WHY SEEK THERAPY?
There are many reasons why people begin psychotherapy.
Sometimes it follows a particular event: a bereavement, the end of a relationship, anxiety that has become difficult to manage, or a feeling that life has somehow lost its direction. At other times, there is no obvious crisis. There is simply the sense that something is not quite right—that familiar ways of thinking, relating or living no longer seem to work as they once did.
Psychotherapy offers an opportunity to pause and think about these experiences in a different way. Rather than seeking quick answers, it creates a space in which thoughts and feelings can be explored without judgement. Often, simply finding the words for something that has long been difficult to express can begin to change how it is experienced.
MY APPROACH
Every therapeutic relationship is unique. For that reason, I do not work from predetermined techniques or fixed programmes. Instead, I see psychotherapy as a collaborative process of careful listening and thoughtful exploration, shaped by the particular concerns, history and circumstances of each individual.
My practice is grounded in the psychoanalytic tradition while remaining attentive to the uniqueness of every person’s experience. Together, we will explore not only the difficulties that have brought you to therapy, but also the wider context in which those difficulties have developed. This may include recurring patterns in relationships, questions of identity and desire, or aspects of experience that have previously been difficult to articulate.
The aim is not simply to reduce symptoms, important though that may be, but to develop a richer understanding of yourself and of the meanings that have come to shape your life. Such understanding does not remove life’s uncertainties, but it can create greater freedom in how you respond to them.
For practical information about sessions, fees and how psychotherapy works, please see the FAQs section. My practice is based in Farringdon, Central London, and an initial consultation is offered without charge.
WHAT IS PSYCHOANALYTIC PSYCHOTHERAPY?
Psychoanalytic psychotherapy is founded on the idea that much of our emotional life lies outside our immediate awareness. The ways we think, feel and relate to others are often shaped by experiences, desires and conflicts that lie partly outside our awareness and continue to influence us in the present.
Difficulties are not simply problems to be solved. They may also have something to tell us. Feelings that appear irrational, recurring patterns in relationships, or a persistent sense of dissatisfaction are not simply obstacles to be removed; they may also be pathways towards a deeper understanding of ourselves.
Therapy unfolds through conversation. Over time, connections begin to emerge between past and present, between what is known and what has remained unspoken. As these patterns become clearer, new possibilities can gradually emerge.
“I lend you my ear, so that you can better hear yourself”
~ Françoise Dolto ~