have a room in a building with mixed offices, although there are other therapists on site there are a number of different business which gives it a nice energy. I wanted my consulting room to reflect me as well be comfortable for my clients. So it is filled with art and objects that I enjoy and of course a comfy sofa for clients.
What do you wish people knew about therapy?
That your therapist wants you to feel comfortable as the relationship you have with them will determine your therapy. Also having someone truly listen to you for 50 minutes can be therapeutic in itself.
What did you learn about yourself in therapy?
Everything! Or at least that was how it felt at the time. I found that there was so much I was hiding from myself and therapy just really brought those things to the surface for me so I was able to really know myself and go on to be more accepting.
