Being human is always complex, and at times it is harder than usual to think about it all alone. In psychotherapy we talk together, exploring our relationships with ourselves and with others, looking for the truth of what we feel and why we behave as we do. 

Whether your interest in therapy grows out of a current crisis or from a feeling of being stuck or confused I will listen carefully, thoughtfully, constructively and without judging you. In the consulting room we can  take the time to unravel what you are feeling and what you want to do with that knowledge. 

You may want to do this work for any number of reasons. A particular problem or issue in your professional, creative or family life could be causing you distress, or you might feel that things are not right in some way that you can’t quite define; motivations are as individual as people. I have worked with depression, anxiety, eating disorders, family issues and abuse, sexual and racial harassment, gender dysphoria, artistic and creative blocking, addiction and self-harm to name only a few, and each client has brought their own particularity to the work.

It's worth remembering that you don't necessarily know what it is you want or need to say; finding that out is the work we will do. There's no shame in not knowing. The easy advice others give to 'open up', 'connect with others', and so on masks just how hard that can be.  I won't know when we start to talk what it is you want to say, but I'm sure it will be worth your effort.

You may well want to know what psychotherapy can give you. I cannot answer that precisely, because you yourself will find the answers in the work we will do together. What I can say is you are likely to find yourself exploring a new way of experiencing yourself in the world, and to be more aware of yourself doing that.

How I work

My approach is psychoanalytic. This means that in the therapy we will give attention to the whole of you including your past, present and future, your conscious and your unconscious worlds. The connections between your words, thoughts and feelings that emerge will will allow us to find the best way of working together. I draw on rigorous classical analytical approaches which provide a basis for the exploration of current problems (professional, personal, sexual and so on) and of the unconscious patterns we have built up throughout our lives.

It's worth saying that therapy is about you and what you make of yourself, not what any psychoanalytic theory, however useful, makes of you.  As Donald Winnicott said, 'What patient wants to be someone else's poem or picture?' You might say that psychoanalytic therapy helps you to write, or even read, your own poem.

I speak good French and I am happy to work in the language.

The therapy I offer is open-ended. It can be as long (or as short) as you wish, and we will work at your pace. We can meet once, twice or three times weekly.

I am happy to arrange an exploratory session, after which we can discuss whether we will work together.

About me

I am experienced in psychotherapy and counselling through my work in private practice and as an honorary psychotherapist at the Guild of Psychotherapists and volunteer counsellor at Mind.

I draw also on many years’ work as a senior lawyer, including leading a department which represented thousands of survivors of personal injury, medical negligence, harassment and discrimination, specialising in cases on behalf of military personnel.

It was through my work with soldiers suffering from mental health problems as a result of their service that I found my interest in psychotherapy.

You may like to visit my website https://www.philippatuckmantherapy.org