NHS Therapists

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Aditi Sharma

Languages:	English
Works with:	Individuals
Specialisms:	Abuse Guilt & Shame Rape Trauma

 

Aditi Sharma is a psychology graduate working towards Doctorate in Counselling Psychology. She is registered as a graduate member with the British Psychological Society (BPS) and Division of Counselling Psychology (DoCP).  She draws on the integrative approach and bring Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) in her work with clients. She works on an open-ended basis with NHS patients at a GP surgery in Wandsworth.

Aditi aims to provide non-directive and non-judgmental support to the clients so that they find it easier to talk and know that they are being heard and understood. While counselling helps clients feel validated and get in touch with their difficult or painful thoughts, it can aid them to process and shift negative patterns of feelings too. Aditi works with an empowerment model to identify and draw on client’s inner resources to support them in achieving a more fulfilling life. Working integratively, Aditi may use CBT to help clients identify patterns in their thoughts and behaviours, and mindfulness to help manage anxious responses. In long term support, Aditi may employ person-centred approaches, which focus on stepping into client’s inner world.

Aditi changed her career from being an IT consultant to a mental health worker in order to follow her passion to study human psychology and behaviour. She finished her second undergraduate degree, B.Sc. (Hons.) in Psychology in 2015. Aditi has always been intrigued by multidimensional world of people. She aims to apply Pluralistic & integrated model of work in her therapeutic interventions. She has an interest and experience in different forms of sexual abuse and trauma. She works to identify the issues such as anxiety, low self-esteem, guilt, shame, suicidal thoughts, low to severe anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, eating disorders, self-harm etc. which may result due to trauma, childhood or adult sexual abuse, rape, conflict, stress or loss. Aditi works to identify healthier ways of managing emotions and stress. She works with anxiety, anger, personality disorders, coping strategies and other issues.

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Aidan Lynch

Languages:	English
Works with:	Individuals
Specialisms:	Anxiety Depression Family & Relationships

Aidan Lynch is an integrative therapist who draws on the best approach that suits the client issues that they present in the therapy room. Aidan is working towards an integrated advanced diploma in Psychotherapeutic Counselling and is registered as a member of the National Counselling Society (MCNS). Aidan works short term with NHS patients at two surgeries in South London.

Aidan aims to provide an empathetic supportive space that allows clients to be open about the issues they have and clients feel they are being heard and listened to. Aidan’s approach to counselling helps clients understand and process their difficult and painful thoughts and feelings and allows clients to focus on change and potential. The aim is to allow clients to draw on all their personal resources available to them so that they can lead a fuller and more satisfying life. Aidan through the integrative approach adopted customises the approach to the individual client needs. For example by using transactional analysis this can result in the management of relationships in a healthier way or through mindfulness changing a client’s response to particular circumstances that lead to a reduction in anxiety.

Aidan has a varied background from large multi –national organisations; own start- up businesses; to pastoral support in the community. He has experience in resolving issues and conflicts within these environments amongst teams and understands the internal and external pressures people can put on themselves, which can lead to unhelpful or damaging coping strategies. Aidan will work with clients in identifying healthier ways of managing emotions and stress. Aidan specialises in anxiety and depression, self -defeating behaviours, relationships and grief and loss.

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Andrea Burianova

Languages:	English, Czech
Works with:	Individuals
Specialisms:	Anxiety Bereavement & Loss Family & Relationships Life Transitions

Andrea Burianova is a Master level qualified integrative counsellor and psychotherapist with a BSc Honours degree in Psychology. She is a BPS member and a registered BACP member, currently working towards her professional accreditation with BACP. As an integrative therapist she draws from a variety of therapeutic modalities that best suit the specific needs of her clients, ranging from Psychodynamic and Attachment Theories, Transactional Analysis, CBT, Mindfulness and Humanistic approaches. Andrea has experience of working across a range of short and long term services and currently works with NHS clients at a GP surgery in Lambeth.

Andrea sees human experience as unique and subjective to individual’s personal circumstances and her main focus is on building a healthy therapeutic relationship comprising of a holding, accepting and trusting space where the clients can feel safe, be fully themselves and talk freely about their concerns without fear of being judged. By working through clients’ problems and identifying challenging emotions, thoughts and behaviours, Andrea aims to help clients to make better sense of their current but also past issues and how they are often related. By gaining a deeper self awareness, Andrea is hoping for her clients to get in touch with their own inner strength and autonomy and ultimately develop their full potential in the face of life’s complexity and uncertainty.

Andrea has experience of working with clients with a variety of issues including anxiety, panic, depression, low self-esteem and confidence, relationship difficulties, loss, bereavement and recovery from trauma or abuse. Having previously lived and worked in various places across the globe, including 11 years in Middle East. Andrea has a good understanding of different cultural issues, the impact of external and internal pressures and challenges with one’s identity.

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Andrea Morrison

Languages:	English
Works with:	Individuals
Specialisms:	Anxiety Depression Stress

Andrea Morrison has a Diploma in Therapeutic Counselling working integratively, she is also registered with the BACP and working towards BACP accreditation. She works within the Awareness Centre’s GP surgery in Lambeth. Working as an integrative counsellor Andrea uses approaches from the humanistic, psychodynamic and cognitive behavioural depending on the needs of her client. Currently she is working towards CAPCB Cognitive Behavioural Therapy.

Andrea has worked extensively with loss and bereavement and endeavours to help the bereaved discover their own strength and provide support for change. She works with grief by allowing clients to grow and develop a new life around it whilst the grief never goes away, integrating loss without guilt and to move forward. She looks at finding inner strength so they can be built upon to allow the client to cope and function with day to day life.

Andrea has 12 years experience of working within the NHS and has worked within HR for 8 years dealing with sensitive and stressful issues providing a confidential and accepting place remaining solution focused whilst displaying empathy and understanding. She currently works as a Bereavement Co-ordinator still within the NHS providing advocacy and support for the bereaved and facilitating viewings.

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Andreas Economides

Languages:	English, Greek
Works with:	Individuals
Specialisms:	Anxiety Depression Guilt & Shame

Andreas Economides is in the final year of a Masters in Integrative Psychotherapy, and is registered with the BACP. As an integrative therapist, he draws on approaches that best suit the issues that the client brings into therapy. Andreas works on a short term basis with a Wandsworth GP surgery.

Andreas aims to provide a compassionate and non-judgmental environment, where clients can explore and process difficult or painful thoughts and feelings. He believes that the relationship between the counsellor and the client is the most important factor in the process of psychological change. Using an integrative relational approach, Andreas incorporates aspects of theory, practice and research from the Humanistic, Psychodynamic and CBT traditions.

With a background in Management, Engineering and Teaching, Andreas has experience in workplace issues and conflict resolution. He understands the daily pressures people can put on themselves, which may lead to unhelpful coping strategies. In a collaborative way, Andreas works to identify healthier ways of managing the client’s emotions and stress. He is experienced in working with anxiety, anger, depression, grief, guilt and shame.

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Anne Argent

Languages	English
Works with:	Individuals
Areas of Expertise	Addiction Anxiety Depression Stress

 

Anne Argent is an integrative therapist registered with the BACP. She draws on the approaches that best suit the issues that clients bring into the therapy room. She works short-term with NHS patients at a GP surgery in Streatham. Anne is currently working towards a Masters in Counselling and Psychotherapy.

Anne believes that at the core of her therapeutic work is establishing a therapeutic relationship and her aim is to provide an empathic, supportive space where clients can open and feel seen and heard for who they truly are. While counselling helps clients to process difficult or painful thoughts and feelings, she believes that therapy can also focus on the potential of her clients. She works with them to identify and draw on their inner resources to live a fuller, more satisfying life. Working integratively, Anne may use CBT to help clients identify patterns in their thoughts and behaviours, Transactional Analysis to help clients manage their relationships in a healthier way, and mindfulness to help tame anxious responses. Her approach is tailored to the individual client.

With a background in mental health, education and the field of addiction, Anne’s knowledge and experience has allowed her to see problems from a boarder angle in assisting people find their own unique way to deal with their difficulties. She understands the internal and external pressures people can put on themselves, which can lead to unhelpful or damaging coping strategies. She works to identify healthier ways of managing emotions and stress. She also specialises in anxiety, trauma, depression, ill health, relationships, and has a special interest in addiction.

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Aoife Kinsella

Languages:	English
Works with:	Individuals
Specialisms:	Anxiety Depression Self-Esteem Stress

Aoife Kinsella is an integrative therapist who draws on the approaches that best suit the issues that clients bring into the therapy room. She completed her training in 2014 at the Tivoli Institute in her native Dublin. Aoife works short-term with NHS patients at a GP surgery in Lambeth.

Aoife considers the therapeutic process to be a collaborative venture and places the relationship between therapist and client at the heart of therapeutic success. Aoife is committed to the process of psychotherapy and believes that if offers a safe, supportive and non-judgemental environment in which to explore a wide range of issues.  She works closely with individuals to help explore and understand underlying issues and to work through the feelings associated with them. Emotions are normal and they are a natural response to the difficulties we face in life. She draws upon a number of therapeutic approaches including Humanistic and Integrative therapy, Psychodynamic therapy, Gestalt and mindfulness to match the specific needs of each person. Aoife encourages creativity and welcomes the opportunity to work creatively in sessions. She engages in both short-term and long-term therapeutic work and reviews the sessions with each person on an ongoing basis.

Aoife has a strong administrative and business management background and has worked in psychotherapy private practice and on a voluntary basis is a number of centres in Ireland. She has experience in dealing with a wide range is issues including anxiety, depression, grief, relationship issues, self-esteem, stress, anger, abuse and bereavement. She is particularly interested in early childhood development and the impact early childhood experiences have on our adult lives.

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Aurora Pulici

Languages:	English, italian
Works with:	Individuals
Specialisms:	Depression Guilt & Shame Stress Trauma

Aurora Pulici has a BSc in Psychology and is currently working towards an MSc in Gestalt Psychotherapy. Her aim in therapy is to create together with her clients a safe space where authentic contact can be experienced. She remains curious and strives to have a non-judgmental approach to the wealth of experiences, emotions and sensations shared by her clients in the therapy room.

Through the support provided by a client-therapist relationship based on dialogue, clients can explore their experience of being in the world. In such exploration, Aurora’s encouragement in paying attention to what occurs in the ‘Here and Now’ invites clients to gain awareness of their current situation. Awareness is conceived as the precursor to change.

Aurora has been drawn to the Gestalt approach for its holistic stance and its interest in what goes on in our bodies as well as our minds. Her belief is that therapy can lead to experiencing a sense of freedom and empowerment derived from being aware of what is and knowing that we can choose. She feels honoured and humbled by the opportunity to being part of such a journey with her clients

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Ayan Ali

Languages:	English
Works with:	Individuals
Specialisms:	Depression Family & Relationships Life Transitions Trauma

Ayan Ali is a qualified psychodynamic counsellor and psychotherapist and is registered with the BACP. She works short term with NHS patients at a GP surgery in Lambeth.

Starting therapy can be daunting and Ayan tries to ease that first step by creating a space that’s safe to share what’s really going on with the feeling that their therapist can accept and handle that. She meets clients where they are and works alongside them. Ayan invites clients to be curious about themselves; understanding ourselves with more compassion and less judgement can help us feel good about ourselves and have more satisfying relationships.

Her career in media and education gives her an awareness of how difficult relationships with colleagues and the stresses of work can lead to burnout. Previous voluntary work with the Samaritans for years gave her experience helping people from all walks of life in crisis, including people having suicidal thoughts. Since 2013, she has been working with UK and international students in a university counselling service offering both short-term and long-term therapy. People come to her feeling overwhelmed by their problems, struggling to deal with an uncertain future, and wanting change because they feel stuck or frustrated at history repeating itself. She specialises in: anxiety; depression; cultural and sexual identity; family and relationship difficulties; and trauma. Ayan supports clients, helping them stretch towards their potential and build resilience for the future.

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Beatrice Mourkoussis

Languages:	English, French, Greek
Works with:	Individuals
Specialisms:	Depression Guilt & Shame Stress

Beatrice Mourkoussis is currently working towards her Masters in Core Process Psychotherapy, a mindfulness-based psychotherapy training that combines Buddhist psychology and western personality theories, such as psychodynamic and other psychotherapy approaches. She works short-term with NHS patients at a GP surgery in Lambeth.

Beatrice aims to provide a safe space where clients can bring difficult or painful thoughts and feelings. Her therapeutic approach is informed by mindfulness: she helps clients to connect with their bodies, explore sensations and feelings, and find meaning. She assists clients in finding resources and coping strategies, enabling them to address challenges in their lives. Beatrice has a wide range of experience and training in addiction, trauma, anger issues, and dealing with shame and guilt. She uses different techniques, such as drawing, a body-focusing process and visualisation.

Beatrice is half French and half Greek, she speaks both languages and has experience of both cultures. She has worked as a volunteer in a mental health charity for several years, where she has been trained to assist service users to find healthier ways of managing emotions and stress. She has a special interest in addiction, and she has been working in a private rehabilitation centre for two years.

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Bettina Bestebreur

Languages:	English, German
Works with:	Individuals
Specialisms:	Anxiety Bereavement & Loss Depression Family & Relationships

 

Bettina Bestebreur is a psychodynamic Counsellor and a cognitive behavioural Therapist (CBT). With these two approaches, she can adapt therapy to her clients, be it open-ended or short-term and solution focused.  She has qualified as a Counsellor, obtaining a Foundation Degree in psychodynamic Therapy and CBT. She is a registered member of the BACP, working towards her accreditation. At TAC she works for the NHS in a GP Surgery in Wandsworth.

Bettina will provide a safe and confidential space to clients, where she will learn what has brought them into therapy in a curious and non-judgemental manner.  When problematic circumstances arise in a client’s life, it is often challenging for the client to see a way out, Bettina can help with that. She enjoys building relationships and together with the client they can explore difficult emotions, situations and relationships in their life and can look at ways that can bring change. With her psychodynamic training she will be especially equipped to understand and explain unhelpful patterns in the client’s life that might have developed a long time ago. Being trained in CBT, she can provide a solution-focused approach and work with issues especially affecting the here and now, such as anxiety or depression.

With her extensive experience in Bereavement Counselling, Bettina understands the difficult emotions connected to grief, loss and separation. The impact loss can have on a person’s life can be monumental and talking about this can help the client adapt to their new circumstances. She also has experience working in a busy GP surgery, where she worked with a variety of anxiety disorders, depression and various physical health disorders.

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Bridget Freer

Accredited:	BACP
Languages:	English
Works with:	Individuals
Individuals:	£65/hr
Specialisms:	Abuse Communication & Workplace Issues Family & Relationships Guilt

Bridget Freer is a qualilfied psychotherapist and counsellor who has wide expereince of working with people with a broad range of issues including anger, trauma, depression, anxiety and difficulty with relationships. Bridget has a Masters in psychodynamic psychotherapy and counselling. Bridget works with clients, both in private practice, and in the NHS.  She believes that therapy is a collaborative process that can help people to understand and make sense of their own histories and the person that they are.

Bridget offers confidential face-to-face counselling and psychotherapy with the aim of helping people to gain a greater understanding of why they feel and behave the way they do, and to manage their lives differently. Through a psychoanalytic approach she aims to support you to find ways to address unconscious thoughts that can lead to frustrating and repetitive behavioural patterns that can keep you stuck and prevent you from achieving your full potential. She believes that by getting to know and accept our real selves we have a better chance of having better, more realistic and satisfying, relationships with others.

Bridget’s first training was as a journalist, she worked for many years as a features writer and profile writer for newspapers and magazines. She continues to write occasional articles on mental health issues and other related subjects, and has retained a strong interest in communication and expression. Powerful feelings of sadness, worthlessness, self-hatred, emptiness, disconnection and inadequacy can effect the way we present ourselves and the way we react to others, these feelings can have a strong impact on our relationships, our work and our sense of self. Bridget sees counselling and psychotherapy as a joint venture in which you and she work together to build a therapeutic relationship and work on the things you would like to improve in your life such as dealing with depression and anxiety and improving your relationships with others.

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Christina Berrios

Languages:	English
Works with:	Individuals
Specialisms:	Depression Guilt & Shame Self-Esteem Sex & Relationships

 

Christina Berrios is a Psychotherapist who works in an Integrative modality (drawing on all schools of psychology). She currently sees private clients and works in a low-cost clinic with long-term clients as well as in a Lambeth NHS GP Surgery. Christina is registered with both BACP and UKCP and is working towards a Masters in Psychotherapy & Counselling. In 2018, Christina will begin her Advanced Diploma in Integrative Psychotherapy.

With an understanding that the therapist-client relationship is key for successful therapy, Christina addresses her clients with unconditional positive regard and congruency, ultimately providing a warm and empathic space where individuals can feel safe enough to tell their story. In this way, each moment can be faced openly, with no preexisting attitude or expectation; Christina aims to access her client’s worldview, and to accept them as they are. She believes that it is precisely this acceptance that facilitates the client in addressing their problems and urges them towards upward growth. She works with her clients to process difficult feelings and to come to a better understanding of their circumstances. She also encourages her clients to access their inner resources, identifying their core values to offer hope and direction for their future. Working Integratively, Christina may use Focusing to help make sense of feeling states, Attachment History to identify patterns in relationships, Gestalt techniques to address ‘parts’ of the individual’s self-concept, and NLP to 'reprogram' or challenge unhelpful thought patterns. Working in this Integrative way means that therapy can be tailored to suit a client’s personality and needs.

Having previously worked with children, Christina has a keen interest in Attachment related issues. She understands that even the earliest feeling-states can lead to long-lasting, devastating effects in adult life. These can include approaching relationships in an unhealthy manner or seeking damaging behaviours or coping strategies. Psychotherapeutic work can involve discussing emotional or relationship problems, analysing past events and behaviours so that changes can be made, assessing ways of thinking and feeling, and developing new strategies for a more satisfying life. Ultimately, Christina works with a view to help people to realise their worth, values and meaning, whilst juggling the everyday difficulties of life.

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Claire Phillips

Languages:	English
Works with:	Individuals
Specialisms:	Abuse Depression Suicidal Thoughts Trauma

 

Claire Phillips is a qualified Person-Centred counsellor registered with the BACP. As a Person-Centred counsellor Claire provides a welcoming space where clients are able to feel safe and fully accepted enabling the exploration of their thoughts and feelings. Claire believes that in non-directive therapy clients will be able to embrace the complexities in themselves and others bringing about constructive change and therefore more open to experiencing their pain or fear etc… in its intensity. Claire’s facilitation will help the client to recognise their more negative behaviours and/or defences which in turn will enable the clients to become instrumental in the process of their own healing and ongoing self-discovery. Claire has a high regard for transparency.

As Claire has travelled, worked and lived in South East Asia for over 10 years and has lived and worked in South East London for over 15 years, she is able to deliver a way of working that is culturally sensitive. In the last 5 years Claire has worked in a London drop in centre running the art group and often providing 1-1 support for vulnerable adults presenting with various personal issues and mental health problems. She has an understanding of the effects of trauma encompassing the psychological, cognitive, behavioural and physical signs and symptoms and also the effects of untreated trauma .For example, substance/alcohol abuse, depression, dissociation, sexual dysfunction, social withdrawal to name a few.   

Claire can also bring a more creative element to her practice as she utilises Person- Centred Art Therapy Skills in some of her work with clients (PCATS) which she feels is a wonderfully creative tool for most, but especially when her clients have a more difficult time in verbalising their thoughts and feelings. Claire offers exploration using these skills as she believes that in verbal communication there are often constraints. Facilitating Person-Centred Art Therapy Skills Claire is able to work with the client’s spontaneous images, their intuition and imagination and expressed feelings which emerge from the right side of the brain whereas verbal communication emerges from the left side of the brain that is more logical, analytical and rational. When we dream we use the right side of our brain so it makes sense that there is a receiving of the unconscious through the images that the client creates. Also within the model of Person Centred Art Therapy Skills as a facilitator Claire is not interpretive and the client tells the story as the client will be working at an unconscious level whilst drawing their images and this spontaneity enables a certain freedom that communicating with speech can fall short of.

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Constance Ojong

Languages:	English, Pidgin English, French
Works with:	Individuals
Specialisms:	Abuse Family & Relationships Trauma

Constance Ojong (Connie) is working towards a Doctorate in Integrative Counselling Psychology & Psychotherapy. As an integrative therapist, she recognises that therapy works better when the approach is best suited to the client’s individual needs.

Connie may draw from psychodynamic, systemic, person centred, cognitive behavioural (CBT), transpersonal and other relevant approaches to help clients overcome unhealthy patterns. She seeks to provide a safe, supportive and compassionate space where clients can feel encouraged to explore and unlock feelings, thoughts and ways of relating to the self and others that may be causing pain. She believes that each person is unique, worthy and gifted with an infinite potential for growth and happiness. Her aim is to help clients to know, accept and love themselves and to tap into their inner strengths for a fuller and more satisfying life.

With a background in child and family social works, Connie has experience in early trauma; parenting, abuse, separation and loss, relationship, mental illness, infertility, adoption and cultural identity issues. She appreciates that unresolved issues may lead to more complex life and relationship issues. She is committed to a mutually respectful and unconditional therapist-client relationship in enabling a person to function from a place of loving kindness and compassion to the self and others.

She has a particular experience in working with trauma, abuse, relationships, depression, anxiety, loss, guilt and shame, bereavement and intrusive thoughts.

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Daljeet Matharu

Languages	English, Punjabi
Works with	Individuals
Areas of Expertise	Anxiety Bereavement & Loss Depression Stress

Daljeet Matharu is a BACP registered Person Centred counsellor. She has a psychological background with a BSc in psychology and MSc in Health Psychology. Counselling became of interest to her whilst studying psychology and she decided to train as a therapist. She currently works at with NHS clients as part of the IAPT /The Awareness Centre partnership in Clapham.

Daljeet finds counselling very rewarding and it has quickly become a passion. During her training she was working with clients who were unemployed, where her role was to facilitate them back into work. Once she gained her qualifications she was employed by the NHS as a Perinatal counsellor, working with clients who were suffering from anxiety, depression, bereavement and relationship difficulties, She works short term with clients on a weekly basis. Daljeet is working towards becoming an accredited practitioner and intends on furthering her knowledge and experience with a PHD in Counselling.

Daljeet offers her clients a safe place to explore their thoughts and feelings, she uses a non- judgemental approach and walks alongside her clients on their journey and facilitates them to their destination. She works in an empathetic and genuine manner. She uses creative arts for clients who struggle to discuss their thoughts and feelings, as well as offering relaxation techniques such as mindfulness meditation for those who are suffering from stress, tension and anxiety.

Daljeet is also trained in Cognitive Behaviour Therapy where she uses a more goal orientated approach to assist clients to work through their difficulties; When required the client is offered some psycho-education in order to help them understand their triggers and behaviours well. Each therapeutic session is tailored to fit the client’s needs, however always practicing in an ethical manner. 

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Danielle Pullin

Languages:	English
Works with:	Individuals
Specialisms:	Bullying Communication Issues Depression Stress

Danielle Pullin is working towards a Masters Degree in Therapeutic Counselling, and is registered with the BACP. As an integrative practitioner, she draws on the approaches that best suit the issues that the clients bring to the therapy room. She works short term with NHS patients at a GP surgery in Lambeth.

Danielle aims to provide an environment that enables the individual to feel safe and open to explore their emotional needs. Whilst counselling can be a place to process difficult or painful thoughts and feelings, she feels that therapy can also be a positive environment for her clients to grow and develop mentally, to live a healthy, meaningful and fulfilled life. Working from an integrative approach Danielle can use a Psychodynamic approach to help clients make links with early experiences and their relationships in adult life, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy to help clients identify patterns in their thoughts and behaviours, and Person Centred approach to look at the relationship between the counsellor and client to make sense of the individuals experience outside of the therapy room. Danielle’s approach is tailored to the individual client.

With a background in mental health and Psychology, Danielle has an interest and experience in managing emotional issues, problematic unhealthy attachments, emotionally abusive relationships, and sexual abuse. Through her work, she has aimed to identify coping strategies, such as mindfulness, that enables the client to manage distressing experiences and situations. She has also supported individuals in the therapeutic management of aggression. She works to identify positive and healthy ways of managing emotions and trauma.

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Denise Sherwood

Languages	English
Works with	Individuals
Areas of Expertise	Addiction Depression Family & Relationships Self-Esteem

Denise Sherwood is working towards an advanced diploma in humanistic person centred counselling on a BACP accredited course. As a person centred counsellor, she works to understand an individual’s experience from their point of view, rather than interpreting or analysing from her point of view. Denise will value each client as an individual in all aspects of their humanity, while being open and genuine and non-judgmental. This way the client is able to reconnect with their inner resources to empower themselves to find their own way. She works within the Awareness centre at two GP services in Wandsworth and Croydon, and within a drug and alcohol rehabilitation centre in Whitechapel.

Denise provides an empathic, open and safe space where clients can open up and explore what they need, without judgment. She is passionate about her belief that each individual is able to realise their own salvation within the experience of being held in non-judgment, empathy and genuine communication. She believes that essentially our difficulties lie within our disconnection from ourselves and that through the humanistic approach to therapy, the client is able to reconnect with them-selves and find a new and empowered way of being.

Denise is a mixed race woman born and raised in London. With a background in music and education, Denise has travelled the world as a singer, and has worked as a teacher and educational practitioner across London. She has always been fascinated by the human condition, and how as human beings we think and feel and relate to each other, the world around, and within us. Denise is a fascinated, passionate, creative and intuitive person, and has developed a strong individual sense of self and a unique and effective way of being with clients. She has trained in working therapeutically with groups, substance misuse, and has a lot of experience with depression and anxiety. Denise practices meditation, mindfulness and voice work also. She is a strong, kind and experienced woman with an innate ability to be with people and is relatable and trustworthy.

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Donald Sze

Languages:	English
Works with:	Individuals
Specialisms:	Anxiety Disorder Self-Esteem Sexuality Workplace Issues

 

Donald Sze is an integrative counsellor working towards a masters in Therapeutic Counselling. He is a registered member of the professional body, BACP and therefore works by its ethical framework to keep clients safe. As an integrative counsellor, Donald uses different approaches to suit the needs of each client and their presenting issue. He works short-term with NHS patients at a GP surgery in Wandsworth.

Donald aims to provide a safe and empathic space for his clients to express their thoughts and feelings without fear of judgement. Sometimes people worry that what they are holding is not worth talking about and don’t feel comfortable in disclosing to the people around them without the fear of being treated or looked at differently. Therefore, Donald works in an open and confidential space where any problem can be brought forward. He believes in a client led environment where the client is able to take charge of their own development in meeting their own potential to overcome the obstacles in their lives. Having trained in both person centred and integrative approach, Donald swears by the power of the therapeutic relationship and endeavours to promote the client’s emotional well-being through unconditional support and aiding the client to identify unhelpful patterns of behaviour and feeling. Donald works with the client to understand their current relationships and events by looking into their past to encourage deepened self-awareness to achieve the helpful changes they want to make.

Having grown up with high expectations and certain cultural beliefs, Donald understands the internal and external pressures that can be present in people’s lives that can be often difficult to live with. He works to help the client identify unhelpful conditions that people can often put on themselves by altering their process outlook or finding more useful ways to cope. Through increased self-awareness, Donald believes that clients are better equipped to handle the troubles that life can often throw their way. Donald therefore aims to help clients achieve their own personal goals to experience a happier future.

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Duane Yon

Accredited:	BACP
Languages:	English
Works with:	Individuals,
Specialisms:	Abuse Anger Management Identity

Duane Yon is a qualified Counsellor, Trainer and Clinical Supervisor. He is MBACP Accred. and Registered (British Association of Counsellors and Psychotherapists).

Duane’s extensive clinical training has included courses on working with anger management, addiction, CBT, abuse and men & therapy. He is an integrative practitioner, which means that he has combined many theories of thought and has found his own style of working as a therapist. His training has been in Psychodynamic, Person Centred, and Humanistic approaches.

Duane’s current interest is in attachment, cultural and sexual identity. He also works with men with anger management and domestic violence issues. Whilst managing a private practice in Clapham, Duane has jointly developed a counselling service in North London, he manages and clinically supervisors volunteer counsellors within this service and has regularly created and run many therapy workshops and training groups over the years. Duane is also a senior counsellor at HMP Brixton where he also manages and supervises four counsellors providing therapeutic support to prisoners.

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Emily Barney

Languages:	English
Works with:	Individuals
Individuals:	£60
Specialisms:	Adoption & Abandonment Issues Anxiety Disorder Depression

Emily’s approach is based on the belief that we all have the creative ability to develop our own potential and overcome the challenges we meet in our lives.  In an increasingly busy and frenetic world it is all too common to feel overwhelmed, stressed or lost in life.  The therapeutic process can provide an opportunity for the client to take time out, to focus on and explore their own needs, wishes and dreams and find new ways of seeing and understanding their lives.Emily Barney has a Diploma in Integrative Therapeutic Counselling and is a member of BACP. She works in private practise at the Awareness Centre and as a NHS counsellor in Lambeth, and is experienced in working with long-term clients as well as short-term, more solution focused therapy. As an integrative counsellor Emily will use approaches from psychodynamic and person-centred theories adapting them to the needs of the client.

Within a confidential and collaborative therapeutic relationship Emily will support the client to identify and reflect on their own agenda.  Through deepening self-awareness clients can develop and strengthen their own sense of self, finding new perspectives and autonomy to allow the client to re-evaluate and overcome past difficulties or problems. Facilitating change will help the client to become more confident and positive in utilising their inner resources and tools to enrich their own lives and their interaction with others.

Former careers in the performing and visual arts and education has given Emily wealth of experience of the creative process and a visual language that informs her work now. From working within education Emily has a clear understanding and empathy for the many levels of stress and anxiety teachers encounter throughout their careers and the impact of that on their work/life balance.

She has experience of working with people across the life stages with a variety of different issues including anxiety and depression, eating disorders, adoption, managing work place stress and conflict, feeling stuck or blocked.

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Emily Davis

Languages:	English
Works with:	Individuals
Specialisms:	Anxiety Depression Guilt Self-Esteem

As a counsellor Emily Davis integrates several approaches to best suit the issues the clients bring into the therapy room, specifically the person-centred, cognitive, psychodynamic and existential approaches, which she integrates in a relational way. She is working towards a BACP accredited diploma in integrative counselling, and also has individual BACP membership. She currently works within the NHS with short-term patients at a GP surgery in Lambeth.

Emily aims to provide a genuinely empathic, valuing, and caring relationship in which trust is built, in order to help clients feel they can open up and explore their issues deeply. Counselling can help clients process and heal difficult or painful feelings while increasing their feelings of well-being, and it can also help clients to grow and realise their full potential and live more meaningful, fulfilling and empowered lives. Emily believes that ultimately clients are the experts on themselves, so she offers rather than imposes approaches to different clients at different times, for example a cognitive technique for managing anxiety, a psychodynamic perspective on relationship patterns, or simply compassionate understanding for a client’s experience of loss.

Also Emily has a particular interest in how our experiences of social difference and similarity impact us emotionally, and has completed a degree in Sociology and worked in different sectors with diverse groups of people. Our experiences of gender, ethnicity, class, religion, ability, sexuality, age, and other characteristics, can emotionally impact our lives both positively such as in feelings of meaning, belonging and pride, but also negatively such as in feelings of blame, shame, guilt or trauma. Therefore Emily believes it may be helpful to acknowledge these experiences in counselling, and to non-judgementally help clients to explore their feelings about them.

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Emma Doubell

Languages:	English
Works with:	Individuals
Specialisms:	Addiction Anxiety Disorder Asperger's Syndrome Depression

 

Emma Doubell is currently in training, working towards a degree in Person-Centred counselling. She is in her second year of training and registered with the BACP. She works with long and short term clients at a counselling service in Ealing and with NHS patients at a GP surgery in Lambeth.

Being a person-centred counsellor means Emma works in a non-judgemental way whilst aiming to provide a safe space for clients to explore what troubles them. Treating the client with empathy and respect is an important part of her practise in order to support the client to better understand themselves, which creates the potential for change and growth. By having greater clarity, self-acceptance and understanding of the self, will hopefully provide strength and centeredness for life’s up’s and downs.

Emma’s background is in Mental Health in the Arts as a Learning Mentor for a University. Emma’s interests and experience are in helping clients with conditions such as depression, anxiety, OCD, bi-polar, and border line personality disorder. Everyone is different which is why Emma will personalise the therapy to each individual client. She listens carefully and tries to understand the client and their concerns. Emma will not direct the client, but will work closely with them to help support their own decision making process for a more fulfilling life.

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Emma Hilton

Languages	English
Works with:	Individuals
Areas of Expertise	Anxiety Bereavement & Loss Depression Self-Esteem

Emma Hilton is an integrative psychotherapist who is a registered member of the BACP. She works both short term and on an open ended basis with clients. Emma is currently working towards accreditation with the BACP.

Emma creates a safe, secure and confidential space where clients can truly express themselves without fear of being judged. By applying an integrative approach Emma is able to work with her clients to safely explore the issues that they may be struggling with and can pull from a range of modalities to suit both the presenting problem and the client. Emma works with her clients not only to address current difficulties and thoughts they are experiencing but also to help them gain a greater understanding of themselves that can create a deeper awareness and strength for them moving forward in life.

Prior to her years as a therapist Emma spent many years in the corporate sector managing teams and working with people to support them in uncovering and maximising their potential. In her time as a therapist Emma has worked with her clients in areas including anxiety and depression, abuse, bereavement, work issues, relationships, stress, self worth and confidence.

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Emma Wallen

Languages:	English
Works with:	Individuals
Specialisms:	Communication Depression Stress

Emma Wallen is working toward an advanced diploma in Psychotherapeutic Counselling and accreditation with the BACP. She is registered as a professional member of the National Counselling Society. As an Integrative counsellor, Emma brings together a combined approach to therapy while working with clients who require their therapist to offer a range of different elements in specific therapies.  She works on a short-term with NHS patients within a GP surgery in Lambeth.

Emma provides an idyllic therapeutic platform enabling her client’s to feel a genuine rapport and the ability to speak at their own pace, freely and openly to an empathetic therapist. She understands clients may be hesitant at first, but believes we are all powerful people just needing a supportive, nurturing voice to bring clarity and understanding to the different challenges encountered in life. Emma believes each client has the potential to become their most powerful self and seeks to enable this vision through a collaborative counselling journey.  Working integratively with CBT and Behaviourist methods she can help clients to identify habitual patterns within thoughts and behaviours through a Psychodynamic approach that offers insight into the past, to facilitate healing in the future.

With a background in Sales, Media, Education and Retail, Emma has a clear insight into work related issues stemming from demands and stresses occurring at work. With powerful tools in conflict and stress resolution, her background has offered an objective view into the corporate and media industry, relating to a number of issues client’s feel the need to express. Her understanding covers a vast area surrounding peer pressures, anxieties, stresses, anger and depression. As Emma’s keen approach to enabling a safe, confidential therapeutic environment continues, she also aims to provide lasting support for all clients and the varying issues presented.

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Erika Kamlert

Languages:	English
Works with:	Individuals
Specialisms:	Depression Guilt & Shame Stress

Erika Kamlert is an integrative counsellor drawing from humanistic and psychodynamic modalities. Whilst she has experience of working with person-centred, gestalt and psychodynamic approaches she also draws on CBT and art therapy and adapts the approach after the client. Erika has experience of working with addiction, depression, anxiety, abuse, anger, relationships and sexuality, stress, homelessness, loneliness and isolation. She works on an open-ended basis within The Awareness Centre’s low cost service as well as at a charity organisation for vulnerable adults and with children in schools at Place2be. Erika is working towards an Advanced Diploma in Counselling and an accreditation with British Association of Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP).

Erika believes in building a therapeutic relationship that facilitates exploration of attachment, relationship patterns and the unconscious in her clients. She aspires to help clients find their way to empower, heal and nurture themselves within the non-judgemental, empathic and genuine safe space that counselling provides. As well as creating a safe space for her clients to explore difficult and painful thoughts and feelings she also aims to works with them to find their inner strengths and potential to live in their power, truth and wellbeing. Creativity, intuition, inner child work, expressing and communicating feelings and thoughts are a big part of the work with Erika as well as the mind-body connection and becoming aware of this particular relationship.

Erika is originally from Sweden where she worked as a teacher in creative writing and a group facilitator in creative writing as therapy. This lead to a further interest in the human psyche, the words and stories individuals chose to use and how these can effect, inform and help us heal. She has a special interest in attachments, addictions and trauma and has previously worked as a peer mentor facilitating recovery groups and co-facilitating self help groups.  

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Fatemeh Mafi

Languages:	English, Farsi
Works with:	Individuals
Specialisms:	Family & Relationships Gender & Identity Sex & Relationships Sexuality

 

Fatemeh Mafi uses an integrative psychotherapeutic approach to counselling. She works short-term with NHS patients at a GP surgery in Lambeth. She is currently working toward a Foundation Certificate in Counselling and Psychotherapy and will commence specialist diploma level training in Psychosexual and Relationship Therapy in January 2018. Also, she is undertaking a PhD in sexuality education as well as collaborating in some research projects in the field of psychosexual medicine. Moreover, she has completed several training courses regarding psychosexual issues which makes her competent in terms of psychosexual concerns or difficulties.

Fatemeh respects personal concerns, cultural or religious values and the wide diversity of life philosophies and believes that there is no one-size-fits-all approach in working with clients and that the art of counselling and psychotherapy is to tailor the approach according to clients’ needs, values, priorities, goals and aspirations. She creates a safe and empathetic atmosphere and she considers a therapy session as an opportunity to empower people and help them enhance self-awareness and mindfulness which results in better decision makings and true desired changes, ergo living a fully satisfying life with less anxiety.

Coming from a medical background, Fatemeh values people’s trust and the same level of confidentiality that is required for medical practice is guaranteed during sessions. While she was practicing as a medical intern in different wards, including psychiatric wards, she is experienced in interviewing clients and listening to their physical and emotional concerns in order to make a mutual trust, which helped them to talk about their sexual life without the fear of being judged.

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Francesco Lodi

Languages:	English
Works with:	Individuals
Specialisms:	Family & Relationships Self-Esteem Sex & Relationships Sexuality

 

Francesco Lodi is working towards a BA (Hons) in Person-Centred Counselling and has experience of working therapeutically with individuals on a time limited and open-ended basis. He previously trained to Postgraduate level in Autogenic Therapy working with vulnerable individuals and groups in the field of stress management. He is a member of the BAS (British Autogenic Society) and of the BACP (British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy). Francesco’s work is person-centred meaning that it is based on the premise that building and sustaining a trustworthy therapeutic relationship helps clients to process and make sense of their unique experiences and distress. He currently works for the NHS in Wandsworth.

As several decades of research indicates, Francesco believes that the most important factor in achieving positive outcomes for clients is the quality of the therapeutic relationship with their therapist. Francesco’s work is underpinned by genuine care, unconditional acceptance and attentiveness to the moment by moment unique interaction with his clients. Through a therapeutic dialogue clients are able to safely explore their situation, without judgement and bias, so that they can begin to understand why they feel the way they do. This collaborative process can help the client gain a deeper understanding of themselves or their situation, overcome or manage their difficulties and experience a greater sense of autonomy.

Before training for a second career as a therapist Francesco enjoyed a successful first career as an Education Manager at a large and well known company in London. This role provided him with opportunities to develop collaborative, meaningful and trusting relationships with clients and colleagues. This corporate experience revealed an affinity with helping people to make positive changes in their professional lives, and a desire to help people experiencing deeper and more personal difficulties.

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Guy Krenger

Languages:	English, French
Works with:	Individuals
Specialisms:	Anxiety Depression Identity Life Transitions

Guy Krenger is working towards an MA in Existential Psychotherapy and Counselling after graduating in philosophy and psychology in Switzerland. His existential and narrative approach focuses on helping clients to find meaning and make sense of their perhaps confusing lives. He works on an open-ended basis within The Awareness Centre’s low-cost service and offers short-term therapy within the NHS in a GP Surgery in Wandsworth.

Guy sees therapy as an opportunity to get to know oneself better. By exploring and taking stock of their present and past experiences, clients can become more aware of their own future possibilities and discover their own way and purpose in life. He believes that providing a welcoming space and genuine and non-judgemental curiosity facilitates this self-encounter and ultimate self-acceptance.

Having himself moved to London a few years ago Guy has a particular interest in migration, life-transition and identity issues. He has experience of working both in the media and in psychiatry for a number of years and has dealt with a variety of problems in living. He offers therapy in English and French.

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Hannah Thomson

Languages	English
Works with	Individuals
Areas of Expertise	Anxiety Depression Self- Esteem Stress

Hannah Thomson is a Humanistic counsellor and is registered as a student member with the BACP. She works for The Awareness Centre’s short-term work with NHS patients at a GP surgery in Kennington. Hannah is currently in her final year of the BA Hons in Humanistic counselling.

Hannah provides a safe, supportive space where clients can open up whole heartedly and feel truly heard. She believes that, while counselling helps clients to uncover difficult feelings and thoughts, counselling can also focus on bringing out the growth potential within clients in uncovering new awareness of the self. Hannah works alongside her clients to help indentify resources with the goal of encouraging a more satisfying, fuller experience of life. Working from a humanistic approach, Hannah uses three main methods which are as follows. (1)Person Centred to encourage a non-directive approach thereby encouraging the client to grow in the direction they feel is best suited to them, (2)Transactional Analysis to help clients manage their relationship with themselves and others in a healthier way and (3) Gestalt Therapy  to encourage awareness of the whole body felt experience.  Her counselling is created to meet the individual’s needs.

Hannah has a background as a Registered Mental Health Nurse and has wide experience of working with people in crisis and distress.  From this she has a strong understanding of the many different pressures that come about in life and hopes to work with you in indentifying coping strategies to encourage healthier ways of managing your emotions and stress. Hannah also specialises in anxiety, depression and stress management.

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Heather Ruddy

Languages:	English
Works with:	Individuals
Specialisms:	Anxiety Disorder Bereavement & Loss Stress

 

Heather Ruddy is currently in her last year of study towards a Person-Centred degree in Counselling and is registered with the BACP. Heather has been working in a low-cost clinic in Ealing for a year, and now is working with NHS patients at a GP surgery in Wandsworth.   

Heather works carefully and respectfully. Honoring the privacy and courage along the way of the clients. Within the therapeutic relationship I invite clients to explore their physical and emotional experience, alongside their thoughts, feelings and behaviors’ that may impede or lead towards greater autonomy and independence. Through a shared process and through the therapeutic relationship careful attention will be payed to the clients concerns, where the client can begin to gain a greater understanding of their unique situation in life. Heather strives to create a safe, nurturing and dependable environment where the needs of the client can be explored and processed.

Heather has a background working in hospice care and has experience working with issues of loss and bereavement. Heather has also gained experience of working with spiritual beliefs and trauma and the long-term impact.

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Hrachik Sarian

Languages	English, Armenian, Farsi
Works with:	Individuals
Speciialisms:	Bereavement & Loss Depression Guilt & Shame Self-Esteem

Hrachik Sarian is a Reflective Therapeutic Humanistic Counsellor and is BACP registered. She works on short-term basis with clients in an NHS surgery in Lambeth. She is currently studying towards a BSc (Hons) in Reflective Therapeutic Practice in Humanistic Counselling

Her passion for listening and helping people, enables her to implement individual treatment plans and techniques whilst remaining analytical, boundried and personable. Using the correct techniques can enable the client to focus on feelings, experiences or behaviour, with a goal to facilitate positive change. Hrachik works with Gestalt and Humanistic modalities and aims to work with clients to achieve personal growth, healing and change. She works in a flexible and creative way which enables her to respond to clients’ needs; supporting their growth in an empathetic and supportive environment.

She has experience with clients presenting with addiction, abuse, perfectionism, eating disorder, sexuality, relationship, abuse, depression, bereavement and cultural issues.  With her background as a Family Health Advocate and Outreach Advisor and Home Start family support worker. Furthermore, having always pursued academic and professional work that allows her to make an impact on the lives of the vulnerable through a range of therapeutic approaches.

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Jacqueline Miller

Languages:	English
Works with:	Individuals
Individuals:	£65/hr
Specialisms:	Addiction Anger Bereavement & Loss Depression

Jacqueline Miller is a qualified person centred counsellor and registered member of the British Association of Counselling and Psychotherapy (MBACP). She works with how an individual is feeling in the “here and now”, whilst respecting the client and supporting the issues of which they bring into the therapy room. She works short- term with NHS patients with The Awareness Centre in a GP surgery in Lambeth, and also works on an open ended basis within the London borough of Islington.

Jacqueline uses the Humanistic approach, which means she respects and encourages the autonomy of clients within the therapeutic process.  She provides an empathic, safe, non-judgmental and confidential space where clients can feel respected and comfortable, to open up and feel seen and heard for who they truly are as an individual. Whilst counselling helps clients to process complex and distressing thoughts and feelings, she considers that therapy can also focus on the potential of her clients.

With a background of over 13 years in the NHS as a Health Practitioner, Jacqueline understands the internal and external pressures people can put on themselves, which can lead to unhelpful or damaging coping strategies. Jacqueline works with clients from a diverse range of cultural backgrounds, and she has experience of working with abuse, anxiety, addiction, trauma, sexual abuse, depression, bereavement, loss and separation, self-harm, suicidal thoughts and communication and workplace issues. Jacqueline is committed to her continual professional development and continues to develop to help ensure her competence to practice.

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John Hobbs

Languages:	English
Works with:	Individuals
Specialisms:	Depression

John Hobbs is working towards an Advanced Diploma in Integrative Counselling. He is registered with the National Counselling Society. As an integrative counsellor he is able to draw on a wide range of therapeutic options to enable him to provide the most effective therapy. He provides an open-ended approach to clients in low cost therapy through The Awareness Centre, and provides short term therapy for NHS patients at a GP Surgery in Tulse Hill.

John provides a safe, calm and non-judgemental, empathetic environment for his clients. He brings many years of life experience to his counselling and respects and accepts his clients as unique and valuable people. He recognises and appreciates the determination of his clients to make changes in their lives, often to help change patterns of behaviour that they have lived with for many years.  Though the process of change can often be an emotional and difficult journey, John will work with you and help you find your way.

John has over 30 years work experience in the Police Force, working within a number of specialist departments including, child protection, vulnerable adults, historic abuse and economic crime. Each of these areas of work provided John with different challenges when dealing with people at some of the most traumatic and distressing times of their lives. A great deal of his working life was spent listening and talking to people. John is a qualified Hypnotherapist and enjoys running his own practice.

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Josephine Bey

Languages:	English
Works with:	Individuals
Specialisms:	Anxiety Disorder Communication Issues Self-Esteem Sex & Relationships

 

Josephine Bey is working towards a Post-Grad Diploma in Integrative Therapeutic Counselling, and is registered with the BACP. As an Integrative therapist, she draws on the approaches that best suit the issues that clients bring into the therapy room. As part of The Awareness Centre team, she supports NHS clients in short-term work and is based within a GP surgery in Wandsworth.

Josephine provides a safe, non-judgemental, supportive and empathetic space where clients can explore difficult thoughts, feelings and truly be vulnerable and completely acceptable. Josephine believes that counselling can unlock much wanted change and a toolkit that promotes personal potential. She partners with her clients on a journey of self-discovery with the aim to enabling them to live life in all its fullness. Using the Integrative modality, Josephine may draw on Psychodynamic therapy to help her clients explore their past in relation to presenting difficulties, Humanistic to identify patterns in thoughts and behaviours, Transactional Analysis to help clients manage relationships in a healthier and empowered way and Gestalt Therapy to increase self-awareness and focus her clients in the here and now.​​

With successful careers as a business owner and Operations Director, Josephine experience centres on the dynamics of relationships and communications issues. She understands the domino effect unresolved tension can have and the challenges surround addressing conflict. She works to form healthier ways to manage emotions, thoughts, stresses and improve communication. She has a special interest in sexual and relationship issues.

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Josh Burks

Languages:	English
Works with:	Individuals
Specialisms:	Family & Relationships Guilt & Shame

Josh Burks is a trainee counsellor currently working towards his Diploma in Therapeutic Counselling. He has been trained as an integrative counsellor and is a member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP). Josh works short-term with NHS patients at a GP surgery in Stockwell.

Josh provides a trusting environment for the client so that they are able to explore and find out for themselves who they really are. He believes that by using his skills and knowledge he can create a safe space for the client to tackle the problems they are experiencing. Josh believes the therapeutic relationship between counsellor and client is unique and special. He integrates person centred therapy and gestalt therapy and will use a range of theories to best fit his client’s needs. His work focuses on the present moment, with the use of body language and self-awareness this aids the client to take responsibility for what is their part. Josh’s specialised areas are in addiction, relationships, anxiety, family issues and co-dependency.

Josh’s work experience is in the retail and event world and with helping ex-offenders experiencing addiction issues.

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Julie Carroll

Languages:	English
Works with:	Individuals
Specialisms:	Family & Relationships

Julie Carroll has worked as a NHS therapist for 14 years. She uses the Psychodynamic approach, and draws on other modalities such as CBT and person centred when required.

She has particular experience in working with bereavement, adult survivors of CSA, relationships difficulties – such as seperation and divorce and working with young single mothers. Julie also has experience of working with alcohol addiction and is familiar with the 12 step principles and philosophy of AA and Al-Anon. Julie’s background as a nursery nurse (13 years) and training with Place2B informs her work with parents/families who may be struggling with a child with behavioural or emotional issues.

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Karina Nemcova

Accredited:	HCPC
Languages:	English, Polish
Works with:	Individuals
Specialisms:	Anxiety Depression Stress Trauma

Karina Nemcova is a BACP and UKCP registered Psychotherapist and HCPC registered Counselling Psychologist. She has over four years’ experience working with adults in charities, private sector and within the NHS as a counsellor offering therapy in English and Polish.

Karina has an extensive experience of working with people experiencing severe mental conditions which deepened her understanding of human nature and the ability to creatively adopt to extreme environments. She works with people experiencing trauma, depression, anxiety but also with people interested in their personal development and meaning in life. Karina is particularly interested in people’s everlasting talent to grow through human contact and healthy relationships.

Karina leads our team of around 25 counsellors working in surgeries in the boroughs of Clapham, Kennington, Waterloo and Stockwell. She also has an experience of managing therapeutic services for young people and adults within the school environments in London.

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Kiran Bhatti

Languages:	English, Farsi
Works with:	Individuals
Specialisms:	Anxiety Disorder Depression Family & Relationships Workplace Issues

 

Kiran Bhatti is working towards a professional doctorate in Counselling Psychology, and is a graduate member of the British Psychological Society. She also holds a BSc in Psychology and an MSc in Mental Health Studies. Kiran works on an open-ended basis within The Awareness Centre’s low-cost service.

Kiran uses a combination of humanistic and psychodynamic approaches. She aims to provide a warm and empathic space, where clients can express and explore their thoughts and feelings. Using the person-centred approach, she aims to build a collaborative and trusting relationship to start the healing process. Kiran aims to walk alongside the client as they make sense of current difficulties and gain a better understanding of themselves. Each client is different and is the expert of their own life; therefore therapy is guided by the clients’ needs.

Kiran has a background in supporting people with learning disabilities and can adapt her counselling approach to the individual. In addition, Kiran has worked within IAPT services so has experience working with a wide range of anxiety and depression problems. From personal experience, Kiran firmly believes counselling can be a supportive and empowering experience. She also specialises in family, relationships and work related difficulties.

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Kirath Ghataora

Languages:	English
Works with:	Individuals
Specialisms:	Anxiety Depression Trauma

Kirath Ghataora’s is an integrative psychotherapist working towards her MSc in Integrative Psychotherapy. She draws on a range of approaches within therapy; providing conditions conducive for change that suit the client’s issues and needs. Currently Kirath works short-term with clients within the NHS.

Kirath provides a safe, confidential and supportive space and relationship where clients are regarded positively and non-judgementally. Working from a core Humanistic modality Kirath sees the client as a whole, a unique, creative person with complex experiences and so deserves to be fully heard, met with acceptance, respect and authenticity. Kirath works within the therapy through exploring the present such as thoughts, feelings, perceptions, imagination, memories, bodily sensations, movement and spirituality – all through which the Past can also be attended to. Kirath supports talking therapy where appropriate with the use of arts and crafts, toys, meditation, physical movement, touch, poetry and all other forms if literary expression, imagery, imagination and is always open to clients sharing and exploring how to express themselves.

Kirath has over eight years within health and social care with experiences such as a special needs and mental health carer, floating mental health support worker, assistant forensic psychologist and counsellor. Kirath has worked with a wide range of people from a variety of background, cultures, and beliefs and with complex ranges of needs with experience working long term and short term with main areas of experience and interests being anxiety, depression, authenticity, grief and trauma.

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Leah Williams

Languages	English
Works with:	Individuals
Areas of Expertise	Abuse Depression Family & Relationships Suicidal Thoughts

Leah Williams is a qualified integrative counsellor working towards her BACP accreditation working short term with NHS clients in a GP surgery. Leah’s empathetic, supportive and warm welcome allows clients to feel safe and heard at their own pace, while finding coping strategies and a listening ear. She helps clients realise their inner strength and potential so they are able to function with less stress and anxiety in their everyday life.

Working integratively Leah draws on psychodynamic theory, Gestalt, Person centred and CBT, helping the client re-frame their thoughts and behaviours to function more effectively in everyday life. Leah realises every client has their own unique way and no one is the same. This is why she will help work with clients to find the best approach suited to them.

Leah has worked for the NHS for over 13 years as a Co-ordinator running antenatal classes. She has gained vast knowledge working in what can be a very challenging environment. Her aim is clients leave feeling heard and that they’ve a positive and helpful experience.  Leah has experience in counselling for drug and alcohol addiction. Leah’s worked with young adults and those within the care system. She has considerable knowledge  and experience of working with a range of cultural backgrounds, specialising in anxiety, depression, LGBT, anger, family, eating disorders, relationships, addictions and mental health.

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Léann Lavery

Languages:	English
Works with:	Individuals
Individuals	£65/hr
Specialisms	Addiction Anger Bereavement & Loss Depression

Léann Lavery is a qualified counsellor, supporting people dealing with depression, anxiety, trauma, relationship difficulties, anger, suicidal feelings, bereavement and loss. Believing that we all need human connection, she considers the relationship between client and therapist to be the most important aspect of counselling. Léann provides a non-judgemental, safe and confidential space where your healing is supported. She focuses on helping you to better understand your current and past feelings and behaviours, and to also recognise negative patterns that may be affecting how you live your life. This will support you as you find new ways of living and develop more fulfilling relationships.

As an integrative therapist Léann draws on a range of theories – including psychodynamic, existential, and humanistic – and she tailors how she works depending on your needs and aims. She believes our bodies often hold difficult and painful emotions, and she integrates the mind, body and soul in her approach to help facilitate change and work through these emotions. With a background in marketing and PR from different sectors such as charity, television, and higher education, Léann brings this experience into her therapeutic stance where she works creatively with her clients.

Léann has many years’ of experience of working long-term and short-term with clients in a variety of settings, including the NHS. She is a member of the British Association of Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) and a divisional member of the British Psychological Society (BPS), she is working towards a Doctorate in Counselling Psychology and Psychotherapy.

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Lee White

Languages:	English
Works with:	Individuals
Specialisms:	Depression Family & Relationships Trauma

Lee White is a qualified counsellor, who has an Integrative counselling degree. He has experience of working with individuals presenting a wide range of issues such as, trauma, bereavment, loss, depression, anxiety, feelings of isolation and relationship issues.

Lee uses an integrative approach, combining Person-centred, Existential and Psychodynamic theory to create a safe, non-judgmental, therapeutic environment which allows the client to work through and explore issues, whilst feeling supported and held.

He believes in working in a relational way and in the healing power of the relationship, which can allow the client to work through past trauma as well as staying in the hear-and-now, allowing the client to work towards growth and therapeutic change.

Lee believes that each client has there own unique way of relating to the world, and that it is important to work with the client’s own personal process. By doing this he believes it allows the therapeutic space to meet the needs of the client, as an individual.

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Liana Angeli

Languages:	English
Works with:	Individuals
Specialisms:	Anxiety Bullying Depression

Liana Angeli is studying an advanced diploma in intergrative therapy, she is registered with the National Counselling Society and working towards UKCP accreditation. She already holds diplomas in CBT/REBT and Advanced Diploma in CBT/REBT. As a CBT/REBT therapist her aim is to treat a person not the label, tailoring the therapy to her client’s needs. She works short-term with NHS Patients at a GP surgery in Stockwell.

Liana believes that collaborative work between the therapist and the client will lead to a better work relationship. She uses a mix of active-directive and socratic style approaches. She equips the client with the important life-time skills and tools, so in the long run they become their own therapist, and will be able to solve their own problems.

Liana is also a Hatha Yoga Teacher, she practices mindfulness and meditation on a daily basis.  This work has taught her valuable skills of patience, empathy, resilience, non-judgemental attitude, great listening skills and understanding, which are all essential in therapy. She is an optimist and believes that every problem has a solution. She strongly believes that the person’s beliefs and behaviours shape their lives. She helps clients identify their beliefs, and through changing their thought and behaviour the client is able to manage their emotions more effectively and return to a balanced way of living.

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Lisa Mainz Goldsmith

Languages:	English
Works with:	Individuals
Specialisms:	Bereavement & Loss Depression Illness Suicidal Thoughts

Lisa Mainz Goldsmith is an integrative counsellor who studied in the USA completing a post graduate diploma in bereavement counselling, with a focus in Gestalt psychotherapy. Lisa will treat the client with empathy and understanding and work together with to help resolve any issues and difficult feelings. Lisa’s approach is tailored to each individual person and their unique needs using appropriate types of therapy for the circumstances. She works with The Awareness Centre’s low cost service and in a GP surgery in Lambeth.

Lisa’s approach is underpinned by her belief that the key to effective therapy is building a strong relationship with the client, based on trust and mutual respect. She works with a wide range of issues including anxiety, depression, bereavement and other losses, stress, trauma, shame and challenging life events as well as those with suicidal thoughts. She believes therapy can facilitate people accessing their full potential by helping them become more authentic about who they are.

Lisa has a background in Oncology nursing and has experience with the dynamics of being a carer as well as how it feels to be the patient. She has run her own design business giving her insight into the creative business world. Having lived in different countries she has experience and knowledge of a range of cultures and greatly values diversity of backgrounds and experiences. Lisa will provide an empathetic, confidential and safe space in which the client can talk openly and honestly about their difficulties.

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Lori White

Languages	English
Works with	Individuals
Areas of Expertise	Anxiety Disorder Depression Life Transitions Workplace Issues

Lori White is an integrative counsellor. This means she sees her clients as individuals and tailors her therapeutic approach to suit their needs, personality and circumstances. It is a mutual active exploration of a person’s emotions, using a mix of techniques for that client. One theory does not fit all. She is completing the CPCAB Diploma in Therapeutic Counselling and is a member of BACP, working within their Ethical Framework.

Lori provides a warm, respectful and empathetic environment where clients can share their problems without being censored or directed. Her non-judgemental approach will bring about a trusting relationship where issues can be dealt with sensitively and confidentially. She has dealt with clients with many issues including anxiety, depression, panic attacks, low self-esteem and those going through significant changes in their lives such as redundancy, menopause or a mid-life crisis. Her aim is to help the client process the difficult feelings they have been carrying and covering up - often with unhelpful behaviour such as addictions or anger - and examine their relationships to try and find a way to a happier, fuller life.

Prior to becoming a counsellor, Lori was a journalist, an editor and a teacher.  Her life experience has proven valuable when engaging with clients. Her down to earth manner and straight talking were effective when she worked in the media. Later she retrained as an adult literacy teacher and worked in SW London. For four years she worked with disabled people from around the country, helping them return to work after a crisis or helping them find new directions in employment, transforming their lives. Recently she has been counselling clients in SW London who have been struggling with the demands of the workplace and the stress of modern life.

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Lorna Francis

Languages:	English
Works with:	Individuals
Specialisms:	Anger Management Bereavement & Loss Family & Relationships Pregnancy

Lorna Francis is a qualified Integrative counsellor, trained in CBT, Group Facilitation and has attended many courses and CPD’s including Working with Anger, Mindfulness and Psychology of Criminal Behaviour. She is currently working towards her Degree in Counselling/Psychotherapy. She uses different approaches tailored for each client, depending on their individual needs. Lorna is working short-term with NHS patients in Lambeth.

She believes that the therapeutic relationship is a very important one and provides an environment that is safe, empathic and non-judgmental. Drawing on CBT and Integrative modalities, she explores with the client difficult areas of the clients life, identifying and working through negative patterns and behaviours. Helping them to gain more awareness, a deeper understanding of themselves and tools to aid them through tough times and achieve their goals.

Lorna has previously worked in a bereavement charity and specializes in bereavement and loss. She has an interest in pregnancy and childbirth, family and relationships and offenders. Lorna believes that through the therapeutic relationship and process, a nurturing environment and facilitating the growth of personal awareness, clients are able to have more informed choices and move towards a better future.

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Lorraine Trotman

Languages:	English
Works with:	Individuals
Specialisms:	Anxiety Depression Self-Esteem Stress

Lorraine Trotman is working towards a Diploma in Humanistic Psychotherapy and is registered with the BACP and the BPS. As a humanistic therapist she draws on the approaches that best suit the issues that clients bring into the therapy room.  She works short-term with NHS patients at a GP surgery in Lambeth.

Lorraine aims to provide an empathic and safe space free of judgement.  She strongly believes that we all have the potential for growth and she is committed to facilitating that growth so that her clients can lead a more fulfilling and satisfying life.  She works integratively, including Person-Centred, Transactional Analysis and Gestalt approaches.  Her approach is tailored to the individual client and she works in a relational way with each client.

Before she became a therapist, Lorraine worked as a Business Psychologist in the City.  She has an interest in workplace stress and work and family-life balance. She specialises in bereavement, loss and relationships.  Lorraine came to Counselling and Psychotherapy training with a passion for empowering others and alleviating symptoms of distress.

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Louise Veitch

Languages:	English
Works with:	Individuals
Specialisms:	Abuse Depression Family & Relationships Suicidal Thoughts

 

Louise Veitch is an integrative counsellor and is a registered member of the British Association of Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP). She has worked with clients in private, voluntary and education settings. At The Awareness Centre she works on a short term basis with NHS patients at a GP surgery in Lambeth. Louise has a BSc (Hons) degree in Behavioural Biology, which included Human Psychology, and is currently working towards her Advanced Diploma in Humanistic Integrative Counselling.

Louise’s integrative approach allows her to tailor therapy to an individual clients needs so they can work together towards personal improvement. She may use various approaches including person centred counselling, psychodynamic, transactional analysis, gestalt or cognitive behavioural therapy. Originally from Scotland, Louise offers a warm, calming, confidential and safe environment for clients to explore themselves. At the heart of Louise’s work is the belief that a connected relationship with the client is the most important healer of all. She offers a counselling environment based on empathy, transparency and acceptance to allow a client to be their true selves in sessions.

Louise has had a wealth of life experiences prior to her work as a counsellor, including work in the finance industry, local government, higher education, film/TV and fashion. She has experience of working with university students and adults presenting with various issues (depression, anxiety, self-harm, suicide, eating disorders, disability, learning difficulties, financial hardship, racial discrimination, stress, sexual health, sexual orientation, gender reassignment, relationship difficulties, bullying, rape, violence etc.).

Louise feels it has been important for her to have an understanding of a range of issues, which often begin in childhood, and continue to have effects in adult life. She has worked as a volunteer for the Samaritans, specialising in working with individuals with suicidal thoughts, as well as working with vet students and qualified vet surgeons where suicide rates are one of the highest in the UK. Louise has a particular interest in relationship and attachment issues, communication, abuse, depression, gender and identity, loneliness and sexuality.

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Lucy Smith

Languages:	English
Works with:	Individuals
Specialisms:	Anxiety Depression Self-Esteem Sexuality

Lucy Smith is a senior trainee psychotherapist working towards a Masters degree in Integrative Counselling and Psychotherapy and is registered with the BACP. She works short-term with NHS patients at a GP surgery in Lambeth. Lucy has experience of working with common mental health needs, self-esteem and confidence issues.

Lucy works in a person-centred way and aims to make the counselling experience feel very much led by her client. She uses theories from humanistic, psychodynamic and cognitive behavioural therapy to help clients explore and resolve their problems, and to achieve their aspirations for the future. She believes people come to counselling for many reasons and her focus is always on the individual person in the room and facilitating their making sense of their thoughts and feelings. Ultimately she strongly believes that all her clients have the knowledge, resources and abilities to live life in a more enjoyable way.

With a background of over 15 years working on mental health policy, strategy and planning in the public and voluntary sector, Lucy is passionate about improving mental wellbeing for everyone, and believes we can all do more to improve the health of our minds and build our resilience. She holds a Postgraduate Diploma in Forensic Mental Health and a Postgraduate Award in Public Mental Health.

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Magdalena Adamczyk

Languages:	English
Works with:	Individuals
Specialisms:	Abuse Depression Stress

Magdalena Adamczyk is working towards MSc in Gestalt Psychotherapy. She works short-term with NHS patients at a GP surgery in Lambeth.

Magdalena aims to create empathic and supportive space where the difficult issues can be explored in safe environment. She pays attentions to each client’s individual needs and aims to build a relationships based on mutual trust. Magdalena helps clients to learn about the way they are in the world, increase awareness of unhelpful coping strategies which don’t serve them anymore and experiment with new, more effective ways of being. Her clients feel that the therapeutic relationship with Magdalena had a positive impact on their relationships with other people.

Magdalena’s background is in linguistic studies and has extensive teaching experience. Currently she works at the Psychiatric Hospital in the acute ward supporting people experiencing serious mental health problems. This experience helps Magdalena to feel confident working with people who experience high levels of stress, anxiety or depression.

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Maria Galani

Languages:	English, Greek
Works with:	Individuals
Specialisms:	Anger Bereavement & Loss Bullying Life Transitions

 

Maria Galani is working towards the Professional Doctorate in Counselling Psychology and is a member of the British Psychological Society (MBPsS). As an existential-integrative therapist, she draws on the approaches that best suit the issues the clients bring into the therapy room. She works within the Awareness Centre’s NHS counselling service at a GP surgery in Lambeth. She has worked therapeutically with adults, young people within an inpatient psychiatric ward, as well as in community therapeutic service and schools.

Maria aims to provide an emphatic, non-judgemental space where clients can open up and feel seen and heard for who they truly are. Her approach is existential and integrative. In existential therapy, emotional and psychological difficulties are viewed as inner conflict caused by an individual's confrontation with the givens of existence. Rather than delve into the past, the existential approach looks at the here and now, exploring the human condition as a whole and what it means for an individual.  Whilst focusing on the existential approach, Maria is also integrative which means that she draws on the approaches that best suit the issues the clients bring in to the room. Therefore, Maria may use CBT to help clients identify patterns in their thoughts and behaviours or mindfulness based techniques in order to help clients work with the here and now and tame anxious responses. Transactional analysis or Psychodynamic approaches may be used to help clients manage their relationships in a healthier way and understand their own mechanisms and how that plays out in their relationships. Her approach as a whole, is tailored to the individual client.

Through her working life Maria has developed a significant amount of experience in working with bullying, and especially with how earlier experiences of bullying in childhood can influence adulthood and the individual’s self-esteem and sense of self.  Maria has a special interest in work place bullying and conflict at workplaces and helping clients to identify healthy ways of managing the feelings that come out of that process. She also has an interest in working with trauma, depression, anxiety disorder, anger, isolation, and in life transitions and what those mean for the individual’s identity.

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Martin Connell

Languages:	English
Works with:	Individuals
Specialisms:	Depression Rape Suicidal Thoughts Trauma

Martin Connell is working towards an MSc in Counselling and Psychodynamic Psychotherapy and is registered with the BACP.  As a therapist he uses the psychodynamic approach which examines unconscious motives in forming the client’s personality, attitudes and emotional disorder. He works on an open-ended basis within The Awareness Centre’s low cost service, and also works short-term with NHS patients at a GP surgery in Lambeth

Martin aims when working with a client to provide a secure therapeutic space in which client’s can feel to be seen and heard, can explore their emotional distress and the issues in their lives they have come to counselling to address. He believes that by exploring our early relationships we can learn about ourselves and others and how the ways of behaving we learn in early life often impact our later relationships. Martin endeavours to tailor his approach to individual client’s needs and creating a therapeutic alliance.

Martin was born in Dublin and has lived and worked in London for more than 30 years.  He is a qualified accountant and worked in financial institutions for over 25 years.  He is a trustee of the National Association for People Abused in Childhood and has a particular interest in how emotional, physical and sexual abuse in childhood can impact clients in their later life. At weekends he’s a football referee for local leagues.

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Milena Radović

Languages:	English, Serbo-Croat
Works with:	Individuals
Specialisms:	Family & Relationships Isolation & Loneliness Pregnancy & Childbirth Stress

 

Milena Radović is an integrative counsellor. She holds a Master degree in Psychology and is currently working towards her Master degree in Therapeutic Counselling. Milena is a registered member of the BACP and abides by its ethical framework of practice. She works with NHS patients on a short-term basis at GP surgery in Wandsworth.

Milena is interested in the role of language in the therapeutic process, especially in bilinguals as well as the effect of music on mood and its healing potential. Her personal experience of therapy in the second language inspired her further exploration of the role of language in emotional expression and self-development. She provides a non-directive and non-judgemental atmosphere where clients can explore themselves and feel accepted. Working integratively, Milena provides a unique therapy which can be adapted to suit clients’ needs taking into account diversity and differences.

Milena has a background in psychology, music, and education. Prior to pursuing the training in counselling, she volunteered for Mental health charity organisations, worked within the private mental health sector and also as a teacher. Milena understands how relationships can significantly impact mental wellbeing and therefore believes in the power of therapeutic relationship. The quality of that relationship can help clients to connect to themselves and to others. Milena provides therapy in English and Serbo-Croatian.

 

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Nadiya Hussain

Languages	English, Punjabi
Works with	Individuals
Areas of Expertise	Abuse Depression Family & Relationships Workplace Issues

Nadiya Hussain works with NHS patients at a GP Practice in Stockwell.  She is a member of the BACP as an integrative counsellor who is working towards an MSc in Therapeutic Counselling.

Nadiya provides an open space for clients to explore their feelings and focus on the areas of their life that mean the most to them. Sometimes it can be difficult to talk through issues without feeling judged by others, and sometimes people in our lives are unable to offer the right support for us when we need it. Nadiya supports clients by being an empathic listener works with them to help them understand complex feelings or difficult emotions they might be going through. She helps clients understand their present relationships by exploring past memories, feelings and events. This can help clients develop better self-awareness in their existing relationships with others. Trust is very important in a relationship between a counsellor and client and in order to help build this, Nadiya works in a transparent way and ensures that the space that she offers is confidential and safe. Her approach is client-led and she will work in a way that suits the individual, ensuring that the clients aims are always at the heart of her work. Nadiya believes that all clients have the potential to achieve good emotional well-being, but they must be supported in a way that brings out the best in them.    

With a background as an Operations Manager for a group of residential care homes, Nadiya has had experience of dealing with workplace conflict and the pressures people face to meet the expectations of others. She also has an understanding of how difficulties in the workplace can sometimes impact other areas of a person’s life, including their relationships with people close to them. Nadiya also has had experience in working with clients with depression, family and relationship issues and abuse. She has also worked with people from a variety of cultural backgrounds and is aware of the challenges and conflicts people can sometimes face coming from a culturally diverse background.   

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Nahid Karamali

Languages:	English, Arabic, Farsi
Works with:	Individuals
Specialisms:	Abuse Anxiety Relationships

Nahid Karamali is working towards a Professional Doctorate in Counselling Psychology, and is registered with the BPS. As an integrative therapist, she draws on the approaches that best suit the issues that clients bring into the therapy room. She works on an open-ended basis within The Awareness Centre’s low-cost service.

Nahid aims to provide a safe and supportive environment where clients can examine their thoughts and feelings. She also aims to work with the clients to draw on their inner resources to arrive at solutions that are most congruent with their own values. Working integratively, Nahid may use Rational Psychodynamic approach to help clients manage patterns in their thoughts and behaviours, Systemic and Person-Centred therapy to help clients to understand and manage their relationships in a healthier way. Her approach is tailored to the individual client.

With a background as a college lecturer, Nahid has an interest and experience in relationships. She understands miscommunication, external and internal pressures lead people to adopt unhelpful or damaging strategies. She works with the clients to identify healthier ways of managing stress and emotions. She also specialises in anxiety and anger. She has special interest in depression.

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Nathan Claxton

Languages	English
Works with:	Individuals
Individuals:	£65/hr
Specialisms:	Addiction Depression Trauma

Nathan Claxton is a qualified Integrative Psychodynamic Counsellor (BACP registered) and is currently completing his second Masters resulting in UKCP registration as an Integrative Psychotherapist. Other trainings include Motivational Interviewing, Brief Solution Focused Therapy, Attachment & Trauma, Parent group facilitator and ADHD in adolescents. He has over fifteen years’ experience working within mental health, social and therapeutic services. He is a Team Leader for the NHS counselling service at The Awareness Centre. This includes seeing clients on a short-term basis within the NHS and supporting a team of counsellors in the NHS. Additionally, he has his own Private Practice.

As a relational orientated therapist, he helps clients integrate past and present psychological difficulties through the use of the therapeutic relationship. Neuroscience research now confirms that humans are unable to control what they feel, therefore, the work with Nathan is to understand and accept feelings, manage them better; reducing their propensity to intensify current problems. This combined with Nathan’s active participation in the process promotes client engagement in more helpful behaviours and interactions with others.

Nathan is experienced in working with a wide range of emotional, mental health and relationship difficulties and understands the importance of a positive working alliance between the client and himself.  He specialises in treating deep-rooted, long standing depressions, with or without significant developmental trauma.

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Nina Castro

Languages	English, Spanish, Portuguese
Works with:	Individuals
Areas of Expertise	Abuse Anger Depression Personality Disorders

 

Nina Castro is a psychologist and member of the British Psychological Society. She is also a trainee psychoanalytic psychotherapist. She works at The Awareness Centre with NHS patients at a GP surgery in Lambeth. Nina gathers experience of working with adults and families with diverse issues and diagnostics and is working towards an advanced diploma in psychoanalytic psychodrama psychotherapy.

Nina provides a trustful and secure environment that enables the patient to honestly explore their problematic and issues. The therapeutic relationship and the setting assume a core importance to the therapy. Nina basis her intervention in evidence-based knowledge and practice. Her therapeutic approach aims to promote behavioural and thinking changes, personal and relational adjustment, and self-awareness and self-knowledge towards the patient inner freedom and psychological pain relief. Therapeutic goals are defined during the therapeutic sessions together with the patient and the type of therapy elected relies on what is expected to achieve and on the duration of the treatment. Each patient has their own concerns and objectives, and thus the therapeutic approach and accomplishments vary according to the specific case.

With an international background of clinical experience both in the public and in the private sector, Nina offers therapy in three different languages (English, Spanish and Portuguese), being sensitive to the individuals’ cultural and social environments. Nina has worked with presenting issues including depression, anxiety, autism spectrum disorders, dyslexia, hyperactivity and attention deficit disorders, mental disability and others. Moreover, she has an interest in attachment relationships. Nina also provided therapy for adults diagnosed with mood, anxiety, personality disorders and psychosis.

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Norma Higson

Languages:	English
Works with:	Individuals
Specialisms:	Depression Trauma Relationships

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Olya Sergeeva

Languages:	English
Works with:	Individuals
Specialisms:	Anger Management Bereavement & Loss Guilt & Shame Isolation & Loneliness

  Olya Sergeeva is working towards a Diploma in Integrative Transpersonal Counselling and Psychotherapy, and is registered with the UKCP. She works short-term with NHS patients at GP surgeries in Wandsworth and an open-ended basis within The Awareness Centre’s low-cost service. Olya works with a person by means of the HERE and NOW approach as well as exploring past childhood traumas. She brings her qualities of patience and grounding, creating a safe atmosphere so a person may feel the warmth and security of the therapeutic relationship which enables them to talk about their personal difficulties. Olya helps and supports people who suffers from depression, anxiety, guilt, rage outbursts, suicidal thoughts or attempts, aloneness and isolation, meaningless and futility of life, loss of a loved one to death or to divorce, separation or breakup of a relationship. Being an integrative counsellor she engages in various approaches of the Gestalt empty chair method, Transactional Analysis of Parent, Adult and Child ego states, person-centred with Unconditional Personal Regard and Empathy. Olya works with unconscious material through dreams or creative imagination as well. Olya was a private tutor of English for adults. While teaching she learned that it was most important to create a safe and trusting relationship so students felt that they were allowed to make mistakes and not to feel ashamed of this.

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Panagiotis Karagiannis

Languages	English, Greek
Works with:	Individuals
Speciialisms:	Anxiety Bipolar Disorder Communication Issues Personality Disorders

Panagiotis Karagiannis is a trainee-counselling psychologist attending the Professional Doctorate in Counselling Psychology. He is a registered graduate member of the British Psychological Society. Panagiotis is pursuing accreditation with the Health Care Professions Council, upon completion of his doctorate studies. He has a BSc in Psychology.

Panagiotis aims to provide a supportive, empathetic, secure and problem-solving focused therapeutic relationship. By combining two modalities, Person-Centered Psychotherapy and Cognitive Behavioural Psychotherapy, he is able to establish a strong therapeutic relationship, while utilising suitable tools to monitor and combat and address several issues and problems that a person might face in the fast-paced modern society. Through the Person-Centered Modality, he can establish a genuine and honest therapeutic relationship, identify the concerns that his clients might have, while acknowledging the uniqueness of each person and doing his best to understand their inner world. Through the Cognitive Behavioural Modality, he addresses their concerns and helps them understand their processing and monitor progress whenever is needed.

He has worked for a significant amount of time in a mental health office, specialising in Bipolar Disorder. There, he gathered a lot of experience and nurtured a real interest in this complex disorder as well as others like Borderline Personality Disorder and Schizophrenia. His interests also include workplace and relationship conflict resolution.

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Philip Ma

Accredited:	BPS
Languages:	English
Works with:	Individuals
Specialisms:	Addiction Anxiety Disorder Bereavement & Loss Depression

 

Philip Ma is a Counselling Psychologist accredited with BPS. He utilises an integrative therapeutic model drawn from psychodynamic, humanistic, existential and Rational Emotive Behaviour Therapy. Philip has many years of experience working with a range of psychological issues that clients bring to counselling. Currently he works short term with NHS clients at a GP surgery in Lambeth.

Philip sees counselling as a personal space for the client to explore ways of coping more effectively with the issues he or she is experiencing. He aims to provide a safe environment where clients feel listened to, supported, empowered and validated as a person who is unique, worthwhile, complex and fallible as a human being. He strives to be mindful, empathic and compassionate towards the client’s current difficulties. He endeavours to work flexibly with clients by taking into consideration their learning style and psychological insight; as well as acknowledging their inner strength in working towards their desirable outcome. Counselling requires a collaborative relationship whereby clients are fully informed of their roles and that of the counsellor. The client decides the direction and pace of the therapeutic process.

Philip has worked on a volunteer helpline with adults who have suffered abuse in childhood. He has worked in a therapeutic community for young adults and a community alcohol service. He is able to work with a range of issues including relationship breakup, trauma, low self-esteem, childhood abuse including emotional abuse, depression, anxiety, addiction, bullying at work and bereavement.

 

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Philippa Drew

Accredited:	UKCP
Languages:	English
Works with:	Individuals
Specialisms:	Anxiety Depression Relationships

Philippa Drew aims to identify and explore, with the client, the patterns of beliefs and behaviours in individual roles and relationships, including sexual relationships that may have become set over time. She believes that this will enable clients to decide if and where change would be desirable and to facilitate the process of establishing new and more fulfilling patterns.

Philippa pays particular attention to the connections between behaviours and the meanings attributed to them. She focuses on the patterns of communication and the influence these may have on the clients’ identified difficulties. The conversations are guided at a pace that feels comfortable to the client.

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Rebecca Smith

Languages:	English
Works with:	Individuals
Specialisms:	Depression Family & Relationships Self-Esteem Stress

 

Rebecca Smith is a trainee person-centred counsellor, working with short-term NHS patients at a GP surgery in Lambeth. Rebecca is currently working towards a Masters degree in person-centred psychotherapy.

Rebecca provides a safe, warm and supportive space where clients can explore their thoughts and feelings, feel heard and accepted for who they are, and receive reflective feedback.  She will listen carefully to whatever a client has to say, without judgement and without advising, and together they can explore any difficulties to help the client gain a greater understanding of themself, recognise and change unhelpful behaviour patterns and make choices that are right for them. Rebecca works in a person-centred way, which means that she puts the therapeutic relationship at the heart of her work, will follow the client rather than lead, and she believes that therapy can help an individual to reach their full potential and live a more fulfilled life.

With a background in journalism, Rebecca’s has a long-held interest in what makes us tick and a belief in the transformative potential of therapy, and spent seven years working on the magazine Psychologies. She has experience of working with stress and anxiety, anger, relationship difficulties, depression and low self-esteem and confidence issues.

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Riana Lewis

Languages:	English
Works with:	Individuals
Specialisms:	Abuse Anger Suicidal Thoughts

Riana Lewis is currently working towards becoming a Qualified Person-Centred Practitioner which is accredited by the BACP.  She is heading into her second year of her Higher Professional Diploma at LC&CTA. She has completed Continuing Professional Development Certificates in Combined L2 & L4 Certified in Substance Misuse, Anger Releasing, Understanding Suicide and Suicide Prevention, Women Survivors of Domestic Abuse and Child Safeguarding.

Riana works with NHS clients on a short term basis at a Lambeth GP Surgery. She understands that entering counselling can bring up difficult and painful feelings and believes ‘the relationship is the therapy’, which can be life changing and enhancing to one’s process.

Riana aims to provide a confidential, safe, accepting space where clients feel free to share their experiences and feelings, and to be heard for who they are. She seeks to engage in a co-created and supportive therapeutic relationship allowing self exploration, awareness and a deeper connection to the client’s own resources and true self.

Before training in counselling and still at present, Riana’s has 17 years’ experience is in sales and customer care. Riana is from a Caribbean background and believes in working with diversity.

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Richard Hughes

Languages:	English
Works with:	Individuals
Specialisms:	Family & Relationships Guilt & Shame Sex & Relationships Workplace Issues

 

Richard Hughes is an UKCP trainee psychotherapist, working towards a five-year clinical diploma in Integrative Psychotherapy. He is currently on an NHS placement at Mawbey Group Practice.

At the heart of 'integrative' therapy, is an acknowledgement that everyone's subjective experience is unique. With this as a starting point, Richard provides a supportive and confidential space to explore and be heard. And whilst he may draw on different psychotherapeutic modalities in his work, his approach is tailored to each person. An outcome of integrative therapy can be greater autonomy, an understanding of why we respond the way we do and how we use defence mechanisms that inhibit spontaneity and the ability to play and problem solve. Ultimately, integrative therapy nurtures meaningful choice, self-knowledge and acceptance.

Richard has worked in the commercial and creative sector for over 20 years and continues to do so, he is committed to creative diversity and mental health awareness within his profession. Richard has a particular interest in working with relationship issues, conflict within the workplace, LGBT issues and the impact of life transitions.

 

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Samira Behlrazi

Languages	English, Arabic, French
Works with:	Individuals
Specialisms:	Depression Self-Harm Sexuality Suicidal Thoughts

Samira Belrhrazi is a qualified counsellor having completed the diploma in therapeutic counselling. She is registered with BACP and is working towards her accreditation.  As an integrative therapist she draws from different approaches mainly psychodynamic which enables the client to understand their patterns of behaviour and how they relate to others. She has a range of experience including self-harming, anxiety, suicidal thoughts, depression, eating disorders, PTSD and LGBT and is fluent in Arabic and French. She works with NHS patients at a GP surgery in Lambeth.

Samira aims to build a warm relationship with clients and create a safe space free of judgement that allows them to open up and explore their issues. She brings a gentle humour to the process to put the client at ease which can facilitate openness and change.  Dependant on the strength and resilience of the client, she can also bring a non-intrusive challenging approach which enables them to develop awareness and an understanding of difficult aspects of their being.

Samira has a background developing strategies to support people in learning how to manage stress, communicate their needs and build relationships.

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Sarah Janes

Languages:	English
Works with:	Individuals
Specialisms:	Bereavement & Loss Depression Isolation & Loneliness Self-Harm

 

Sarah Janes is a Person Centred Counsellor and a member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP). Further to her core training, Sarah is trained in Bereavement and Loss counselling, and also works for a charity counselling people affected by HIV and Aids.

Sarah believes in the healing relationship between client and therapist and her sessions have a highly support, open and empathic quality. She has worked in a bereavement and loss agency for 18 months, with clients who lose someone close to them. In addition she is also working for a charity counselling anyone affected by HIV or Aids.

Sarah has a broad life experience working in the creative fields of graphic design, User Experience and photography for many years before changing direction to become a counsellor. She understands the way in which we can become defined by our jobs and the external pressures we can put on ourselves.

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Saynab Ahmed

Languages:	English, Somali
Works with:	Individuals
Specialisms:	Depression[/item] Stress Suicidal Thoughts

Saynab Ahmed is a bilingual  Person-Centred Counsellor working towards her Post Graduate Diploma in Practitioner Counselling, and accreditation with the BACP. She works with clients on an open-ended basis within the Awareness Centre’s Low Cost Counselling Service and on a short-term basis at a GP surgery in Lambeth.

Saynab aims to provide a safe, empathic and non- judgemental space working together with clients to explore the issues they bring to therapy. While counselling helps clients to process difficult or painful thoughts and feelings, she believes that therapy can also focus on the potential of the client. She works with her clients to identify and draw on their resources to live a fuller, more satisfying life.

Saynab holds a BSc in Psychology, this is where her interest in human behaviour and the different ways in which with deal with emotional distress comes from. She has worked in the voluntary sector in particular those who have experienced loss and bereavement. Through her extensive travels she has lived in diverse communities and understands the importance of fully embracing difference. Due to her own background and experiences, she is able to deal with cultural issues in a very natural way, understanding and empathising with the pressures and restrictions faced amongst minorities.

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Sebastian Bosca

Languages:	English
Works with:	Individuals
Specialisms:	Anxiety Asperger's Syndrome Depression

Sebastian Bosca has a Masters in Clinical Psychology, Counselling and Psychotherapy and is a member of BACP, BPS and BABCP. Although trained as a CBT therapist, Sebastian believes that we are complex human beings and reducing people to thoughts, emotions and behaviours is just not enough when it comes to therapy. He is open to explore issues in a deeper way, focusing on developing a good therapeutic relationship where change really takes place. He works with the low-cost counselling service at the Awareness Centre and also with NHS clients.

Sebastian is interested in helping clients discover inner resources to help them enjoy their life. He believes thoughts are important and shape our decisions and character and the way we see and perceive things. Therefore, replacing destructive thought patterns with healthy ones improves the quality of life. Also, the way we relate to others reveals what we believe and value most in life. Focusing on relationships and the meaning we attach to them is also quite important.

With a background as a family therapist, Sebastian has a great interest in providing the right support to people with the purpose of developing healthy coping mechanisms with others around them. At the moment he is also working as a Mental Health Adviser motivating people to find the most suitable job that will fit their professional experience.

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Steve Langstaff

Languages:	English
Works with:	Individuals
Specialisms:	Relationships

Steve Langstaff is registered and accredited with the BACP as a counsellor/psychotherapist. He trained as an integrative counsellor and uses as a base psychodynamic thinking, which looks not only at problems in the present but also roots to these in the past.

He specialises in the significance of attachments and relationships in life, and helping clients make sense of how the forming of early emotional patterns and ways of relating may be repeated in later life.

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Surjeet Bahra

Languages:	English, Hindi, Punjabi, Urdu
Works with:	Individuals
Specialisms:	Depression Self-Esteem Stress

Surjeet Bahra is a person-centred, humanistic, integrative counsellor working towards her BACP accreditation. She works with NHS patients at a GP surgery in Lambeth. Surjeet likes to provide a friendly, safe space to allow her clients to be themselves. Her clients are given space to talk about whatever they feel is affecting their life. Through reflection, clients are able to clarify their thoughts, helping them become comfortable with their own thoughts and feelings and encourages the growth of their self-esteem.

In today’s modern world it is easy for an individual to get lost and disconnect with who they really are.Engaging in the process of counselling can provide an individual the correct space to reconnect. As well as supporting clients to work on their issues in the here and now Surjeet will look at the attachment styles clients have picked up from their childhood and how they are displayed in the present. Working on attachment styles can help a client to understand their negative relationships better and how they can improve them. Surjeet is also trained in CBT and may use CBT techniques to help a client look at their negative thoughts, actions, and behaviours. By challenging negative thoughts, actions, and behaviours a client can learn to adapt new positive behaviours to improve their quality of life. Surjeet also encourages her clients to suggest activities that may help their therapy along.

Surjeet has worked with clients experiencing drug and alcohol misuse issues those living in a women’s refuge.Through personal experience, she is comfortable working with ethnic minorities and those with hidden disabilities and those experiencing discrimination as a result. Surjeet brings this empathy into the counselling room. Surjeet can provide counselling sessions in Punjabi, Hindi and Urdu and feels passionately that by providing a therapeutic relationship an individual can achieve their best.

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Tabitha Appleby

Languages	English
Works with:	Individuals
Areas of Expertise	Bereavement & Loss Depression Isolation & Loneliness

 

Tabitha Appleby is a Humanistic Integrative Counsellor/Psychotherapist working towards her advanced diploma. She completed her foundation certificate in Transpersonal Therapy and decided to move into the Integrative field in order to open her knowledge in as many theories as possible. She is a member of the BACP and with this follows their codes of ethics. Tabitha is working with NHS patients in short term therapy at a GP surgery in Lambeth.

Tabitha feels that one of the most important factors in the therapeutic alliance is the relationship between client and therapist and she seeks to enable this by offering a safe, non judgmental space in which the client can express and explore their emotions and concerns freely. Working integratively Tabitha uses a variety of counselling techniques, which she tailors to the needs of an individual. She feels strongly that as a psychotherapist it is important to be able to adapt to the client and supply techniques that are suitable for each individual so that their work together is as beneficial to the client as possible. Due to her foundations within Transpersonal Therapy Tabitha is also able to work more creatively with clients who are open to this modality.

Previously Tabitha’s career has taken her thought a diverse background of companies from fashion to banking and more recently hospitality. Tabitha is used to meeting and talking to people from all walks of life and this is a skill she has transferred into her current training. Tabitha has been working with bereaved clients alongside a well known charity and hospice. It has been a privilege for her to be able to work with these clients and she has enjoyed being part of their support network. By working through the clients presenting issues and allowing them to utilise the therapy space effectively, Tabitha’s goal is to help clients find and utilise their inner resources, in order for them to grow personally and gain a deeper insight into their circumstances.

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Tania Perotta Clarke

Languages:	English, Spanish
Works with:	Individuals
Specialisms:	Anxiety Depression Guilt & Shame

Tania Perotta Clarke is a qualified Psychodynamic Psychotherapist. She is student member of the FPC (Foundation for Psychotherapy and Counselling) and is working towards registration with the BPC (British Psychoanalytical Council). She also has a certificate in Psychoanalytical Psychology from Birkbeck College, University of London, and has trained in Mindfulness for Practitioners.

Tania has experience in both long-term, open-ended psychodynamic psychotherapy and time limited work. She allows patients a unique space to explore their feelings, doubts and concerns in a confidential environment. This allows clients to feel safe and further develop as individuals whilst getting closer to their true selves. The exploration of unconscious conflicts, facilitated by the therapeutic relationship, often gives insight into issues previously unknown to our conscious mind, as well as opening up new possibilities.

With a background of working with adults with dual diagnoses of mental health and learning difficulties, Tania has always been interested in the emotional life of individuals and how it has come to develop. She believes our childhood has a great impact in the way we build our lives as adults.

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Velma Dennis

Languages:	English
Works with:	Individuals
Specialisms:	Anxiety Disorder Depression Stress

Velma Dennis is working towards her Masters in Integrative Counselling and is registered with BACP. As an integrative therapist she uses various approaches within the integrative counselling framework to help clients address challenging issues that are holding them back. This approach is client led and focuses on the best solution to address the clients’ needs. She works on an open-ended basis within The Awareness Centre’s Low-Cost counselling service and works short term with NHS clients in Streatham.

Velma currently works with individual who suffers various mental health problems. Her aim is to provide a safe, confidential and non-judgemental environment in which clients feel free to express their thoughts and feelings. She believes that each individual has the solution to their own problem and that therapy, when used efficiently by the counsellor can encourage the client to find their own way forward. Working within the integrative framework, Velma draws upon the approaches that are best suited to address the client’s issues.

Velma’s past experience as a Manager and her current experience working in the mental health field gives her the right balance, empathy and experience to assist in finding the best solution for solving problems. She is aware of how harmful negative life experiences can be on an individual if left un-addressed. Velma aims to work with clients to live a full and happy life. She specialises in stress, depression, anxiety, and bereavement and loss.

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Victoria Babalola

Languages	English
Works with:	Individuals
Areas of Expertise	Abuse Depression Isolation Sexuality

Victoria Babalola is a psychodynamic counsellor and psychotherapist. She is qualified in both psychodynamic counselling and cognitive behaviour therapy and is registered with the BACP working towards accreditation. Victoria works on a time-limited basis offering short-term therapy to NHS patients at a GP surgery in Lambeth.

Victoria offers a safe, non-judgmental, confidential space where her clients can explore the issues that are affecting their lives. She uses the psychodynamic framework, which suggests that an individual’s problems may have links to traumas or experiences that occurred earlier in life. Victoria helps her clients to better understand and work through their problems. She believes in the power of therapy and its ability to provide insight into the self and offer hope for the future. She aims to help her clients improve the difficult areas in their lives by building confidence, self-esteem and strengthening abilities. Victoria may at times use CBT techniques to help her clients understand the connection between their, thoughts, feelings, physical symptoms and actions. Her approach is empowering and personalised to each client she works with.

With a background in the health and social care field, Victoria has ten years’ experience supporting people with substance addiction, mental health and other complex issues; she has a particular interest in areas including, relationship, bereavement and trauma. She is experienced in helping her clients manage the symptoms brought on by depression and anxiety and has also worked extensively with the LGBT community.

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Yvette Feyisayo

Languages:	English
Works with:	Individuals
Specialisms:	Abuse Depression Self-Esteem Stress

 

Yvette Feyisayo is a qualified counsellor having completed a Diploma in Therapeutic Integrative Counselling and is registered with the BACP, working towards Accreditation. She works short term with NHS clients at a GP surgery in Wandsworth.

Yvette is an Integrative Counsellor drawing on various approaches to counselling, including the Person Centred approach which places emphasis on the therapeutic relationship between counsellor and client. Providing a safe supportive space free from judgement or discrimination can provide clients with a greater sense of self-awareness. A greater sense of self-awareness can aid in promoting increased confidence and self-worth, allowing the client to grow to their full potential. Working in an integrative way Yvette may also draw from the CBT approach to help clients challenge their thoughts, feelings and patterns of behaviour by developing alternative ways of thinking, feeling and behaving. Additionally the Psychodynamic approach can help clients explore thoughts, feelings and behaviours and how these may relate to early experiences.  Yvette's approach is tailored to meet the needs of each client's unique experience of life.

Yvette understands and appreciates the everyday stresses people can experience in the work place and the effects of burnout and stress related illness. She has also worked in the Care Industry working with physically and mentally disabled adults with complex needs. As a counsellor she works to help identify healthier ways of managing mental health illness and specialises in depression, stress, anxiety, self-esteem and confidence as well as working with victims/survivors of domestic violence and other forms of abuse.