It can be confusing navigating the different types of therapy available.

Psychotherapy began with the talking therapy of Psychoanalysis developed by Freud in the late Victorian era which focussed on analysing our history. Since then there have been splits which have reevaluated therapy. These later forms of therapy fall under the umbrella of what is called a more Humanistic style which values respect for the client, a less hierarchical approach with an awareness of power-dynamics and are often more focussed on the present, though the past may come up if you feel it is relevant.

My training is in more Humanistic therapies - Person-Centred therapy, Transactional Analysis, Existential therapy and more recently specialising in Gestalt psychotherapy.

Having an understanding of the approach of your therapist can help you understand if you would like to work in that style.

That being said, research has shown that regardless of the school of thought your therapist subscribes to, the strength of the working relationship you build and how you feel with that therapist is the largest determining factor in the success of therapy (Lambert & Barley, 2001; Luborsky et al., 2002; Wampold, 2012).

Gestalt therapy was formulated in the early 1950s. “Gestalt” is a German word which doesn’t have a direct translation into English. Some translate it as “a whole that is perceived as more than the sum of its parts.”

It believes that by fostering a warm supportive environment in which to gain greater awareness of our self as a whole - our thoughts, feelings, body sensations, intuitions, underlying-beliefs and behaviours - we can then choice-fully navigate our world. In therapy the job of the therapist isn’t to be the arbiter of healthy behaviour but to empower you to get in touch with what feels right for you. Along the way I might invite you to experiment with doing something differently to help you decide how you want to be in the world.

We would meet weekly for 50 minutes at the same time each week. In our initial chat we would try and find a time that works with both of our schedules.

I take on both short- and long-term clients. We might work on something very specific and focus our work solely on that for a limited number of sessions or work in a more open-ended way, re-evaluating along the way the scope of our work until you decide you have gotten what you need from therapy.

We would assess in our first session together which approach would work best for what you are seeking from therapy.

The first step is to message me via the Contact Me form.

I offer an initial free 20-minute chat over the phone or online to ascertain whether we feel I am the right therapist for you.

If I am not I will try to refer you to a colleague or local service more suited to your needs, if you wish.

My fees are from £65 for a 50 minute session. I offer an initial free 20-minute chat over the phone or online to ascertain whether we feel I am the right therapist for you.

I also have a limited number of concessionary places offering lower-cost sessions based on a sliding scale.

If we’re not able to find a time for an appointment, other therapists I would recommend are Julie Nathanson (Hampton/Twickenham), Raphaela Fontanelle (London Bridge), and Sarah Shoraka (East Cornwall).

The charity Mind has a number of resources for those who need help coping or are in a crisis.

If you’d like to speak to someone urgently, you can always phone Samaritans on 116 123 or text Shout on 85258 anytime of the day or night.

Those under 19 can contact Childline on 0800 1111.