Individual Therapy
Making the decision to start therapy is very often a difficult one. In a society that demands so much from us, that is so fast-paced and impose productivity over everything else, it is difficult to make the decision to take the time to take care of our mental health and wellbeing and invest in ourselves. So first of all, well done for making this life changing step!
As a counselling psychologist, I am trained and qualified in different therapeutic modalities and I tailor the therapy to your needs, also considering what might work best for you based on your personality and preferences. I apply research evidence and theory to assess and address the difficulties you bring to therapy. At the end of the assessment session, we will discuss together the type of therapy that might be more appropriate to address your specific goals and needs.
I offer weekly appointment in my clinic in Wimbledon as well as Online Therapy sessions if needed.
The main therapeutic approaches I offer are:
Psychodynamic and Psychoanalytic Approaches
These theoretical approaches focus on the ways in which early experiences in the relationships with family and important people in our life can affect our wellbeing and emotional development as well as shape the way we relate to ourselves and others. In fact, early experiences can have deep effects that are mostly unconscious; the therapeutic work focuses on developing an understanding of the distress rooted in such experiences.
Within this approach I place particular emphasis on relational factors and focuses on the way myself and the client relate to one another and the kind of unconscious dynamics that get re-created in our relationship, working collaboratively to make sense of how these dynamics and ways of being with each other may be linked to the difficulties they bring to therapy. This approach is usually described as a long-term approach given its characteristic of dealing with the unconscious of the individual.
This is my preferred approach; however, as previously explained, I can also use and integrate different techniques from other approaches that might be better suited to address the specific needs of the client.
Humanistic and Person-centred Approaches
These theoretical approaches focus on the way we feel about ourselves and the factors that have an impact on our sense of self. Distress is generally conceptualised as being related to a lack of self-worth. The work is client-led and centred on the notion that by providing the right conditions an individual can become who they truly are and reach their full potential.
The therapist will offer a relationship in which they commit to be transparent and authentic in how they experience the client, a relationship where the client is unconditionally accepted, valued and understood. The work generally focuses on building self-esteem and developing an understanding of how the client have learnt to perceive themselves. This approach is usually not described in term of short-term or long-term as it very much depends on the direction and needs of the client. Some client benefit from long-term work, while others find benefits after fewer sessions.
Cognitive Behavioural Approaches
These theoretical approaches focus on how our inner beliefs, thoughts and attitudes towards situations, things and the world affect our feelings and determine how we behave. Within this approach, distress is conceptualised as unhelpful thinking patters and behaviours that create difficulties.
The work is goal-oriented and problem specific focusing on present issues. Working together the therapist will help the client to identify and change these unhelpful thinking patterns that have become ‘automatic’ over time and help them to find new ways to behave. This often involves helping clients develop problem-specific coping strategies that help them to manage their challenges. This approach is usually described as a short-term approach given its characteristic of working with specific attainable goals.
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