PSYCHOTHERAPY
My integrative approach to psychotherapy means I work in a way which best suits you, drawing from psychodynamic, humanistic and narrative approaches. In practice, this means that we look at the past to understand the present, in order to form an idea of the life you want in the future. People choose therapy for a variety of reasons. It may be that you have a particular issue that you’d like to deal with, or perhaps there’s more of a general sense of dissatisfaction that you don’t understand. Often people come to therapy to explore the self-destructive patterns in their lives or relationships. There are times for all of us when we feel a bit lost, uncertain or stuck. Therapy offers an opportunity to explore and understand what is going on so that we can move forward. Sometimes this can be about making changes in our ways of thinking, feeling and behaving. At other times, it is about coming to an acceptance of things we can't change.
Therapy also offers the opportunity for a different kind of relationship, one in which you can feel accepted and supported so you can be honest about yourself and your feelings.
I have a private practice in Streatham, South London and also work with clients online. There are advantages to choosing online therapy over traditional face-to-face therapy, particularly if accessing a therapist is difficult due to location or restricted choice. In addition, online therapy works well for people whose lifestyles or commitments make it difficult to attend a set time each week.
In online therapy, we can agree mutually convenient times on a week-to-week basis and you can meet with me from the comfort of your own home or another location with appropriate privacy. You have the choice of receiving psychotherapy using video conferencing, voice call, instant messaging or email, using the Vsee platform (www.vsee.com). This platform offers the highest standards of security and confidentiality and is free and easy to use.
What to expect
I usually arrange a brief phone consultation (at no cost) prior to booking a first session. Our preliminary chat is a chance to get a sense of direction for the work and to find out more about my approach. Most importantly, it's an opportunity to get a sense of whether we'd be a good fit working together. If you decide to proceed, we'll then schedule a first session.
I often start the sessions by asking you what you'd like to focus on, just to make sure we're making the best use of our time together. That said, there's no set agenda and I'm generally led by you as to where our discussion takes us. Generally, it can be useful to think about what's happening for you at the moment as well as how this may relate to your past experiences. Thinking about your upbringing can be particularly useful as it helps us understand how some of your ways of thinking and feeling started.
It's difficult to say how many sessions would be best. That depends on the kinds of things you want to work on, but we can discuss this once we've started and got a better idea of what you're looking for.
Confidentiality
I work according to the ethical framework of good practice as specified by the British Psychological Society (BPS) and the United Kingdom Council of Psychotherapy (UKCP).
I keep what you tell me confidential and will not talk to anyone about what we talk about together, with the exception of my Supervisor. All counsellors talk about their work with a supervisor, who makes sure the counsellor is working effectively.
In some circumstances I may want to talk with you about the possibility of talking with someone else. This is in circumstances where I believe you are not able to take responsibility for your own decisions, or if I believe you are at risk of serious harm. There are situations where I, like all counsellors, must talk to someone else. This is if someone else seems at risk of serious harm, in an emergency situation or if ordered to do so by a court of law.