Psychotherapy and counselling for individuals and couples

 In Hampstead 

I am an Integrative psychotherapist and counsellor seeing individuals and couples at the Priory Wellbeing Centre and Hospital; and in my consulting rooms in Hampstead in north west London. I am committed to providing psychotherapy and counselling in a safe, confidential and non-judgemental environment. I embrace an attitude that affirms the inherent value of each individual, and offer a flexible yet pragmatic approach. Being integrative, I draw on many therapeutic disciplines, which means that I call upon an extensive range of maps, models and understanding from various theoretical systems. Each provides its own valuable perspective and is enhanced when carefully integrated with another. The term ‘integrative’ also refers to the process of integrating the personality, taking disowned aspects of the self and bringing them into awareness, therefore reducing the need for self-defeating defence mechanisms and behaviour. Having practiced for over a decade; besides my private practice, my experience in psychotherapy and counselling includes seeing individuals and couples for the Priory Wellbeing Centre and psychiatric Hospital; the Tavistock Centre for Couple Relationships; and the Camden, Islington and Westminster Bereavement Service.  I work with both individuals and couples, from diverse and varied backgrounds, on an open-ended basis or for an agreed time period, with the aim of enabling you to enhance your wellbeing and quality of life and to live life more fully.

I am experienced in helping clients who have struggled with:

·          Stress

·          Relationships

·          Panic Attacks

·          Anxiety

·          Psychosomatic symptoms

·          Trauma

·          Eating disorders

·          Existential crisis

·          Bereavement

·          Redundancy

·          Depression, and

·          Addiction

·          Other issues

Couple Counselling and Psychotherapy

Relationships are an essential part of our lives, from family and friends to partners and spouses. We have a natural tendency to develop intimate and intense relationships with a few select individuals, which can bring joy and happiness. Difficulties in relationships are one of the most common causes of unhappiness, and often bring people into therapy.

The reasons for seeking relationship therapy include:
•Sense of something missing/lost in the relationship
•Lack of communication with partner
•Escalating arguments/ circular arguments
•Loss of intimacy and sexual desire
•Impact of professional life on the relationship
•Adapting to marriage or becoming parents
•Impact of post natal depression or bereavement on the relationship
•Feeling badly treated by partner
•Repeating destructive relationship patterns
•Infidelity
•Commitment difficulties
•Divorce and separation
•Coping with a break up

Couple Therapy offers a safe and confidential environment where individuals and couples can explore their relationship concerns with an experienced, professional therapist. By helping you to identify the roots of your difficulties, relationship counselling brings clarity and facilitates positive change.

Why have Counselling/Psychotherapy?
At certain times, our emotional health may need professional consideration, and so it is always important to address what may be emotionally difficult for you. Whilst some problems can be dealt with on your own, others need the guidance of a skilled professional.

What Conditions Can Psychotherapy Help?
Psychotherapy can help a multitude of emotional, relational and psychosomatic conditions, associated with work; family relationships; intimate relationships; stress; anxiety; depression; managing anger or simply not feeling you are achieving the life you want to lead.

What Benefits can be Expected?
We are all individual. Our emotional strengths and vulnerabilities differ, just like our physical strength and stamina. Therapy will therefore be a personal process helping improve emotional health and functioning over time and even post treatment.

Choosing a proactive solution to solve any difficulties or distress can often be challenging and demanding. Taking the decision to seek a professional psychotherapist is being proactive in getting help.

My counselling and psychotherapy clinics are located in Hampstead in North West London and are easily reached from Belsize Park tube or Hampstead Heath overground..

 About Psychotherapy

At certain times, our emotional health may need professional consideration, and so it is always important to address what may be emotionally difficult for you. Whilst some problems can be dealt with on your own, others need the guidance of a skilled professional.

What Conditions Can Counselling and Psychotherapy Help?
Psychotherapy can help a multitude of emotional, relational and psychosomatic conditions, associated with work; family relationships; intimate relationships; stress; anxiety; depression; managing anger or simply not feeling you are achieving the life you want to lead.

What Benefits can be Expected?
We are all individual. Our emotional strengths and vulnerabilities differ, just like our physical strength and stamina. Therapy will therefore be a personal process helping improve emotional health and functioning over time and even post treatment.

Choosing a proactive solution to solve any difficulties or distress can often be challenging and demanding. Taking the decision to seek a professional psychotherapist is being proactive in getting help.

Terms
To ensure that psychotherapy has the best chance of being helpful to you, it is essential that the framework within which the work takes place is set out before we start.

Regularity - Sessions are 50 minutes, once a week, at a regular time agreed between us. If you should arrive late, the session will still finish at the end of the arranged 50 minutes.

Cancellations - If you are unable to attend a session please let me know the week before. If it is possible to re-schedule the session for a time that is convenient for both of us, I will endeavour to do so. If not, the fee for the missed session is payable in full.

Holidays - I will give notice of my intended holidays in advance. Should you take a holiday outside of these times and it is possible to re-schedule the session/s for a time that is convenient for both of us, I am happy to do so. If not, the fee for the missed session/s is payable in full.

Payment - I will invoice you at the end of each session and ask you to pay either then, or via online banking.

Ethical Framework - I abide by the code of ethics of the UKCP.

Confidentiality - The sessions are completely confidential except under three circumstances: 1. If I believe you are at risk of harming yourself or others, I reserve the right to break confidentiality in order to prevent harm. However, I would only do this in extreme circumstances and would always discuss it first with you before taking any action. 2. From time to time I will discuss my work with a clinical supervisor, this is standard practice for psychotherapists at all levels of experience and helps me to work as well as I can with you. (My supervisor is bound by the same code of ethics and confidentiality as I am). 3. If required by a court of law to give evidence (e.g., in criminal proceedings).

Ending Therapy - Where our work extends beyond eight weeks, I recommend that we have at least three week’s notice of ending to allow us a proper conclusion. If at any point you decide you want to end therapy, please talk to me about this in the sessions, rather than by telephone or email.

Frequently Asked Questions

Please feel free to contact me by email with any questions.

What is psychotherapy?
Psychotherapy is a formal and professional relationship within which an individual can explore difficult, and often painful, emotions and experiences. It is a collaborative effort between therapist and client which seeks to increase the capacity for self awareness and choice.  By exploring ideas together and being curious about behaviour and what lays behind it, the process of good psychotherapy can help people to deal with their emotional or psychological problems and live more satisfying and fulfilling lives.

What is the difference between psychotherapy and counselling?
While counselling tends to be shorter term and focuses on the resolution of a specific issue or immediate crisis, psychotherapy usually takes longer and goes into deeper rooted issues. The aim of psychotherapy is to facilitate fundamental changes within the whole of the person.

How is it different from talking with a friend?
The support of family and friends during difficult times can be invaluable, but even the most well intentioned friend or family member cannot offer what psychotherapy does. Besides issues about confidentiality, the lives of our loved ones are inevitably intertwined with our own, and communication takes place within the framework of a set of basic assumptions about our place within our family or social system. This system may be threatened if an individual within it starts to challenge those assumptions. Psychotherapy, however, aims to empower the individual.

How do I know if I need psychotherapy?
If talking to friends or reading self help books has failed to help you make a change for the better in your life and you are frustrated with the way things seem to be turning out, psychotherapy may be able to help you. Perhaps you know your problems are too big or complex to handle alone or maybe others have suggested that you need to get help. If, over the years you have tried various strategies and had no real lasting or deep changes or, you seem to be falling short of what you believe to be your full potential in relationships and/or your working life, you may benefit from therapy.

Will I become dependent on the therapist?
Research suggests that the relationship between therapist and client is more important than the type of therapy on offer. This is the most significant factor in determining outcome. Therefore, while it is important to choose someone who is properly qualified and registered with the relevant professional bodies (for example, in the UK, the UKCP and/or the BACP), finding someone that you feel you can trust and who you sense will have hope for you is the best criteria to use.

How long does it take?
It isn't possible to predict the duration of therapy, it depends on the issues you want to work on and how you define success. In general, a specific issue with a short history will probably be dealt with fairly quickly, for example in 10 to 20 sessions of counselling. However, a less specific issue with a long history such as "I always seem to choose the wrong partner" will probably need a much longer time period to be dealt with, maybe six months to several years.

How do I choose a therapist?

Research suggests that the relationship between therapist and client is more important than the type of therapy on offer. This is the most significant factor in determining outcome. Therefore, while it is important to choose someone who is properly qualified and registered with the relevant professional bodies (for example, in the UK, the UKCP and/or the BACP), finding someone that you feel you can trust and who you sense will have hope for you is the best criteria to use.

How do I take the first step?
Once you have decided that you would like to consider entering therapy I recommend an evaluation session. Together we can think about what your goals for therapy might be and at the same time see how it feels to work together. If we are both happy to proceed we can make arrangements to start as soon as it is mutually convenient. If, however, one or both of us feel that we don't 'click' with the other, I would be happy to provide referrals to other therapists.