Dr Paula Bermudez
Integrative psychologistAbout Me
Hello! I'm Paula, a qualified Counselling Psychologist, and I'd love to help you on your journey toward healing and self-discovery.
Perhaps you're down or anxious - maybe you're unsure about the future of a relationship, or you find yourself repeating the same patterns in life, and you find it difficult to carry on. Making the first step to seek help is often the hardest one, and if you are reading this, it may well mean that you have started to consider that this may be the right time for you to engage in therapy.
Therapy is a process of growth and self-discovery, and in my sessions I aim to create a safe and non-judgement space, where we could build a therapeutic relationship so you could feel comfortable to talk freely, at your own pace, about what matters to you. I believe that this is a fundamental aspect of therapy, so I will be working collaboratively with you to help you think and understand your past, present and future, attending to your thoughts, behaviours and feelings. My goal is to empower you to feel and cope better, so you can make conscious choices about how you want to live your life in a way that is meaningful to you.
My Therapeutic approach:
I believe that there is no particular therapy or approach that works for everyone. We are all unique human beings, and therefore therapy has to be designed based on the multifaceted needs of each individual. This has been strongly supported by research and my clinical experience.
My doctoral training as a Counselling Psychologist has equipped me to understand and work with people in a holistic way, providing me with knowledge and skills to be able to adapt to my client's needs, combining different therapeutic models in a congruent and sensitive manner.
I work in a relational and flexible way, which means that I use the therapeutic relationship as a vehicle to help us make sense of your ways of relating, and whilst my core modality is Psychodynamic therapy I can also incorporate techniques and theories from Humanistic, Systemic and Cognitive Behavioural therapy (CBT), depending on your particular needs.
On our first session:
The initial consultation is an opportunity for both of us to think about how we could work together. I would want to find out more about your difficulties and the kind of help you might need, and you can ask me any questions you may have, so we could make a decision together.
You can also find more details about me and my practice on my personal website https://www.paulabermudez.com/
Issues often worked with
Types of therapy
Therapy offered
Client groups
Fees
I offer individual sessions in English and Spanish. We can agree to work short-term or long-term, depending on your needs and preferences.
Regular fees:
Therapy sessions are usually arranged weekly and last for 50 minutes. The fee is £75 per session. The initial session requires advance payment to be booked and it is £80 for 60 minutes.
Concession fees:
I am able to offer concession rates to trainees, students or people currently unemployed who are struggling financially. Contact me to enquiry.
Insurance funded session:
I also offer insurance funded sessions. I have Provider Recognition with Aviva, AXA PPP, WPA and Vitality. The fee is £100 per session.
Free 10-15 minute initial consultation:
If you have clarifying questions you want to ask before making the first appointment, contact me to arrange a free 10-15 minute phone or video consultation.
Get in touch! I am here to help.
Training and qualifications
Training: I am a qualified Counselling Psychologist (Professional Doctorate in Counselling Psych from University of East London) with a BSc in Psychology, which I completed in Spain.
Experience: I have been working in different mental health settings since 2012, including charities, home programmes, and primary and secondary care services in the NHS. I have experience working with children, families and adults, providing both short-term and long-term therapy with a variety of people dealing with circumstances unique to their lives.
Apart from my private practice, I work at the University of East London (UEL) in research related matters in the Prof Doc Programme in Counselling Psychology, and I also have been involved in training and supervising counsellors. I also work part-time in a Secondary Care NHS Service providing long term Psychodynamic therapy to adults presenting with severe and enduring mental health difficulties.
I love my work and I ensure my professional development with regular clinical supervision and attending trainings to continue providing the best care I can to all my clients.
As a registered member of the British Psychological Society (BPS) and the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC), I work following their ethical framework and standard of proficiency.