NHS Therapists

Afusat Oluokun

Afusat Oluokun works to provide a warm, empathetic, relaxed environment where clients can feel confident to be themselves and open up about their issues. As an integrative therapist, Afusat prides herself on tailoring approaches to best suit individuals. She aims to foster a working relationship where clients can feel safe to be true to themselves. Afusat works with clients at their own pace, using the Person centred approach which means providing the right conditions to support clients to explore and make use of their strengths so that they can gain autonomy. She works to help clients gain acceptance and find healthier methods of managing emotions and stress, and also uses the psychodynamic approach, focusing on childhood experiences which may impact current patterns of behaviour.

With mental health experience and leadership background in the mental health sector, Afusat is passionate about promoting positive recovery in our communities. Her aim is to work on increasing her knowledge and understanding of supporting people with complex mental health needs. Afusat has a genuine desire to see everyone happy, so will continuously work on improving herself so she can share her journey. Afusat holds a BA (Honours) degree in Media Performance.

Afusat is working towards an advanced diploma in integrative counselling. She works with patients within The Awareness Centre's NHS counselling service at a GP surgery in Lambeth.

Aidan Lynch

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.

Alessia Ardizzone

Alessia Ardizzone works in a psychodynamic way, providing a non-judgmental and supportive environment where clients are guided to make sense of their own truth from their very own perspective. Every client is unique and as such deserves a unique and tailored approach. Alessia believes that exploring the roots of the client’s past difficulties is essential to create useful links to explore an individual’s present. Moreover, it is fundamental for the client to re-explore certain aspects of their past and this can occur through the therapeutic relationship. Alessia provides a safe environment to discuss and work through difficult issues such as anxiety, low self-esteem and depression.

Alessia have been supporting a group of refugees on their journey towards integration into British society. She supported them through one to one sessions, understanding and analysing their current sources of different stressors, such as moving from a foreign country and settling down in a completely different environment. This experience enable her to be in straight contact with different cultures and to understand the enriching power of diversity between human beings.

Alessia is working towards a Master degree in Counselling. She is a member of BACP with the aim of achieving her professional accreditation. Alessia can work both in English and in Italian.

Alex de Ville

Alice Bearn

Alice Bearn believes strongly that every individual is unique and will want different things from counselling. She offers a friendly and empathic space where the experiences and feelings of the client can be heard and explored. She takes a collaborative approach, working with the client to identify the best approach for them and what they feel is most useful and effective way of making life feel more manageable during what may be difficult or painful times. Alice works from a Psychodynamic perspective, and so draws on past experiences and relationships to look at the impact they may be having in the present. However, her approach is flexible and she may draw from various schools of thought depending on the client’s individual needs.

Alice has worked in social research for the past seven years, and so had extensive experience of meeting and interviewing a wide range of people on a variety of topics that can be sensitive or difficult. Her background in this area has given her some understanding of how difficult life circumstances and past experiences can contribute to anxiety, negative thought patterns and perpetuate cycles that are difficult to break. Alice works with those who may be struggling in their relationships with others, experiencing anxiety, depression, hopelessness, or problems with addiction.

Alice is a psychodynamic counsellor and is registered with the BACP. She works with The Awareness Centre's NHS counselling service in Wandsworth. She is currently working towards her MA in Counselling from Goldsmiths University.

Ally Morawetz

Ally Morawetz endeavours to be a warm, empathic and open counsellor. Her two main approaches, are person centred and psychodynamic. The Person-centred approach means that she offers a safe and supportive and trusting space in which to explore problems, thoughts and feelings together, without the fear of being judged. If the client wishes, through her psychodynamic training, Ally can offer links or interpretations of how past events relationships and trauma are affecting the present. This helps give a greater clarity on why we feel and behave in the way we do, and this understanding can give a more positive self-view and more choice. Through offering a supportive and collaborative relationship, she helps her clients to face problems and make positive changes in their lives.

Ally’s main background is in telecoms as a researcher, but she has had a number of jobs. These include working in care homes, book keeping and sales. She understands the pressures and difficulties of family life and managing relationships both at home and at work. She has a special interest in communication, especially where self-esteem or bullying has been a problem.

Amy Launder

Amy Launder provides an open and empathic space, where clients can feel comfortable enough to explore their concerns. Counselling gives the client a chance to work through problems and issues in a neutral space, with no judgements or expectations from the therapist. As well as addressing the negative aspects of what a client is dealing with, Amy also encourages clients to recognise and draw on their strengths and experiences to build coping mechanisms.

Amy has previously worked with adults and young adults bringing concerns such as anxiety, depression, stress, bereavement, and anger. She also has experience of working with clients who have experienced such life changes as disability, unemployment, illness, and redundancy. Alongside this, Amy has experience of working with primary school children in a counselling capacity, exploring issues such as fear, loneliness, bullying, and emotional overload.

Amy is an intersubjective psychotherapist, working towards accreditation with the BACP. As an intersubjective therapist, she focuses on the relationship between herself and the client in order to help the client to remove barriers that are standing in their path. She also uses and integrative approach, tailoring her therapy to the client or issue at hand. Amy works on a short-term basis with NHS patients at a GP surgery in Lambeth.

Anna Clifford

Anna Clifford works with clients in a collaborative way, enabling them space to explore and reflect on difficulties, whether these are current or long-term issues. She believes in building a strong therapeutic relationship, by using empathy and encouraging clients to identify how they would like their life to be. To support meaningful change, she also focuses on helping clients to identify their opportunities for developing their potential, be they external opportunities or clients’ internal qualities and resilience. Depending on the nature of the difficulty explored in therapy, Anna may use a range of techniques for promoting well-being, for example Transactional Analysis to help clients negotiate and re-frame unhelpful relationships, or Psychodynamic approaches to help clients to understand why they may have developed a pattern of damaging beliefs which inhibit self-growth. For clients with debilitating anxiety-based disorders, CBT and mindfulness-based approaches may be used, to support clients to find effective coping skills for living, before addressing the longer-term causes. Throughout this process, Anna focuses on identifying the client’s genuine feelings and sense of agency in identifying the solutions which will work best for them.   

With a background of working within rehabilitation services, Anna has experience of working with clients with a range of difficulties, using trauma-informed approaches to help clients build resilience and self-esteem. Anna is skilled at working with people with problematic substance misuse, anger issues, self-harming and around gender identity/sexuality. She also has experience of working for a charity providing 1:1 support to adult survivors of childhood sexual abuse, developing awareness of the stages of coping with experiences of abuse.  She has a particular interest in recovery models for helping people to cope with mental health concerns, to promote mental well-being and self-acceptance.

Anna is an integrative counsellor/psychotherapist and is a member of the BACP professional body. Anna is currently working towards full accreditation and is undertaking a Post-Graduate Diploma in Integrative Counselling & Psychotherapy. She sees patients for counselling within the Awareness Centre's NHS counselling service at a GP surgery in Lambeth.

Anna Debny

Anna Debny offers a safe, confidential and non-judgemental time and space where every client is treated individually. She does not promise to have the answers but, by offering an emphatic and warm environment where the person can talk freely, she can help the client on his/her journey to understand deeper their inner self. She trusts that within each human being lies innate potential and resources which are very often hidden and that the therapeutic relationship can help this flourish. Anna uses a person-centred and psychodynamic approach as she believes that most of the people's patterns and fears have roots in their formative years, and by ensuring a safe space she helps the client to find his/her own unique, real and more fulfilling way of being. She provides her counselling skills in English and Polish.

She has been working for over six years with children as au-pair, as a companion for an elderly woman and volunteer in a healthcare home. Over the years she has built up trusting relationships with people she works with and discovered the significance of having someone to listen in an open-minded way. That work experience together with personal life events, helps her to understand and appreciate diversity within people. She believes that even though all people have different backgrounds and needs, the need to be understood and valued is universal. Anna has a special interest in improving self-esteem and confidence, and in the parent-child relationship and its influence in later adulthood life.

Anna is an integrative counsellor pursuing a CPCAB accredited diploma in Therapeutic Counselling and is a registered member with the BACP. She works for The Awareness Centre’s NHS Counselling Service at a GP surgery in Lambeth.

Anne-Marie Scott

Anne-Marie Scott is currently studying diploma in integrative counselling and is registered with the BACP. Using the integrative approach, Anne-Marie will be looking at what method within the integrative modality would best suit each individual client's needs. She works within The Awareness Centre's low-cost counselling service in Tooting and with clients at a GP surgery in Lambeth.

Anne-Marie's intention is to allow the client to have capacity to feel supported in an empathic,congruent environment. In order for the client to look into themselves on a much deeper level, to establish valuable connections that needs to be made whether it being from their past and how it is affecting their present, or indeed how their present circumstances could be influencing their potential future. Her specialisms are family and relationships, alongside stress and self esteem issues.

Originally coming from a legal background, moving onto working as a customer services manager, and now currently a counselling administrator. Anne-Marie, has had extensive experience with working and serving people in both the private and public sector. Dealing and managing disputes with both customers and colleagues alike. She also has undertaken a voluntary  role as an outreach worker in her local community, helping families deal with anxiety to cases of homelessness. She understand the and stress that can cause, and helps people to manage it better.

Anoushka Beazley

Antony Constantinou

Anum Shehzad

Anum Shehzad believes that individuals come to counselling with their own unique narrative and she draws on different counselling approaches to offer an empathic, non-judgemental space where they can be explored. She uses psychodynamic techniques to work with recurring patterns and CBT to reframe negative or unhelpful thoughts and behaviours. She works with clients to reconnect and to recognise their needs. Anum supports clients as they meet new aspects of themselves so that they are able to learn, grow and work towards self-awareness. She adapts her approach to the needs of the client.

As someone who has worked with children, Anum uses creative methods to help individuals to identify their emotions and to find a helpful way of expressing themselves. She understands that at times the world can seem scary and challenging, leaving us to feel powerless and vulnerable. In these times Anum believes counselling can be truly helpful as it offers a space where we can voice our feelings and feel accepted. Anum also, has experience working with loss, stress and trauma (child and adult).

Anum is working towards completing an MSc in Therapeutic Counselling and is a member of the BACP. She uses an integrative approach, in particular person-centred, psychodynamic and CBT, when working with individuals. So she focuses on the therapeutic relationship to help identify patterns and triggers which can be worked with to allow individuals to find effective ways of coping. Anum works with short-term NHS patients at a GP surgery in Lambeth for The Awareness Centre's NHS Counselling Service in Lambeth.

Ayo Adesioye

Working towards a Foundation Certificate in Counselling and Psychotherapy, Ayo Adesioye draws on an integrative model which blends different approaches to reflect the uniqueness and individuality of the client and their concerns. She works within The Awareness Centre's NHS service at a GP surgery in Wandsworth.

Having also completed a Foundation in Family Therapy whilst living in Brazil, Ayo is sensitive to the role relationships, culture and society play when it comes to our emotional wellbeing and seeks as much as possible to consider the broader context of the individual's life. She firmly believes in the client’s natural tendency towards growth and endeavours to create a nurturing and non-judgemental space in which clients feel free to fully explore whatever facet of their life they are grappling with.

With a background in Journalism and TV production, Ayo brings with her a natural and playful curiosity that gently encourages people to tell their story- something she sees as being central to the therapeutic process. She specialises in family and relationships, life transitions, acculturation and cultural identity, and stress.

Barbara Jurczyk

‘Before every session, I take a moment to remember my humanity. There is no experience… I cannot share. No fear I cannot understand. No suffering that I cannot care about. Because I too am human’ (Carl R. Rogers)

Barbara Jurczyk provides a safe and non-judgemental therapeutic space guided by the belief that her clients are the experts of their own lives. She is a companion on her client’s journey towards self-discovery, finding therapeutic ways to use internal power and heal past ‘wounds’. Transformation or modification of attitudes and behaviour may be a therapeutic focus.

Barbara works integratively, which means she can bring a Person-Centred approach or a Psychodynamic way of working to the therapeutic relationship you develop together. When working in a Person-Centred way, a client may wish to explore what is going on in the ‘here and now’ by exploring feelings and responses to events and experiences. A client may feel drawn to a Psychodynamic approach, to explore the past and internal and unresolved conflicts which influence present life and choices. The choice is always the client’s, Barbara will only introduce a Psychodynamic Approach if her client wishes to explore the past and gain more understanding from this time. She believes counselling is an opportunity to connect with your true-self, become who you want to be and embrace an opportunity to be reborn and be the architect of your destiny.

Barbara has interests in human psychology, spirituality, mindfulness and existential philosophy. Her background is in Social Work. Working with children and young adults with complex learning difficulties and autism, Barbara has experienced positive changes in young peoples’ lives. She helps youngsters deal with their anxiety, stress and anger by teaching them more positive, helpful and acceptable ways of expressing their emotions and feelings. An Integrative Counsellor, Barbara is registered with the BACP. Barbara works within The Awareness Centre’s low-cost counselling service in Clapham and with NHS clients at a GP surgery in Lambeth. Barbara is working towards an Advanced Diploma in Therapeutic Integrative Counselling and holds a Bachelor (Honours) degree in Social Work. She is fluent in English and Polish.

Beatriz Cadavid

Beatriz Cadavid uses person-centred, psychodynamic and CBT modalities integrated into her practice and facilitates clients’ explorations according to their ability and needs. She may use an understanding of CBT approaches to challenge maladaptive beliefs or behaviours or analyse problems through a psychodynamic lens to help clients discover how their past may be informing their present. Beatriz aims to create a non-judgemental and safe space where clients can feel heard, while digging as gently, or deeply, as they need or wish. Furthermore, she believes it is important not to underestimate the client’s lifespan development, life transitions and social circumstances on presenting problems.

Beatriz’s background as a certified professional life coach has enabled her to develop a style that accesses deep insights by working with the whole person, ultimately resulting in expanded client self-awareness. Integrating this style within a Counselling framework can be especially useful for maximising short-term work. Her experience includes working with a broad range of client challenges from seeking confidence and adapting to change, to depression and anxiety. She currently has a growing interest in trauma, bullying and isolation.

Beatriz is a trainee counsellor working towards a BSc (Hons) Counselling degree and BACP accreditation.  She currently works with patients at a GP surgery in Wandsworth within The Awareness Centre's NHS counselling service. Her philosophy is that our problems do not define us and therapy provides individuals with space to acknowledge how everyday life may be impacting them and perhaps help unravel or make sense of any problems they feel they may have.

Beatriz Puche

Beatriz Puche provides a warm and supportive atmosphere where the client feels safe to open up and talk. In her opinion, the therapeutic room is a place for clients to be themselves and share their thoughts, feelings and behaviours in a non-judgmental space. She believes that the relationship between the counsellor and the client is based on trust and confidentiality as these are key elements for a positive counselling experience. She considers each client unique, and therefore tailors counselling techniques to the client’s particular needs. As an integrative counsellor, she uses a non-directive approach to encourage clients to fulfil their own potential, applies CBT and mindfulness to change their negative patterns and improve their state of mind, as well as working with the unconscious and childhood experiences. Her main goal is to help the client to start living a more fulfilling life.

With a strong background in languages, teaching and project management, Beatriz is aware of the negative consequences of working under pressure. She has a special interest in working with stress, anxiety and depression as studies have found that many health problems are related to these disorders. Getting into meditation and mindfulness was life-changing for her and, when needed, she applies these techniques in the therapeutic setting to manage stress and low self-esteem, among other issues. Moreover, she has an interest in life transitions. When life changes, especially in a negative way, it can be overwhelming for most of us. In her experience, life transitions are difficult and painful but a great opportunity for learning. She is from Spain and has lived in the UK for 7 years. Having moved countries twice, she has also developed an interest in cultural barriers and diversity, and her language skills allow her to offer counselling in both English and Spanish. She has volunteered for years with people suffering from severe mental illness, loneliness and isolation.

Beatriz is an integrative counsellor working towards a Masters in Therapeutic Counselling. She is a student member of the BACP and works on an open-ended basis within The Awareness Centre’s Low Cost counselling service in Clapham and with NHS patients in Wandsworth.

Ben Clegg

Ben Clegg provides a holding space of deep empathy which allow clients to feel safe and able to communicate freely and be seen. Ben believes the human condition wants to be witnessed and that clients want to be seen and heard.  Ben believes all clients experience in the world is as unique as the individual they are and so endeavours to ‘meet a client in the space they find themselves.’  Ben draws on an integrative stance so may use a Gestalt approach to explore a client’s ‘stuckness’ or make a creative space where the client can draw, sing or express themselves in the way they see fit. Ben firmly believes an individual is the only expert on themselves yet all of us need a space to make sense and process behaviours that do not serve them.

Ben has worked in the financial service sector for over 15 years managing teams and has a keen passion for diversity and inclusion. He has always had an interest in the human condition leading him to want to become a psychotherapist.  Ben has a particular interest in working with the impact of guilt and shame, anxiety, family & relationships and bereavement and the wider issues of loss.

Ben is a trainee psychotherapist, working towards a masters in Integrative Psychotherapy. He is currently on placement with The Awareness Centre’s low cost counselling service in Tooting, and also sees NHS patients at a GP surgery in Lambeth.

Ben Thornhill

Ben Thornhill is a UKCP trainee therapist and is currently working towards a Professional Doctorate in Existential Psychotherapy and Counselling. Ben works on either a short-term, or open-ended basis, according to the needs of the person coming to therapy. He works with The Awareness Centre’s Low-Cost service in Tooting and with NHS patients in Wandsworth.

Ben’s approach is grounded in helping people to discover greater meaning in life. He seeks to provide a space for people to express and reflect-on difficult thoughts and emotions in order to develop a fuller understanding of themselves and how they relate world. Ben firmly believes in peoples’ capacity to face and overcome the anxiety that arises from life’s challenges, once they have the right reasons to do so. It is his aim to enable people to come to a better understanding of who they are and what they want from life and encourages them to choose to create a more meaningful life around what they value most. The most important aspect of Ben’s practice is developing a trusting, honest relationship to help people to feel comfortable in therapy and feel safe enough to say what they need to say to begin the healing process.

With a background in teaching, Ben has experience and understanding of the psychological difficulties of childhood and adolescence, which are often brought with us into our adult lives. He has also worked for a charity helpline dealing with people experiencing suicidal thoughts, depression and anxiety, isolation and loneliness.

Bridget Freer

Bridget Freer 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 affect 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.

Bridget is a qualified psychotherapist and counsellor who has wide experience 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 within The Awareness Centre's NHS counselling service in Lambeth.

Candy Bokungu

Candy Bokungu is an integrative therapist working towards on advanced diploma in Integrative Counselling. This approach offers a service unique and tailored to the needs and goals of each individual client. She works with patients at a GP surgery in Lambeth for The Awareness Centre's NHS counselling service.

The integrative approach employed by Candy puts the client at the centre of the therapy. The client is encouraged and gently guided to express their experiences in their own time and in their own way, leading to inner discovery. Emphasis is placed on giving time to reflect upon different aspects of the issues raised and identified, through exploration of the past and importantly the connection between the past and the present.  Candy’s integrative approach is facilitated and enhanced by her calm and supportive manner. She aims to engender a respectful and positive environment for the clients where they can feel at ease to explore their experiences through both reflection and active encouragement.

Before embracing on a career in counselling, Candy has had a varied and interesting occupational history, firstly working in the fashion industry in Milan as both a designer and lecturer / tutor and later running her own business in the retail sector marketing young Italian designers in the UK. Working in this intensively demanding and exacting environment brought to Candy’s attention the effect that this atmosphere had on those around her in terms of self-esteem and self-confidence as well as influencing associated feelings of isolation, loneliness and stress. These are all consequently areas in which Candy now has a high degree of professional interest.

Being a keen linguist (Candy is also fluent in Italian and French) effective communication and the facilitation of it is also an area that she holds in high regard.

Caroline Christian

Caroline Christian is warm and compassionate and shows respect and empathy to her clients. She is skilled at listening and reflecting back the salient issues. She believes that through offering a safe and trusting space, the client can be supported in developing a stronger sense of self, whilst becoming increasingly self-aware and self-valuing. As a counsellor, Caroline has worked extensively with people who have experienced bereavement and also women who have suffered, often traumatically, from being in coercive relationships. She also has a concern for the rise in adolescent depression and anxiety and the impact that this has on parents and siblings.

Caroline’s life experience is varied and includes working for 10 years in a cancer department in an NHS hospital. She has observed how illness can affect an individual’s relationships and priorities. Caroline is able to support her clients through journeys which might feel scary and difficult, exploring painful issues and losses and finding new meanings.

Caroline is studying for a post qualification Diploma in Adolescent and School Counselling and works as a counsellor in a secondary school in Lambeth. She is a qualified counsellor and is registered with the BACP. She works in a Person Centred way and provides counselling to clients at a GP surgery in Lambeth within the Awareness Centre’s NHS counselling service.

Casilda Bartholomew

Casilda Bartholomew provides a gentle, secure and supportive space for clients struggling with their day-to-day lives, helping them find the inner resources to cope with such setbacks and disappointments as bereavement, loneliness and relationship breakdown. Casilda has a person-centred approach. This means that she believes strongly in the worth of every individual and in the importance of providing a safe place where people can voice their deepest feelings and feel heard and understood.

Everybody has ups and downs in their lives but sometimes our fears, problems and difficulties can overwhelm us. While many of us turn to friends or family members when times are tough, counselling provides a different kind of space where we can express ourselves freely without fear of judgement, social expectation or evaluations of any kind.

Casilda’s approach is one of deep respect for the client’s dignity combined with a sympathetic understanding of the challenges that life throws at us. She has helped people cope with the pain brought on by the loss of a loved one and the difficulties faced when trying to make relationships work, whether with partners, friends or family members. She is very aware of depression and the helpless feelings it brings, and feels real empathy for those who feel lonely, isolated and disconnected from the world.

Life can be so very difficult to navigate. Many of us wrestle daily with painful, debilitating feelings and experiences, but feel we are unsupported and unheard – that we are very alone. Therapy can sometimes help untangle these difficult emotions, freeing us up to live our lives in a happier and more meaningful way, and grow in confidence and courage.

Casilda is a member of the BACP works with clients for The Awareness Centre’s NHS counselling service in Wandsworth. She is currently working towards a Masters in psychotherapy.

Catherine Barnes

Catherine Barnes provides an empathetic safe space where clients can process difficult or painful thoughts and explore their feelings without fear of judgement. Catherine is experienced with CBT techniques to help identify negative thought patterns and help clients to take a leap of faith to find a new way of viewing situations. She also uses existential therapeutic techniques to help clients explore their thoughts on their current and future life stages and goals. Catherine also uses theories of transactional analysis to offer clients a different way of viewing their relationships. As well as working psychodynamically to help clients find and make links between their childhood experiences and current behavioural patterns.

While therapy can be a place to talk about difficult things, Catherine believes in the importance of the therapeutic relationship as well as positive psychology. Through unique coaching techniques such as goal setting, Catherine first focuses on the client’s individual strengths. Secondly, Catherine then helps the individual client realise their true potential in discovering resources they were unaware of. Catherine’s aim in therapy is to support clients in every way through their journey in life.

Catherine’s diverse heritage brings a unique perspective to her work as a therapist. Having been raised in Nigeria, Catherine has had a firsthand experience and understanding in dealing with the negative consequences of endemic poverty and social injustice. Thereafter Catherine’s education continued upon her return to England where she completed her Bachelors with honours as well as her masters degree in clinical psychology from Kingston University in London. During this period, she worked with clients presenting with difficulties such as anxiety, dementia, and depression, as well as addiction, and homelessness. This additional clinical experience allowed her to use focused short term therapies as well as long term exploratory approaches for the treatment of adults and children. These exploratory approaches have become an integral part of her doctoral training. Additionally, in studying philosophers such as Sartre, Heidegger and Nietzsche, Catherine is taking a unique therapeutic approach combining two divergent approaches to treatment. Catherine realises that treatments must be uniquely targeted to the individual client’s needs.

Chanice Langlais

Chanice Langlais is an integrative psychotherapist and is a member of UKCP. She is currently pursuing a Masters in Integrative Psychotherapy and holds a BSc (Hons) in Psychology. Chanice is currently a placement counsellor within our NHS Wandsworth counselling service, seeing clients on a weekly basis in a GP surgery.

Chanice works from a person-centred approach, this means that she focuses on understanding the individual, through the exploration of their thoughts, feelings and their personal experiences. In addition, she aims to bring to awareness, the mind and body states of the client during therapy, through Mindfulness. Chanice seeks to clarify meaning by working with the client to bring to awareness any experiences which may have an impact on their self-development. In addition, she acknowledges that it may be challenging to share so openly with a therapist and supports her clients by creating a safe space to be heard.

With a background in Psychology, Chanice has worked as a Mental Health Nursing Assistant supporting patients with personality and psychological disorders in a forensic psychiatric setting. Her experience in a clinical setting, has enabled her to be sensitive towards the influence of childhood experiences on adulthood relationships. She aims to work with her clients by encouraging them to be their authentic self, which she believes is important for the therapeutic relationship between the therapist and the client. Chanice values the relational bond with her clients, and tailors her style of therapy to suit the individual and their therapeutic needs.  She specialises in family and relationships, anxiety, depression and trauma.

Cheryl-Ann Stewart

Cheryl-Ann Stewart is working towards an Advanced Diploma in Counselling and Psychotherapy. She is an integrative therapist offering you the warmth and safety of a confidential, non-judgemental space combined with an understanding of how life events can affect the way we respond to life’s challenges. She has a degree in Social Work and Psychology and a Masters in Special and Inclusive Education. She is a member of the BACP and works to their code of conduct. Her work is in short-term counselling with NHS patients in Wandsworth.

With her background as a social worker, a primary school teacher and a university lecturer in Special Educational Needs, Cheryl-Ann has an understanding of how difficult childhood experiences can damage your confidence to make the choices and take the actions needed to lead a fulfilling life. She has a special interest in working with issues around self-confidence, anxiety, depression and relationship difficulties.

Christopher Wilson

Christopher Wilson offers a deeply grounded presence for clients that is both direct and warm, facilitating a trust and a letting go into the therapeutic process. His intention is to hold a space for clients where all of what it means to be human is welcome, both light and shadow. Chris has a natural capacity for seeing beyond the surface manifestations of difficult symptoms and how these often present as symbols of a deeper and more fundamental confusion about his client’s relationship to life and their understanding of self. He hopes to catalyse in his client’s insight into the nature of identity and being, and consequently, the root of psychological suffering. Chris works as an integrative therapist, employing various techniques and modalities where appropriate for each client.

While he believes deeply in the restorative power of mindfulness, he sees it’s real power to be contained in it’s philosophical implications for our embodied existence. He draws on psycho-dynamic theory to gain a better understanding of where his clients potential may have become stuck or distorted in early life, and Jungian depth psychology to help illuminate the symbolic meaning of current behavioural, emotional and cognitive distress.

Chris has travelled widely and taken many jobs as a means to support his life as a practising fine artist. Motivated by an interest in perennial philosophy and a 20-year meditation practice, Chris is concerned primarily with existential concerns about meaning and purpose, and the depression, despair and anxiety that result from feeling alienated from these fundamentals. He views much suffering to be an inevitable by-product of our modern, secular habit of reducing experience to measurable phenomena, and so is inspired to help his clients reclaim the value of their subjective experience and it’s personal meaning. He has a special interest in addiction and anxiety.

Chris is an integrative counsellor and is registered with UKCP. He sees patients at a GP surgery in Wandsworth for The Awareness Centre's NHS counselling service and in an alcohol recovery programme in the Royal Free Hospital. Chris is currently working towards a Masters in Transpersonal Counselling and Psychotherapy.

Dania Akondo

Dania Akondo provides a non-judgemental, safe and empathic space where clients are provided with the tools needed to explore and gain a better understanding of their situation. She supports them by exploring difficult emotions and feelings as well as enhancing the clients’ capabilities, the latter being underpinned by her commitment to promote the clients’ wellbeing. Dania has an integrative approach, which means she combines elements, skills and techniques from different schools of psychological theory and research. Dania may use CBT to help clients identify irrational thoughts and maladaptive patterns in behaviour, psychodynamic to unveil unconscious psychological processes, psychodrama to gain insight in the clients’ lives by role-playing or acting, and person-centred by harnessing the client’s natural self-healing process. Her approach is adapted to the needs of the clients.

With a background in customer service, Dania has an intense interest in people and experience in helping others. She explores the human condition and understands how important it is to attend to the needs of others and of oneself, while honing communication and interpersonal skills. She has a desire to better the quality of life of her clients, whilst identifying and replacing maladaptive behaviours with healthier ones. She specialises in relationships, grief, rape, and has a special interest in personality disorders and PTSD.

Dania is an integrative psychotherapist and counsellor. She works within The Awareness Centre low cost counselling service in Tooting. Dania is currently working towards a BACP accredited Masters in integrative psychotherapy and counselling. She offers therapy in English, French and Italian.

Daniel D’Innella

Daniel D'Innella is an integrative therapist who together with his clients creates a therapeutic space to explore thoughts and feelings without fear of judgment. Having the opportunity to be ourselves without this fear, opening up to total honesty and being truly heard can break down barriers in order to connect and help with understanding what lies at the heart of problems that may be occurring for the client. Working towards self-awareness is at the heart of this therapeutic process, building awareness and pairing that with focus is key. Daniel draws on different therapeutic models to provide a flexible approach to meet the needs of each unique client.

Coming from a career in documentary television and the media, Daniel was inspired to change careers to use his love of connecting with people to greater benefit. Growing up in many different countries and travelling widely he has a good understanding of different cultural backgrounds and has an array of work and life experience, from being an early years practitioner to working as an outreach support worker with adults with learning difficulties and volunteering at festivals with a welfare and harm prevention charity. He also has experience counselling men who have problems with anger and violence.

Daniel is working towards an Advanced Diploma in Integrative Counselling and is a member of the BACP. He works with clients in a medical centre in Lambeth for The Awareness Centre's NHS counselling service.

David Pringle

David Pringle strives to create a safe and welcoming space in which clients can explore their thoughts and feelings. He works with an integrative approach, incorporating a variety of therapeutic techniques, including person-centred, Gestalt and CBT, in order to provide his clients with what they need at that moment. It can often be difficult or embarrassing to talk about the things that really affect us and David works hard to build a trusting, non-judgemental relationship where the client truly feels listened to and understood.

David’s background is working in music, film and theatre. He believes that we all have a potential for creativity that can become dampened by the pressures of day-to-day life. With a special interest in the neuroscience of addiction and all kinds of compulsive behaviour, he helps clients to identify the coping mechanisms that may once have been essential but have since become toxic and harmful. We can all become stuck in our lives, from time to time and David helps clients to examine the mental and physical blocks that exist for them, and to develop healthy coping strategies to continue their personal growth and development.

David holds a Certificate in Integrative Humanistic Counselling and is currently working towards his diploma. He is registered with BACP and works with NHS patients at a GP surgery in Wandsworth.

Davinia Eccleston

Davinia Eccleston provides a comfortable, safe space whereby clients may be heard and voice any concerns they may have. She offers a therapeutic space where clients may explore past experiences or personal difficulties. Davinia has the ability to provide her client with reassurance, and hopes to make them feel comfortable to disclose their difficult thoughts, feelings or issues. Whilst working to the clients agenda, as integrative counsellor, Davinia is able to use different tools to support her clients’ needs.

Davinia has a clear understanding of the issues which come from the past that may be contributing factors to current anxiety and depression. Due to Davinia's past work experiences she specialises in anxiety, depression and addiction; she also has a keen interest in supporting victims of rape.

Davinia is an integrative counsellor who is currently working towards her Level 4 Therapeutic Counselling Diploma. She works with clients for The Awareness Centre's NHS counselling at a GP surgery in Lambeth.

Dean Peters

Dean Peters is a trainee counsellor and is a student member of the BACP. He is currently working towards a diploma in person-centred counselling and works with NHS clients at a GP surgery in Wandsworth.

Dean’s aim is to provide a maximally supportive, non-judgemental space, where clients can freely express all their thoughts and feelings, and be seen as they really are. Applying a person-centred framework, he strives to understand each client as a unique individual, with their own particular needs and ways of looking at the world. Thus, he believes that each client is the expert in their lives, but can suggest solutions to the problems they may be facing. The goal of his practice is to help each client reach greater self-understanding and self-acceptance, and help them to mobilise their resources and live in a way that is more consistent with their deepest needs and values.

Dean is training as a counsellor after a career in academia and has graduate degrees in biochemistry and philosophy. This training has given him a sharp analytical focus, cutting quickly to the heart of issues, as well as a sympathetic perspective on the existential issues that may underlie. He has also worked in drug harm reduction and as a sexuality educator, often working in festival environments. This work has given him a particular insight into issues around gender, sexuality, sexual abuse and substance use, as well as a general perspective on how people may react to overwhelming sensory and emotional experiences.

Debbie Nash

Debbie Nash is working towards a diploma in therapeutic counselling. As an integrative therapist, she uses an approach that works best with what the client is looking to achieve in therapy. She works within The Awareness Centre’s NHS counselling service in Lambeth.

Debbie aims to provide a kind, respectful and safe space where clients can explore their thoughts and feelings in confidence going at a pace they feel comfortable with.  She helps clients to identify how they would like things to change and what the obstacles may be, with the hope of supporting them on the journey to healing, freedom and a fuller life.  Debbie works integratively using Psychodynamic techniques to look at how past experiences may be having a negative influence on the present while drawing on the Person Centred approach which recognises the power and healing nature of a genuine, non-judgemental relationship between therapist and client.

Dino Pardhanani

Dino Pardhanani provides an empathic, supportive space where clients can open up and feel seen and heard for who they truly are. While counselling helps clients to process difficult or painful thoughts and feelings, he believes that therapy can also focus on the potential of his clients. His approach is tailored to the individual, working integratively with clients to identify and draw on their inner resources to live a fuller, more satisfying life. Dino has a strong foundation in the person-centred approach and uses this humanistic therapy to facilitate clients to focus on their current subjective understanding, encouraging a therapeutic environment which allows individuals to become the ‘best experts’ on themselves.

With a background as an experienced General Practitioner and having an active interest in healthcare commissioning, Dino has a professional knowledge and understanding of the general health and well-being of individuals and local populations. He understands the internal and external pressures people can experience in modern society, which can lead to unhelpful or damaging coping strategies and works keenly with clients to identify healthier ways of managing emotions and stress.

Dino Pardhanani is working towards a Masters Degree in Integrative Counselling and Psychotherapy, and is registered with the BACP. As an integrative therapist, he draws on the approaches that best suit the issues that clients bring into the therapy room. He works with NHS patients at a GP surgery in Tooting.

Donald Sze

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.

Dorotea Pospihalj

Dorotea Pospihalj provides a safe space for individuals that are in need of a supportive and understanding environment to express their inner worries or very real problems they face. The process and therapeutic goal are established with mutual understanding and commitment shared by both the therapist and the client. She believes that therapy is a co-created process where the client can use the relationship to gain new experience in relating to self, others and the world. She is very attentive to the client’s needs and her understanding of psychotherapy. She believes that every person has their unique capabilities to manage challenges in a healthy manner, therapy is the space of self-knowledge.

Dorotea worked in the creative industry, where she became interested in personality structures and disorders. The questions of identity and how we develop unhealthy coping mechanisms. She has worked with various presentations and issues such as substance abuse, eating disorders and relational abuse, suicide and suicidal ideation. She has an interest in mood disorders, especially depression and anxiety as the most commonly encountered disorder today.

Dorotea Pospihalj provides a safe space for individuals that are in need of a supportive and understanding environment to express their inner worries or very real problems they face. The process and therapeutic goal are established with mutual understanding and commitment shared by both the therapist and the client. She believes that therapy is a co-created process where the client can use the relationship to gain new experience in relating to self, others and the world. She is very attentive to the client’s needs and her understanding of psychotherapy. She believes that every person has their unique capabilities to manage challenges in a healthy manner, therapy is the space of self-knowledge.

Dorotea worked in the creative industry, where she became interested in personality structures and disorders. The questions of identity and how we develop unhealthy coping mechanisms. She has worked with various presentations and issues such as substance abuse, eating disorders and relational abuse, suicide and suicidal ideation. She has an interest in mood disorders, especially depression and anxiety as the most commonly encountered disorder today.

Emjeta Pllana

Emjeta Pllana has a warm and supportive approach in line with humanistic tradition where the individual is not seen as static but in search for meaning and fulfilment. She takes clients through an exploratory journey, examining together their past experiences, and how they influence their ability to cope or make changes in the present.

The cornerstone of Emjeta’s counselling is fostering a safe and collaborative working relationship with her clients. She aims to provide the space, containment and emotional attunement that is needed to develop trust with clients, thus enabling them to arrive at a place where they can deepen their own inner processing. This, in turn, develops self-reflective capacity and emotional expressiveness which are indicative signs that clients are benefiting from therapy.

Emjeta works within an integrative framework imbued with a humanistic approach. This enables her to apply her theoretical knowledge and techniques to best suit clients and improve outcomes. She applies Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) techniques for anxiety and depression in combination with psychodynamic and non-directive Person Centred Therapy (PCT) for long-term complex issues and relationship difficulties.

Emjeta has a background in charities and non-profit organisations within various supportive and therapeutic roles, working with minors and vulnerable adults with experiences of trauma and adversity, as well as women survivors of gender-based violence and sexual violence.

Emjeta is a trainee counselling psychologist registered with the British Psychological Society (BPS), currently working toward her Professional Doctorate in Counselling Psychology. Previously she has completed an undergraduate degree in BSc Psychology. She practices within The Awareness Centre’s NHS counselling service in Wandsworth.

Erin Lo

Erin Lo is an integrative psychotherapist with a focus in transpersonal therapy. She works with clients on identifying patterns in their thoughts process and behaviours in order to understand the underlying issues clients are presented with, this in turn helps us to work together to develop coping strategies and healing so that they can live a more fulfilling live. Erin is registered with the BACP and works with NHS patients at a GP surgery in Lambeth. She is currently working towards an advanced diploma in integrative counselling and psychotherapy.

Erin is an empathetic listener with an analytical mind, her perceptiveness and in-depth insights allow her to see and understand issues clients are going through, which sometimes client may not be conscious of. She provides non-judgmental and empathetic space where clients can truly feel seen and heard. She believes in the potential we all possess and helps clients discovering it through talking, working creatively and mindfulness. Erin listens with an open heart and is there for her clients who face challenging and difficult life situations every step of the way.

With a background in advertising, Erin understands the pressure we all carry in work environment and has strategies on how to best bring balance to our day-to-day life. She also understands the impact of cultural/society influences and stress in the way we live and is able to help clients live their lives true to who they really are. She also specialises in depression, anxiety, bereavement, relationships, and has a special interest in existential crisis.

Esther Richardson

There are times when life can be difficult and it can seem to be challenging and over-whelming. The process of counselling gives you space and time, in a confidential environment to consider your perspective and make better sense of your feelings, emotions and fears. Esther Richardson will help you to explore your thoughts and help you to discover meaning and a clearer understanding. To look at both positive and negative patterns of behaviour, but always working in the present moment.  It important that during this process you build a rapport and discover ways to express your thoughts and feelings. Esther essentially is flexible with her approach and ensuring she tailors to your needs.

With a background in telecoms and construction industry, Esther has learnt the pressures of the working environment and how they can sometimes lead to negative and unhelpful coping methods. She will work with you to help you achieve your expectations in a way to suit you.

Esther is working to a diploma in integrative counselling and is registered with the BACP. Her approach is to provide guidance and help to her clients by encouraging them to resolve issues whilst providing support. She works with NHS patients at a GP Surgery in Wandsworth. Esther’s aim is to provide a supportive environment that enables the client to explore their thoughts and feelings. She works in an integrative manner using both a psychodynamic and humanistic approach ensuring that the therapy you receive is tailored to your needs.

Ewa Romanowska

Ewa Romanowska is an integrative counsellor, registered with the BACP. She aims to understand how the past has shaped her clients’ histories and believes that the relationship between therapist and client is incredibly important. Ewa offers a safe and non-judgemental space where clients feel welcome to share their issues. Her approach is person-centred and psychodynamic and is individually tailored to meet clients’ needs which allows her to work with a variety of difficulties. Her special interest is in attachment and trauma. In the therapy room, Ewa understands how important it is to have a supportive environment that enables clients to explore their thoughts, feelings and behaviour, and to promote personal growth.

Having a background in business, Ewa understands how life can be stressful alongside managing every day challenges. This background gives her vital insight into the pressures that her client’s may experience balancing their work and home life. Ewa also has experience volunteering with homeless people and is passionate about helping in the community. Ewa speaks fluent Polish and can work with clients in both English and Polish.

Ewa is a qualified counsellor currently working on her MA and trauma specialisation. She works within The Awareness Centre NHS counselling service at a GP surgery in Lambeth.

Fabio Valenti

Fabio Valenti provides a non-judgemental space for clients to use to explore whatever issues they are facing. Fabio is able to facilitate the important journey towards healing and self-discovery using a Psychodynamic approach in which clients take the therapy in the direction they choose. Fabio works closely with symbolic associations, and so his working style is a creative one in partnership with his clients. It is best suited to those who are ready to take an active position in a journey of great importance. Fabio believes that whatever someone's identity, there is a 'true self' that is trying to emerge, and aims to help this self be born from out of the suffering of the past from within the individual. Fabio works with all races, genders, and sexualities.

Psychodynamic therapy is an intensive form of psychotherapy, modelled closely on psychoanalysis. It uses a theory of the unconscious mind, and is equally concerned with the past as well as the present. Psychodynamic therapy deals with issues that have often been present for many years, and is thus is a long term commitment that can be challenging, but also provides great reward and lasting change. Although it does not usually give advice or instruction, Fabio believes it is the most effective form of therapy for those who are ready to explore themselves on a deeper and more meaningful level. Fabio works within this model in a compassionate and supportive way, allowing clients to discover their own truth which, although often painful, is the way to healing and freedom.

Fabio is currently in his final year of a Postgraduate Diploma in Psychodynamic Practice at the University of Oxford. He also holds a Postgraduate Certificate in Psychodynamic Counselling from the University of Oxford, and an MSc in Theoretical Psychoanalysis from UCL. Fabio works on an open-ended basis with The Awareness Centre's low-cost counselling service in Tooting and with NHS patients at a GP surgery in Wandsworth.

Farah el Miligui

She has extensive experience working as an Assistant Psychologist at a private Psychiatric Hospital in Egypt, where she would provide adequate therapeutic interventions for inpatients at the hospital. This led her to working with a wide array of presenting problems including acute psychotic episodes, Bipolar Affective Disorder, and chronic Schizophrenia. She worked to deliver inpatient counselling alongside a multidisciplinary team of Psychiatrists, nurses, and Social workers. She also has experience working with a wide range of learning difficulties as well as visual impairment.

Farah is a trainee psychotherapist, obtaining a Professional Doctorate in Existential Psychotherapy and Counselling. She is a member of the UKCP and is working towards her full accreditation. She is currently working for The Awareness Centre's NHS counselling service at Roehampton Surgeries and at another primary care IAPT service in central London. She works in English and Arabic.

Fatoumata Kamagate

Fatoumata uses integrative counselling to work in a warm and non-judgemental relationship where clients can freely express and explore their thoughts and feelings. She believes that therapy can help with many difficult life problems. By providing an empathic and supportive relationship, clients can develop an awareness which could enable them to understand and work through what is really meaningful for them in life; from there, they hopefully should grow and live their life to their full potential. Fatoumata believes that every client is different, and she therefore uses different approaches to work with them depending on what they are going through. She might use person centred therapy to help clients use their own capacities and desires to personally grow and change. She might also use bereavement therapy to help clients identify their bereavement issues and also to learn to cope with the stress related to the loss. Each experience is unique; therefore, her way of working will depend on the client’s needs.

Fatoumata has worked as an administrative personal assistant for 5 years. She has gained knowledge and skills and the ability to communicate with a range of different people. She understands difficult life experiences people go through and the impact that they could have on their daily lives. By providing an empathic and supportive relationship, clients can develop an awareness which could enable them to understand and work through what is really meaningful for them in life. She has an interest in bereavement, anxiety, relationship and eating disorders.

Fatoumata is working towards a diploma in Therapeutic Counselling. She is registered with the BACP and abides by their Ethical Framework. She works with NHS patients on a short-term basis at a GP surgery in Wandsworth. She also has the added skills of being able to communicate fluently with clients from a Francophone background because French is her first language.

Faye Brownhill

Faye Brownhill is working towards a masters degree in Integrative Counselling and is registered with the BACP. As an integrative therapist she uses her knowledge of different theories and practices to work with clients, keeping their needs at the heart of her work. Faye currently works on a short-term basis within a Wandsworth surgery in The Awareness Centre’s NHS counselling service.

In her practice, Faye provides a supportive, non-judgmental space where clients can be honest and open about the problems they face. Using an integrative approach means Faye might use psychodynamic theory to look at how the unconscious or the past might affect the present, existential theory to explore acceptance of the good and the bad, or Gestalt to explore how our environments might affect us in our journey towards balance and growth. In using an integrative approach, she can make sure her practice is tailored to the individual and the circumstances they’d like to bring to the therapeutic setting.

Faye has worked in dispute resolution and non-profit organisations for many years and has a strong understanding of socioeconomic pressures as well as the other problems that can have an impact on our daily lives.

Fiona Segasby

Fiona Segasby believes that the most important aspect of the counselling experience is the relationship that develops between the client and the counsellor. By working closely with her client’s, she aims to develop a safe space where clients can be truly be heard without fear of judgement. Fiona feels this collaboration is key to the therapeutic process and by working together this empowers the client to explore their issues while being offered support. Fiona works in a client-centred manner and will combine various approaches to help clients address difficulty and reach their full potential.

Fiona’s background is as a substance misuse worker, working for 8 years in both the community and custodial settings. There she gained experience of working with addiction, often working with client’s experiencing extreme difficulties. Before beginning her Masters, she took a career break to be a full-time mother to her two children. She understands the internal and external pressures people can place upon themselves, especially relating to managing a busy family, which can lead to unhelpful or damaging coping strategies. Fiona specialises in addictive behaviour and she also has a special interest in the difficulties faced by new parents, especially post-natal depression.

Fiona is working towards a Master’s Degree in Integrative Counselling and Psychotherapy. This course is registered with the BACP. As an integrative therapist, Fiona will draw on different therapeutic approaches and tailor the care for each individual. She works with NHS patients at a GP surgery in Lambeth.

Freya Witzke

Freya Witzke provides an open space of comfort, acceptance and empathy. She believes in the uniqueness of each individual and their personal story, entrusting each client to be the true expert of their own life. Freya works using a pluralistic approach which considers numerous ways and strategies to address individuals' issues, drawing upon both her own and the client's expertise to tailor the sessions. Whilst it is important to manage the symptoms of an issue, she is also interested in helping to explore the core. Wherever life has taken us, counselling can be a way of relieving some of the burdening thoughts, feelings and behaviours; it also helps us to make sense of ourselves, our relationships - our world.

Freya moved to London from Germany, where she was a member of a youth and children's organisation that provides support for youngsters and advocates their rights. Currently, Freya is also working at a primary school with children’s issues around emotional wellbeing, self-esteem, anxiety, relationships, and communication. She also helps the older children during the transition into secondary school. At University, Freya took a particular interest in trauma. For her research, she interviewed social workers in Germany working with unaccompanied migrant children in regard to secondary traumatisation and the effect work has on their personal lives. Freya strongly believes in the importance of self-care which is reflected in her therapeutic practice.

As a graduate member of the BPS, Freya works for The Awareness Centre with NHS patients at a Lambeth GP surgery, where she offers counselling sessions in both English and German. She has completed her BSc in Psychology and Counselling and is planning to start a Doctorate programme in Counselling Psychology in 2019.

Hannah D’Souza

Hannah D’Souza offers a non-judgemental, confidential space filled with empathy and acceptance, to encourage clients to feel free to be themselves. Practising integratively means Hannah endeavours to use methods that are based around, but not exclusive to, three approaches. CBT techniques are utilised to pinpoint and eradicate negative thinking. Person-centred conditions help to build a strong and genuine therapeutic relationship that raises self-awareness. Also, Hannah uses psychodynamic principles to identify the origin of the thoughts and behaviours that harm and hinder clients.

Being of mixed origin, Hannah is aware of the underrepresentation of both her ethnic groups within the field of counselling and the cultural issues which effect both these groups and many others. She therefore endeavours to offer a level of personal understanding between her clients, as well as make use of her passion for engaging and helping others. After gaining extensive experience in teaching and childcare, Hannah recognised how childhood experiences often define the way people think, behave and cope with future experiences. She seeks to support those who have developed harmful thoughts and behaviours by releasing them of their internal constraints and expectations. Her specialisms are depression, self-esteem, self-harm issues, domestic abuse and bereavement.

Hannah D’Souza works at a GP surgery in Lambeth, with clients referred by The Awareness Centre's NHS counselling service. She is undergoing an MSc in Integrative Psychotherapy and Counselling and practices as an integrative (BACP registered) psychotherapist, because she believes that therapy should be uniquely designed for each client.

Hannah Thomson

Hannah Thomson 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 help bring out further growth within clients and aid in the discovery of new self-awareness. Hannah works alongside her clients to help identify resources with the goal of encouraging a more satisfying and fuller experience of life. Working from a humanistic approach, Hannah uses three main counselling methods, including person centred to encourage a non-directive approach thereby encouraging the client to grow in the direction they feel is best suited to them, Transactional Analysis to help clients manage their relationship with themselves and others in a healthier way and 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 clients in identifying coping strategies to encourage healthier ways of managing emotions and stress. Hannah also specialises in self-esteem & self-confidence, anxiety, depression, and stress management.

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

Hattie Smart

Hattie Smart provides a warm and empathetic space where her clients can explore their difficulties without judgement. Hattie’s reassuring manner provides a thoughtful and supportive therapeutic experience helping the client to discover their own strengths and abilities. Hattie places the therapeutic relationship at the heart of her practice whilst integrating therapeutic interventions from humanistic, cognitive and psychodynamic models. Hattie tailors her approach to the individual needs of the client.

Hattie’s background as a parent advisor with Young Minds mental health charity has provided a rich insight into the difficulties faced by many families as a result of acute anxiety, depression, self-harm, eating disorders, bereavement domestic violence and substance abuse. Her role has been to provide support for parents who are struggling to manage their child’s mental health difficulties. With the experience of having her own family, and a Masters in Child Development from University College London, Hattie understands the multiple internal and external emotional pressures that family’s experience. Having a research interest in the impact of social media on adolescent’s mental health, Hattie has a deep understanding of effects of social media on adolescent self-esteem. Her role as a Special Education Needs teaching assistant furthered her understanding of the anxiety that neuro-developmental difficulties such as Autism (ASD) and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) place on the child and the family.

Hattie is working towards a Doctorate in Counselling Psychology. This course is registered with the British Psychological Society (BPS) and the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC). The training incorporates the individuals lived experience and focuses on identifying and altering reoccurring negative thought patterns and how and why emotional difficulties develop. She works with The Awareness Centre's NHS counselling service at a GP surgery in Lambeth.

Maryanne is a member of the BACP. She works within The Awareness Centre's NHS counselling service in Lambeth, alongside working towards a diploma in therapeutic counselling.

Helen Burke-Smith

Helen Burke-Smith is a firm advocate for the importance of mental health and has a profound interest in eating disorders and trauma. She strongly believes in the healing nature of the therapeutic relationship, and that clients are in the driving seat of their own recovery. Helen views the therapeutic relationship as a safe space which involves embracing the diversity and uniqueness of each individual through empathy, unconditional positive regard and acceptance. Helen facilitates her clients to draw upon their inner resources to live a fuller and happier life.

Outside her work at The Awareness Centre, Helen is a mother to a one year old girl, she gives talks and motivational speeches about eating disorder recovery, spends ample amounts of time with her friends and loves to travel! Helen is a Psychotherapist in training, currently studying for an MSc In Contemporary Person-Centred Psychotherapy and Applications. Helen holds a BA in Philosophy and has previously worked as a Hypnobirthing practitioner DipHB. This work has helped her to understand the power of the mind and body connection, believing that mindset, and their beliefs, plays an integral part in a persons’ overall health.She works within The Awareness Centre's NHS counselling service with patients at GP surgeries in Lambeth and Wandsworth.

Henrietta Whitfield

Henrietta Whitfield provides a supportive and respectful space where clients can explore difficult thoughts and feelings. By working collaboratively with the client, and at their own pace, Henrietta gives here-and-now thoughts, feelings and behaviours a safe space for exploration in order to enable the client to work towards positive change. Henrietta’s approach to psychotherapy is in line with the philosophy of Transactional Analysis, and whilst psychological health is as unique as each individual is unique, Henrietta’s places unconditional importance on the quality of the therapeutic relationship in the belief that the most profound and powerful change happens through the experience of relating to another person.

With a background in publishing and the arts Henrietta has experience with the effects that stress and anxiety can have on self-esteem, the ability to work creatively, and the ability to communicate successfully. Henrietta has also worked in the prison system and understands some of the societal pressures and familial difficulties that can lead to anxiety, depression and anger. She has a particular interest in cultural and spiritual influences, personality adaptations and pre-cognitive processes.

Henrietta is currently working towards an MSc in Transactional Analysis psychotherapy at the Metanoia Institute, an established school highly regarded for its commitment to thorough and rigorous training. Henrietta is a member of the United Kingdom Council for Psychotherapy (UKCP). She works within The Awareness Centre's NHS counselling service in Lambeth.

Iain Forward

Iain Forward believes that facilitating a calm, non-judgemental and supportive environment allows clients to feel comfortable and open to exploring the difficult and painful thoughts and feelings they are experiencing. As a trainee he has adopted Person-Centred Therapy as the foundation of his Integrative approach and believes that with the right environment and therapeutic relationship the client will be able to make sense of what they are feeling and navigate their way towards positive change.

Iain has extensive experience in the social care sector and has worked with adults and young adults in both community and institutional settings. He has worked with addiction and the many thoughts, feelings and behaviours that surround this for several years and feels that this has influenced the way he works. He recognises the value of a trusting therapeutic relationship and the effect that empathy, acceptance and genuineness can have in empowering and motivating clients towards change.

Iain is currently pursuing a Masters in Integrative Counselling & Psychotherapy and is a member of the BACP. He also holds a BSc in Psychology with Forensic Psychology. Training as an Integrative Counsellor, Iain’s approach is founded on the Person-Centred modality and in the near future he looks to also incorporate both the Psychodynamic and Cognitive Behavioural modalities. He is currently a placement counsellor within our NHS Wandsworth counselling service, seeing clients weekly in a GP surgery.

Isabelle Whitby

Isabelle Whitby is qualified as an Integrative Psychotherapeutic Counsellor and is a member of the BACP and a student member of the UKCP. As an integrative therapist, she draws on the approaches that best suit the issues that clients bring into the therapy room. Isabelle also holds a diploma in Child Counselling and an Advanced Diploma in the Application of the Arts, currently working towards her full membership of the UKCP. Isabelle has worked in both a primary school and secondary school in London, gaining experience with working with children and adolescence aged between 5 and 11. Continuing her work at the Hounslow Youth Services, offering support to adolescences aged 11 to 25 years old , with a wide range of concerns and needs. As well as working privately with both children and adolescence with a range of histories and needs. Within the Awareness Centre she works as a part of the NHS counselling team in Tooting.

Isabelle aims to provide an empathetic, supportive space where clients can open up and feel seen and heard in a safe space. 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 strength to live a fuller, more satisfying life. Working integratively, means that Isabelle’s approach is tailored to the individual client and may use a combination of approaches such as CBT and Transactional Analysis, in order to help clients identify areas of distress and coping strategies to help manage their thoughts and behaviours. As well as mindfulness to help sooth and regulate clients.

With a background in being a Nursery Nurse and Art teacher, Isabelle has both an understanding and experience in working with young people in different settings. She understands the internal and external pressures that young people can put on to themselves, which can lead to damaging coping strategies. Isabelle works to help identify healthier ways to manage emotions and stress.

Jennifer Bone

Jennifer Bone provides a non-judgemental and boundaried space for clients to be supported in a therapeutic relationship which can help individuals to make sense of their experiences from their own unique perspective. Jennifer’s understanding is that psychological distress and confusion can manifest in many different ways, and thus requires a varied approach, individualised for each client. She is trained in Integrative approaches to therapy, encompassing psychodynamic, existential, and person-centre modalities. From a theoretical perspective, Jennifer sees the therapeutic relationship as the cornerstone of therapeutic change. She strives to empathise with clients, and to see things from their own frame of reference. Her approach may also look at how the personality develops, and how maladapted, unconscious patterns of relating can contribute to clients feeling stuck, and unable to live life to its fullest. Change can come about when unconscious patterns of relating are gently allowed to become conscious.

With a background working with women experiencing domestic violence, Jennifer has experience of helping people make sense of a range of traumatic experiences, ranging from sexual, physical and emotional abuse, to childhood trauma. From this work, she understands how distressing experiences and environments can damage the psyche, self-esteem, and lead to maladapted patterns of relating. She works to provide a safe space to explore difficult issues, and to help clients to progress in finding a way forward. Jennifer also understands how unhealthy patterns of relating can be adopted by perpetrators of violence in relationships, and how counselling can help break that cycle. Jennifer also has experience of working with clients experiencing homelessness, and understands how social marginalisation can negatively affect mental health. Through her criminology study, she has gained an interest in criminal justice, and in the role of therapy in rehabilitation.

Jennifer is an integrative counsellor and is registered with the BACP as a student member. She works within The Awareness Centre’s NHS counselling service in Wandsworth and the low cost counselling service in Tooting. Jennifer is currently working towards an advanced diploma in integrative counselling and is completing a qualification in Criminology, focussing on Crime and Therapy. She has also completed a foundation course in Art Therapy.

Jennifer Hills

Jennifer Hills is a trainee Counselling Psychologist working towards a Doctorate in Counselling Psychology and is a member of the British Psychological Society (MBPsS). As a therapist, her work is grounded in existential philosophy and phenomenology. Jennifer works within The Awareness Centre’s short-term NHS service at a GP surgery in Wandsworth.

Jennifer believes that life is rarely completely straightforward and having an opportunity to explore and reappraise difficulties in a therapeutic setting can lead to new perspectives and new ways of approaching our relationship to ourselves, the people in our lives, our histories, and our possible futures. Her way of working is relational and client-led, meaning she feels that relevant solutions are created together in an effective therapeutic relationship and that she believes in an individual’s ability to identify what distresses them and what they wish to work towards. Her grounding in existential philosophy means she works with an understanding of how the unavoidable aspects of living affect our ability to live well, and how to work with them to find alternative ways of thinking and living better lives.

With a background in the hospitality and entertainment industry, Jennifer has extensive experience of working with people. In addition, her first degree in cultural anthropology has given her knowledge of understanding people from many cultures. Together, these experiences mean Jennifer sees clients as individuals; each a product of their unique background and each with their own particular distress, which can be explored and discovered together without labels or judgement. She has also worked for a charity helpline dealing with a broad range of emotional distress including suicidal thoughts, anxiety, bereavement, loss, relationships, sexuality, and trauma. Her dissertation research interest is the embodiment of identity and how the way things are spoken about affect how we live.

Joanna Barrat

Joanna Barrat provides a safe and confidential space to speak openly. She accompanies individuals to explore their feelings, and experiences, understand difficulties they may be facing and support them to work towards their own personal growth and development. Acceptance, empathy and genuineness are central to her approach in which she seeks to empower individuals to understand themselves in relation to their experience, relationships and environment. Joanna believes that we all have the innate ability to embody our own process and experience healing. She believes that the therapeutic relationship can facilitate the client to access their own resources and wisdom to enable self-acceptance and growth.

Joanna has a lot of past experience in working within different community projects. She is currently a project/key-worker in supported housing where she works with clients around issues such as addictions, domestic violence, mental health, Learning difficulties, self esteem and confidence. She is also a cookery tutor on a life skills course, which supports people towards independent living. Previous to this, Joanna ran a catering business for many years which has given her an insight of how stress and the search for a good work life balance impacts on the individual and the significant others in their life. She is originally from Holland and is fluent in Dutch.

Joanna Barrat is a trainee person centred counsellor who is working towards a FdSc in counselling. She has attended training in a wide range of areas and has gained certificates in: Understanding behaviour change, introduction to complex trauma and trauma informed care and in education and training. She works for The Awareness Centre’s NHS counselling service at a GP surgery in Wandsworth.

John Kinley

John Kinley provides a safe, confidential, goal-focused and evidence-based service tailored to the needs and expectations of the client. He finds therapy useful in targeting and improving areas of clients lives that have been resistant to change. Taking an integrative approach, with an emphasis on behaviour, cognition and interpersonal elements of a client’s life John seeks to aid clients in making lasting improvements to their lives, achieving the goals they have set themselves and increasing their own personal health.

With his strong background in medical science, John brings a strong empirical basis to his client work. He understands the pressures people put themselves under in a competitive world and has experience working with maladaptive coping strategies to deal with these pressures. John specialises in anxiety, anger, depression and has a special interest in stress-management and goal-orientated behaviour.

John is an integrative counsellor and is registered with the BACP. He works with NHS patients for counselling in Wandsworth for The Awareness Centre's NHS counselling service. John is working towards a degree in counselling.

Josh Hogan 

Josh Hogan works with clients in an integrative way, bringing in different theories and modalities where appropriate to meet the individual client’s needs. In long term therapy Josh may work with the client to identify childhood trauma and core self-beliefs that they live with and which hold them back in life. Josh is interested in looking at issues of anxiety and how this impacts on a client’s everyday life. His priority is to provide a safe space where the client can feel supported and able to share what they may not have shared with anyone before.

Having worked in the charity and voluntary sectors to support people in crisis, Josh has experience in listening to and helping vulnerable people to identify their needs and regain independence. Josh has a particular interest in dealing with issues around sexuality and shame, as well as some experience of working with people struggling with addiction. Josh is keen to help others to live a healthy, stress free life and participates in regular mindfulness practice. He is interested in relationships and the impact these can have on mental health from an early age. He understands the effect of childhood trauma in adulthood, and how this can lead to a variety of issues such as anxiety, loneliness, anger and addictive behaviour.

Josh is currently working towards a Level 4 Diploma in Integrative Counselling, focused on psychodynamic, humanistic and cognitive behavioural theory. Josh is a student member of the BACP and works with clients in a Wandsworth GP surgery within The Awareness Centre’s NHS counselling service.

Julie Morris

Julie Morris offers her clients a safe space to explore the reasons for their anxiety, worries and concerns that are stopping them from enjoying their life. A client may think the blocks to their happiness are because of an immediate concern around family, work or friends. However, often the block to happiness was caused many years before. By treating her clients with kindness and offering a non-judgemental approach will often enables clients to remember more clearly past experiences which influence their ability to enjoy their current day to day life. Once these connections are made, Julie works with her clients to build coping mechanisms for their future happiness.

For many years Julie has supported parents who have anxiety around the birth of their baby and listened to their concerns around looking after baby and coping with their changing family relationships. She has supported many new mothers who have suffered from post-natal depression and from a traumatic birth experience. Julie also has experience of supporting fathers, same sex couples and parents who have reached out to a surrogate to welcome a baby into their home. The parenting landscape has changed enormously over the last ten years and many parents need to reach out for additional emotional support to embrace these challenges be that from their own parent, partner, baby, toddler or teenager.

Julie is a Trainee Integrative Counsellor, studying a CPCAB Therapeutic Counselling Diploma and working towards BACP accreditation and an Open University degree. She has a background in HR Management and Recruitment and during the last 10 years has run post-natal clinics for parents both within St Georges Hospital and the voluntary sector. The counselling skills she has acquired to support new parents she now wishes to offer to all clients who are suffering from anxiety. Julie works with The Awareness Centre's NHS counselling service in Wandsworth.

Karina Nemcova

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 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.

Kate Moore

Kate Moore’s work stems from a Person Centred background. She values the importance of uniqueness within clients. She feels that individuals have all the tools they need for a fulfilling life within themselves and counselling or psychotherapy can bring those tools to light. Therapy is a safe space where you and Kate can explore your life free from judgement and pressure. She will endeavour to enter your world and see what it’s like to live your life. Therapy is an equal partnership according to Kate. She is not an expert on you. She will work with you in unfolding what has brought you to therapy. Kate will aim to create a strong bond with you to help self-discovery at your own pace.

Originally from a small town in the Republic of Ireland, Kate understands what it can mean to make a big transition in life. She has worked within psychiatric hospitals mainly involved with eating disorders. Also having grown up around the emergence of social media and technology, Kate can relate to the power it can hold over people and how it can integrate into our daily lives. She works alongside her clients to aid in creating the life the client wishes to live.

Larysa Kelembet

Larysa Kelembet shows respect, genuineness and empathy to help her clients feel accepted and prepared to trust in the therapy process. She aims to enable clients to explore their issues and take actions in order to bring positive changes into their lives. The therapies she uses refer to human optimisation, health promotion, prevention of clinical problems and treatment of mental disorders and other clinical conditions. Her main aim is to enable a positive approach to the underlying belief system of clients which leads to a longer and happier life. Clients are provided with self-help techniques and taught skills that enable them to cope in the long-term future.

Having had a teaching background, Larysa is interested in psychoeducation which helps clients understand their issues better. She educates clients on healthier ways of managing their emotions and feelings. She has also worked as a Health Care Assistant with Depression, PTSD, Eating Disorders and Personality Disorders patients. She has an understanding of the complexities of these illnesses and the difficulties patients are going through in the processes of treatment and recovery. She works on identifying irrational thinking patterns and destructive coping strategies and gradually replacing them with helpful ones.

Larysa Kelembet is working towards an Advanced Diploma in Rational Emotive Behavioural Therapy / Cognitive Behavioural Therapy. She has an MSc Psychology degree, and she is trained in Dialectical Behavioural Therapy. She is a member of British Psychological Society and National Counselling Society. As a therapist, she uses approaches that best suits clients and their individual needs. She works with NHS patients at the Awareness Centre in Tooting.

Laurence Forward

Laurence Forward creates a safe and confidential space for individuals to feel heard and explore their issues without judgement. He uses an integrative approach comprising of Person Centred, Psychodynamic and Gestalt therapies in order to suit the individual needs of the client and what they bring to therapy. He believes counselling can help clients to process difficult thoughts and feelings, gain a better insight in to their sense of self and in turn help to reach their full potential.

Laurence has a background in retail management, which has a strong emphasis on building rapport and listening to the needs of individuals. He feels that the therapeutic relationship between the client and counsellor is a vital part of the therapeutic process itself and is based on honesty, respect and unconditional compassion towards the client. Laurence specialises in the area of stress, low confidence, depression and a special interest in anxiety. Due to working alongside children in a primary school setting, he has built an extensive awareness within his role to identify areas which may be impacting on pupil’s development. This awareness has helped Laurence in fulfilling a patient and empathetic approach within his sessions, ensuring his clients feel they have a safe platform to discuss deeper issues.

Laurence is an integrative counsellor, working with NHS clients in Wandsworth and as a volunteer counsellor at a primary school. He is currently working towards a Diploma in integrative counselling.

Lisa Mainz Goldsmith

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 NHS service 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.

Lisa Van Hemert

Based at the Institute of Psychiatry as a research radiographer, Lisa has a strong working knowledge and understanding of the individual needs of those with mental health difficulties. Furthermore, having worked as a Samaritan for the past five years, as well as with Mind for over a year, she also has experience of working with clients in extreme emotional distress and those facing highly challenging life situations and difficulties. During her professional career as a radiographer, Lisa has also worked abroad extensively, giving her a deep appreciation of the challenge’s individuals may face when transitioning between cultures and different ways of living.

Ljubica Ivanovic

Ljubica  Ivanovic is an integrative counsellor and is registered with the British Psychological Society. She works with NHS patients at a GP surgery in Lambeth. Ljubica is a Psychology graduate and she is currently working towards a Diploma in Therapeutic Counselling.

Ljubica provides warmth, insight and empathy in her work with clients encouraging them to explore the issues that they may be struggling with. Ljubica gives her clients an opportunity to express their private thoughts and feelings without risk of judgement. Within a confidential, therapeutic space she helps clients not only address current difficulties and thoughts but she also supports them in developing a deeper understanding of themselves.

She practices in a flexible manner using appropriate and suitable major models including psychodynamic, person-centred and cognitive behavioural therapies. Through application of different therapies Ljubica focuses on the clients’ different therapeutic needs.

The client who needs to gain more self-confidence or a stronger sense of identity Ljubica believes that the person-centred approach used predominantly in her work could be immensely beneficial for the client, while the clients aiming to reduce depressive symptoms could benefit greatly from the application of Cognitive-Behavioural Therapies including the Mindfulness CBT. In a collaborative way she also helps her clients to look at their past experiences and relationships in order to understand their ways they think and act in the present. By integration of these approaches Ljubica supports the clients to recognise their inner strength and helps them to begin a process of change.

Ljubica has a significant experience of volunteering with MIND and with her background in Mental Health Research and Psychology she has worked with clients from a range of cultural backgrounds, across a variety of settings. She has an interest and significant experience of working with bereavement, addiction, depression and anxiety.

Lori White

Lori White 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 - often with unhelpful behaviour such as addictions or anger - examine their relationships and find the resources they need to find a happier, fuller life.

Prior to becoming a counsellor, Lori was a journalist, editor and teacher.  Her extensive life experience has proven valuable when engaging with clients. She has experience counselling people who have been struggling with the demands of the workplace and the stress of modern life or who have unresolved issues within their family.

Lori 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. She believes theory does not fit all. Lori is currently concluding her advanced diploma in integrative counselling. She works with The Awareness Centre, counselling NHS patients in Lambeth.

Louise Newton

Louise Newton uses several approaches to best help the needs of the client. She provides a safe welcoming space where her clients can freely express their thoughts and feelings and be truly heard. She can explore with you your current situation, help you to bring understanding and clarity to past events, and help you to untangle their emotional legacy. This exploration will help identify a way for you to enable positive change.

Louise understands that the therapeutic process can be challenging, but with a quality of presence, respect and a real interest in people, she’ll assist you in finding that new perspective that will bring self-awareness, strength, and self-belief that you do have the tools to deal with the uncertainty that we all face in life. You will experience an engaging warmth that will allow the client to feel comfortable in discussing their thoughts. Louise has worked in the Art industry and charity sector, therefore, she’s used to strong and creative personality types. She has a keen interest in existential psychology and all the thoughts that might arise from questioning your surroundings and meaning.

Louise Newton is currently working towards an integrative psychotherapy and therapeutic counselling Diploma and has a BSc Hons in Psychology. She works within The Awareness Centre's NHS counselling service at a GP surgery in Lambeth.

Lucy Godfrey

Lucy Godfrey believes that therapy, although often a painful process, can help people to lead a fuller and freer life without the pain of past experiences constraining the way they live their lives. She believes that being empathic, non-judgmental and genuine with clients will support them in exploring why they are the way they are and work towards a place where they can be more content and accepting of themselves and those around them. Lucy is dedicated to her clients’ wellbeing and believes that it is by working together that a successful therapeutic outcome can be achieved.

With a background as a communications executive for major media organisations, Lucy is interested in, and has experience with, working with people struggling with workplace issues. Lucy is very aware that work can bring high pressure and expectations, and knows it can impact not only on the individual but those around them too. Lucy is interested in the impact of social media on individuals and society, and the anxiety that can arise from people trying to adapt to fit in with the expectations of the world they live in.

Lucy is studying for a Masters Degree in Integrative Psychotherapy and Counselling and currently specialises in a humanistic approach. She is also a member of the BACP. Lucy works within The Awareness Centre's NHS counselling service at a GP’s surgery in Lambeth.

Luiza Neumayer

Luiza Neumayer is empathetic, warm, kind and insightful. She provides a welcoming, safe environment for her clients to talk with her. It is important to Luiza to build a strong and trusting working with her clients  - so that they’ll feel safe to open up and feel willing and empowered to consider make the changes during the therapeutic process. Luiza’s way of working is connected and reflective: which means difficult emotions and traumatic life experiences can be processed together, in a deeply personal but highly professional way. This helps clients integrate and consolidate new healing experiences. Luiza takes care to understand each client’s own individual circumstances & psychological situation, so that she can tailors her work according to her clients’ own specific needs.

Luiza is chartered psychologist and also qualified in psychodynamic counselling and psychotherapy, working with adults, couples and parents. Before her training, Luiza ran a charity, working with children diagnosed with disabilities from autism spectrum. The therapeutic relationships she built with children, as well with their parents, helped Luiza develop a great sense of patience, perseverance and belief in the human capacity to heal. She immersed herself in her own lengthy personal therapy and is continuously engaged in professional development  - including in Jungian psychodynamic psychotherapy; Systemic Family Therapy; Emotionally Focused Therapy for Couples; Circle of Security training for parents; AEDP (Accelerated Experiential Dynamic Psychotherapy); “Baby Brains” psychoeducation programme for mothers; Brain Stem Relational Therapy for Trauma. All of these approaches enhance Luiza’s expertise in working with a full range of difficulties for adults, including anxiety, depression, isolation, trauma (adults), loss as well as with disruptive/dysfunctional couples and families.

Luiza is a Chartered psychologist, registered with British Psychological Society and a member of BACP; and is qualified & registered as a Jungian Psychotherapist with the Romanian Association of Analytical Psychotherapy. Luiza is also an EFT Therapist and a member of ICEEFT and of BEFT Community, the British Emotionally Focused Therapy Community, as well as undertaking additional training as an AEDP Therapist. She sees patients for The Awareness Centre's NHS counselling service in Wandsworth.

Marcelline Menyie

Marcelline Menyie is an integrative, person-centred counsellor who is registered with the BACP. She is based in Tooting and works with patients within Wandsworth for The Awareness Centre's NHS counselling service. Marcelline is currently working towards a Masters in integrative counselling and psychotherapy.

Marcelline understands the difficulties we may experience in life and how they can impact our thinking patterns and the way we view the world. With a background in person-centred work, Marcelline believes we all hold a desire of wanting to reach our full potential. She uses this passion in an integrative way to help facilitate wholeness. She provides a safe, supportive and empathic space for clients to truly feel free to be themselves without any judgements. Marcelline understands the importance of working collaboratively with clients for growth to be apparent and for individuality to be embraced. Marcelline understands that we are all different, so using her integrative skills, she tailors her approach to the client’s individual needs. She uses her curiosity to explore with clients what has brought them to therapy and allows them to take the lead on their journey. Marcelline will provide a space where you feel listened to.

With a background in working with people with complex needs, Marcelline has been able to see how our past and life events can trigger habits and coping mechanisms that may no longer work for us. She has experience with mental health, substance misuse, trauma, criminal justice/offending behaviour and family relationships. Through her experience, Marcelline has developed an interest in relationships, culture and identity as she believes they contribute to our beliefs, how we function and our place in the world. Marcelline also has an interest in creative writing as she sees it as a therapeutic way to express your feelings. Marcelline works to support clients in healthier life management.

Maria Bulgakova

Maria Bulgakova holds a core belief that a nurturing environment, with sufficient professional support, can provide the conditions necessary for the client to find their own answers and solutions, as everyone’s path is unique. She aims to use her knowledge and experience to help a client to make changes when they encounter difficulties. During short-term work (6-12 sessions) you can address a specific issue such as anxiety, depression or stress. Maria offers a non-judgemental and confidential environment to explore difficult issues and find a new way of managing your problems in order to live a more fulfilling life.

Supporting victims of domestic violence and abuse in Refuge, Maria was especially interested in healing and recovery after trauma. She applies an integrative and holistic approach which includes mindfulness, journaling, meditation and healthy eating. She has also delivered a workshop on healthy eating in the Gaia Centre (Refuge).

Maria’s background lies in journalism and human rights activism. She has lived in 5 different countries which has given her an opportunity to broaden and deepen her experience in the understanding of isolation and belonging. She has a special interest in music, literature and creative arts, which she has followed through her life, as these bring another therapeutic dimension on the way of healing.

Maria is working towards a Master’s Degree in Humanistic Psychotherapy and is registered as a member of UKCP. In her work she integrates person-centred, transactional analysis and gestalt approaches that accommodate a client’s needs to provide specially tailored support. She sees clients in an NHS surgery in Lambeth. Maria is fluent in Russian and can work with clients in both Russian and English.

Maria Svoronou

Maria Svoronou believes through exploring issues of the past, one may discover patterns and repetitive themes. She believes that understanding past occurrences and significant instances can contribute to a more authentic and fulfilled self. Maria sees the therapeutic relationship as an alliance, where a creative and playful journey can take place. She believes knowing oneself is a continuous exploratory procedure and that difficult periods in life make people grow and learn from experience. To Maria, thinking is of great importance in regards to things that we sometimes cannot accept.

Maria is interested in working with people from different backgrounds and experiences. She is interested in issues relating to depression, anxiety, self-esteem and gendered violence. She can also offer therapy in Greek.

Maria is a psychodynamic therapist registered with the BPS and BACP. She works with NHS patients in Lambeth and within The Awareness Centre's low cost counselling service in Tooting. She is currently working on her MA in counselling and also holds a psychology degree.

Martha Wade

Martha Wade is an empathic and passionate psychotherapist. Whether clients are struggling in their personal or professional relationships or whether they are feeling sad, stuck or finding it increasingly hard to make important life choices or perhaps experiencing symptoms of anxiety, low self-esteem or depression, Martha provides a safe, non-judgmental and confidential space in which clients can explore their difficult and painful issues. As an integrative psychotherapist, Martha works by tailoring the therapy to each client’s individual needs using her knowledge and experience in transactional analysis to move clients towards growth in self-awareness and fulfilling lives, person centred in supporting clients in self-acceptance and fuller self-expression, CBT to examine thinking patterns, emotional difficulties and way forward.

Martha has a background of diverse life experiences that demonstrates her wide range of personal and professional interest. She had completed a diploma in pastoral work and has been providing pastoral support for individuals and families in many communities in London. Having worked with a firm of Chartered Accountants and Auditors in London as an Admin Manager for more than 15 years she helps clients to become aware of their capacity to understand and cooperate with others and to manage work related stress.

Martha Wade is a BACP registered Integrative Psychotherapist and a member of the British Psychological Society (BPS). She holds a BSc in Psychology and Counselling and an MA in Integrative Psychotherapy and Counselling. Martha is working towards accreditation and sees NHS patients for counselling at a GP surgery in Lambeth.

Maryanne Houliston

Maryanne Houliston provides a confidential, warm and empathic space, where clients can feel safe to explore their thoughts, feelings and emotions, without the fear of being judged. Maryanne uses an integrative approach, drawing on a range of modalities, depending on the client’s needs. For example, she might work with clients at their own pace and what is going on for them in the here and now, using a person-centered approach. As well as working with a psychodynamic approach to help clients find and make links between their childhood experiences and current behavior patterns. Her approach is tailored to the individual client as she recognises the uniqueness of each person and believes that the relationship between the therapist and client is vital to the therapeutic process and assists the individual to change his or her life for the better, which is why it’s at the core of her work.

Prior to training as a counsellor, Maryanne’s career was in hospitality and then running her own start-up business, so she understands the stress and demand that can be experienced in a busy workplace, and the pressure this can put on individuals. She also has extensive experience and an interest in autism. Her experience in this area means, she understands the struggle with social interaction, relationships, communication, and the challenges individuals face. This experience has led her to pursue a career in counselling.

Maryanne is a member of the BACP. She works within The Awareness Centre's NHS counselling service in Lambeth, alongside working towards a diploma in therapeutic counselling.

Maya Gimalova

Melinda Mozes

Michelle Willson

Michelle Willson works in an integrative way which is mainly based on a person-centred approach. She works around the client in the way that suits them, to ensure that they have a safe space to talk freely during counselling sessions. She is very empathetic in her approach and appreciates the importance in building rapport with the client. Michelle may also use techniques from transactional analysis to examine the client’s relationships, and techniques from a psychodynamic approach to look into the client’s past to address the root cause for the current issue that has brought them to therapy.

With experience of working within mental health, as well as with ex-offenders that have substance misuse difficulties, Michelle has worked with a wide range of vulnerable adults and understands the importance of using a non-judgmental approach. She has worked with a variety of people experiencing difficult times and has helped clients to work through several personal crises. Michelle is passionate about empowering individuals to make the changes that they are aiming for.

Michelle is an integrative counsellor and is a professional member of the National Counselling Society. She is working towards her advanced diploma in Psychotherapeutic Counselling and mainly works with a person-centred modality. She works as a counsellor in The Awareness Centre's NHS counselling service at a GP surgery in Wandsworth. Michelle has experience of counselling people to help them improve their self-esteem, working with people with anger, helping people to manage their stress and allowing people to come to terms with their personal guilt and/or shame.

Milena Radović

Milena Radović provides a non-directive and non-judgemental atmosphere where clients can explore themselves and feel accepted. Using an integrative approach, Milena provides a bespoke therapy which is adapted to suit clients’ needs taking into account diversity and differences. Combining different approaches to therapy, Milena brings together various elements of specific therapies and tailors them to suit individual needs and personal circumstances.

Milena is interested in the role of language in the therapeutic process, 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. Milena conducts therapy in Serbian, Croatian, Bosnian, and English. 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 a potential of the therapeutic relationship. She has an experience with wide range of issues including anxiety, depression, stress and low self-esteem.

Milena 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 member of the BACP and abides by its ethical framework of practice. She works with patients within The Awareness Centre's NHS counselling service at GP surgery in Wandsworth.

Nancy Fowler

Nancy Fowler believes individuals can transcend difficulties with the right support. She creates a calming, non-judgemental and safe environment for clients to share their challenging experiences and thoughts and to gain the necessary tools needed to help them shift their lives in noticeably positive ways. She understands seeking out therapy can make people feel very vulnerable and thus her approach is empathic and compassionate. She wants each client to feel comfortable and at ease so that they can gain the most from each session. Nancy also realises that therapy is not one-size-fits all and thus draws upon her extensive therapeutic toolkit in order to tailor sessions to each client’s unique situation and adjusts her approach as necessary. She has rich and varied training in many therapeutic modalities including Gestalt, Internal Family Systems, Mindfulness and Attachment-Based Therapies.

Nancy believes that new self-knowledge gained in therapy needs to be practically applied in each client’s life in order for positive changes to be sustained. To this end, Nancy uses psychoeducation within sessions in order to empower clients with knowledge they can take into the world outside the therapy room and to help them manage difficult emotions that arise in day-to-day life.

Nancy is a psychotherapist accredited through the BACP. She holds master’s degrees in Counselling Psychology and Attachment Studies and is working towards a PhD in Attachment Studies. Additionally, she is a university lecturer in Psychology, in particular, on attachment theory and application. Nancy also conducts research on mindfulness, parenting and attachment. She works with clients at a GP surgery in Lambeth for The Awareness Centre's NHS counselling service.

Natalie Rayment

Natalie Rayment provides a secure and relaxed environment where you are listened to in a non-judgemental and understanding way. Sessions are collaborative, taking time to explore your feelings and thoughts about difficulties that may cause you worry or anxiety. The approach is a very empathetic one, stemming from a belief that by exploring your experiences, past and present, allow you to link patterns of behaviour which may lead to defence mechanisms you may have adopted. Sessions allow time for reflection and to look at future behaviours that will lead to a better understanding of who you are, the strengths you are capable of, ultimately benefiting from a healing process. Natalie’s integrative methods use a variety of approaches such as: Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, Psychodynamic Therapy and Person-centred Therapy, to name a few. Natalie believes that each client is a unique individual with unique requirements that requires bespoke therapy plans.

Natalie has always been interested in Psychotherapy and worked for Cancer Research UK. She understands life can be difficult and unpredictable at times, which can throw us off balance and feel anxious. Natalie works to help understand and discuss new ways of coping in a positive way, to increase your quality of life. She specialises in anger management, relationships, stress and anxiety issues.

Natalie is an Integrative Counsellor and is a student member with the UKCP and BACP. She works for The Awareness Centre's NHS counselling service at a General Practitioner Clinic in Lambeth. Natalie is studying to gain an advanced diploma in Integrative Counselling.

Natalie Sendorek

Natalie Sendorek works to provide a safe space for clients to feel able to open up and talk about any issues or problems they may be facing in their lives. She believes that while clients may present with one particular matter in mind, they will often find that different topics will arise once counselling is underway. This means that through the process of therapy, clients are given the opportunity to explore how they feel, and explore deeper issues which in turn creates a lasting positive affect. Natalie has an integrative approach which means she can tailor, the methods of counselling to each individual client, and depending on their personality type and way of thinking, she can use the methods which would appeal to them the most.

Having worked in commodities trading before pursuing her studies in counselling, Natalie understands what it is like to work in a high-pressured environment, and how excessive stress can affect people, often spilling into their personal lives with negative consequences. She has 5 years experience as a Samaritan which is where her interest in mental health first started – it was the realisation that people of all walks of life suffer from challenges to their mental health, and often feel unable to talk about it, that first made her want to become a counsellor.

Natalie is an integrative counsellor and is a member of the BACP. Natalie has a Certificate of Higher Education in Counselling, and is currently working towards a Masters in Integrative Counselling and Psychotherapy. She sees NHS patients at a GP surgery in Tooting for The Awareness Centre's NHS counselling service.

Nathan Claxton

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.

Nikkita Hope-Brown

Nikkita Hope-Brown creates a space in which her clients feel safe, heard and understood. Using a variety of approaches, she helps clients explore who they truly are and identify and draw on their inner strengths to live richer, more fulfilling lives. Nikkita tailors her approach, always working from the Person Centred view that within each client lies the answers most beneficial for them. She may draw on Transactional Analysis to help her clients better manage their relationships with others and themselves and Gestalt Therapy to better understand their thoughts, feelings and emotions.

Having worked as a personal trainer for women for over a decade, self-esteem, body image and eating related mental health issues are the areas Nikkita specialises in. She understands how challenging life can become when struggling with body image, and is familiar with the possible feelings of guilt, shame and frustration that can occur. She works to identify healthier coping strategies that help her clients feel better about themselves so they may live their lives more fully.

Nikkita is studying a BSc in Humanistic Counselling and is registered with the BACP. As a humanistic therapist, she draws on approaches best suited to the challenges clients bring into the therapy room, and works on a short-term basis with NHS patients at a GP practice in Lambeth.

Nina Brenninkmeijer

Nina Brenninkmeijer finds it is important to create a safe environment where clients can feel free to talk and explore their thoughts and feelings without fear of judgement. Nina is a very open, empathic and supportive listener. She is using the person-centred approach to counselling but is also training in psychodynamic and CBT approaches. She is looking to integrate these approaches to tailor to the needs of each client. Nina feels it is sometimes difficult to talk to others about personal problems, anxieties or feelings of loss and hopelessness. She believes no personal issue is too small and every individual’s experience is unique.

Nina draws on work and life experiences as well as having volunteered with trauma and disabled patients for many years. With a legal as well as psychological background, Nina has encountered challenging settings and problems. She has worked with a wide range of clients and is sensitive to diverse backgrounds. Having lived abroad for many years, Nina speaks several languages and is happy to provide therapy in German. She understands the different types of pressures experienced by clients and how these can affect their lives.

Nina has an MA (Hons) Psychology degree as well as a LLB (Hone) in Law and is currently working towards an MA in Integrative Counselling and Psychotherapy. She is a member of the British Psychological Society (BPS) and the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP). She is working with clients at a Residential and Nursing Home in South West London as well as with NHS clients in a GP surgery in Lambeth.

Norma Higson

Norma Higson believes that the counselling process offers a space in which difficult or painful feelings can be expressed, heard and not judged. Unlike any other intimate relationship, the therapeutic interaction between client and counsellor provides an opportunity to "make the unconscious conscious" in the Freudian tradition. What takes place in the counselling room can mirror what happens in the real world and shed light on how that might have been influenced by past experiences. Thus the client can be more in touch with their true feelings and in a position to avoid negative patterns by making choices about which beliefs influencing their behaviour are relevant and which no longer apply. Norma sees her role as standing alongside the client as far as possible “in their shoes”.

With a background in language teaching in London and abroad Norma became more interested in how people communicate generally both verbally and non-verbally and what barriers can prevent us from making the most of our abilities. As a Head of Languages in Adult Education she initially used counselling skills to help with advising students about courses as well as looking at group processes in the workplace in her role as union representative on the college council. This background has proved helpful since she moved to a career in counselling as many clients have concerns about educational issues for themselves or their children, or workplace problems such as bullying which can cause severe stress and depression.

As a qualified psychodynamic counsellor on the BACP accredited register Norma sees patients for counselling at a GP surgery in Lambeth. She is also Senior Counsellor and Supervisor of 2 groups of trainee counsellors at Waterloo Community Counselling where she also carries out assessments. For some years Norma organised Bereavement Services for Lambeth under the auspices of WCC. Norma believes strongly that mental health should be a priority in the NHS and in schools and that access to counselling should be available to all.

Ozlem Kaldi

Ozlem Kaldi works with her clients in a supportive and attentive way and hopes to help them feel understood. She provides an empathic space for clients to feel secure and to be heard from their own perspective. Ozlem believes that psychotherapy helps clients to focus on who they are, what they want to change and how they could work with this change. She uses an integrative approach, which means that she uses psychodynamic, existential and humanistic approaches according to her clients’ needs. She works with her clients in an open-minded, non-judgemental way.

In the past, Ozlem worked in a special needs school with children who have Profound Multiple Learning Disorder (PMLD), who has low expectancy of life, as well as students who have Autism and challenging behaviour. Ozlem has experience in working with clients with work stress and difficulties. She has a keen interest in helping to reduce stress and improving the psychological well-being of clients with a wide range of mental conditions.

Ozlem is a trainee psychotherapist and is a member of the BACP. She works within The Awareness Centre's NHS counselling service at a GP surgery in Lambeth.

Paul McManus

Philippa Drew

Philippa Drew believes that we are in relationships every day which influence and affect us and in turn we influence and affect those with whom we have contact. These relationships may be with close family, friends, acquaintances or casual meetings. We experience their reactions and responses without always realising the effect these have on our sense of self. Sometimes we feel anxious or low in energy, physically and emotionally.

We often understand why we have these feelings, but sometimes we cannot pinpoint the reasons. Philippa offers a space where these feelings can be stated, sometimes out loud for the first time, listened to with respect and patience and lack of bias or judgement. It is a space to explore innermost fears, beliefs and patterns of behaviour that have often been in place for a long time.

Philippa holds a Postgraduate Diploma in Family Systemic Therapy and has been working in primary care for the NHS and in private practice for 20 years. She is registered with with UKCP and AFT (Association for Family Therapy), and upholds their moral and ethical codes. She works for The Awareness Centre's NHS counselling service at a GP surgery in Lambeth.

Priscille Matadi

Priscille Matadi strongly believes that each person is in charge of his or her destiny and has the ability to overcome their issues if they have the right support. In addition to this, she also thinks that clients are the best experts in their lives and have the strength to take the lead in a process of change. Priscille provides a confidential, non-judgmental space where clients will feel heard, understood and safe enough to speak their mind without feeling judged. As an assimilative integrative counsellor, Priscille uses ideas and strategies from several approaches in order to meet the diversity of the clients’ needs.

With the background as a social worker in France, Priscille has a deep interest in issues that young people and family are facing due to modern life. Priscille believes the demands of modern life have changed the family dynamic and the way in each people interact to each other. She is interested in helping to build confidence and self-esteem.

Priscille is a bilingual French and English integrative counsellor. She is in her final year of her counselling degree and is a student member with the BACP. Priscille works with patients at a GP Surgery in Lambeth for The Awareness Centre's NHS counselling service.

Rachel Woodley

Rachel Woodley is a trainee integrative counsellor registered with the BACP. She works with NHS clients at a GP surgery in Lambeth. Rachel is currently working towards a level 4 diploma in Counselling.

Rachel’s approach to counselling sessions is one that allows clients to feel relaxed and understood in a safe and confidential environment. Rachel works to allow clients to explore their deepest thoughts and feelings with her support, allowing them space and time to discover their full potential. Rachel works with her clients to understand  that the up’s and down’s experienced in life can be used to strengthen them and be used positively in the world in which we live today.  Rachel has an intergrative approach drawing on CBT, and Transactional Analysis, exploring clients current life scripts and working with them to rewrite them. Rachel’s practice is built on the foundation of allowing the client to be in control of the sessions and being empathic and non judgemental through out.

Rachel has a background in childcare at a senior level and has worked as a director for many years. She has a passion for youth and supporting them through puberty. Rachel has also worked as a mentor for young women and so is aware of the issues they face growing up in today's society, and aims to support them through that in her integrative approach to counselling.

Radha Bhabuta

Rahil Virik

Rahil Virik's approach centres on looking at the whole of the person, helping clients reconnect with who they are and what they want. He understands how living in society and being part of relationships, can leave people struggling to navigate between conforming to roles, others expectations and their own desires.

Rahil works with clients to create a safe space where they can be seen for who they are, while receiving the empathy and support they need. Working in an integrative style he blends the theories together, aiding the exploration of the clients emotional, physical and spiritual sides.

Rahil uses guidance tools for the client to enable reflection on their past, leaving them with a greater self-awareness to contemplate their present and future. Believing in the client’s potential and desire to grow, Rahil assists the client in accessing their vulnerability, developing their resilience and implementing new changes in their life.

Being Indian and a member of the LGBT+ Community himself, Rahil has first-hand experience of the struggle of existing in the intersection of multiple identities. He places an importance in the value of difference and diversity, as well as social issues within their work. Adapting his approach based on the client’s needs, and investing in supporting the client on their journey. Rahil is particularly interested in working with Gender Identity, Sexuality, Isolation and Loneliness as well as Family and Relationships.

Rahil is counsellor who uses an integrative approach to counselling, drawing from Humanistic and Psychodynamic models. He is a member of the BACP and are currently working towards a diploma in therapeutic counselling. He works on an open-ended basis within The Awareness Centre's NHS counselling service in Wandsworth.

Rebecca Smith

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.

Richard Hughes

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.

Rifat Qureshi

Rifat Qureshi uses a Person Centred approach to champion the client’s individual experiences, feelings and thoughts. Given a space in which a client can be heard with empathy and valued as unique, Rifat believes that the client can begin to realise their true potential and limits. This will enable them to face life’s challenges equipped and motivated. Rifat’s Person Centred approach means that she can create a special non-directive space for her clients to fully grapple with their issues and concerns in great depth and at their own pace, allowing significant focus on whatever feels most important for the client in the room.

Rifat appreciates that people can come from many cultures, religions, life philosophies and personal backgrounds. She enjoys working with all types of clients, believing that our shared humanity is an excellent bridge to cross differences and divides. Her own cross-cultural identity as a British Pakistani Muslim Woman allows her greater understanding and insight into issues that stem from a religious or cultural source. Rifat is fluent in Urdu and can work with clients in both Urdu and English.

Rifat has completed her first year of a Masters in Integrative Counselling and Psychotherapy, with a focus on Person Centred theory. After completing her training, she hopes to practice integrative counselling. She is a member of The British Association of Counselling and Psychotherapy, which ensures she provides a regulated and professional service to all her clients. She is currently seeing NHS clients at a Lambeth doctor surgery for weekly counselling.

Roberta Carugati

Roberta Carugati provides a warm, safe, supportive, non-judgemental space, which allows clients to feel listened to and to challenge established ways of thinking and being. She uses REBT and CBT to help clients to become aware of their beliefs, attitude, unhealthy behaviours (e.g. procrastination, sleep disturbance) because she truly believes that negative emotions and dysfunctional behaviours are predominantly generated by dysfunctional beliefs and cognitive distortions. Roberta provides a variety of methods and techniques to help clients reformulate their maladaptive beliefs into more flexible and helpful ones. Consequently, changing cognitive distortions and using healthier and alternative ways of thinking which can lead to an emotional improvement. Roberta always follows a person-centred approach, in which she values client’s strengths and trusts their ability/innate tendency to fulfil their personal potentials.

Roberta has more than seven years of working experience in hospitals and mental health settings both in Italy and the UK providing high standards of psychological care, with compassion and empathy. She has worked with clients with a variety of issues including anxiety, depression, stress, relationship difficulties, panic attacks, brain injury, schizophrenia, personality disorders and substance misuse. Roberta believes that therapy is a journey that enriches both the client and the therapist’s lives.

Roberta has a BSc in clinical psychology and an MSc in development psychology and she is enrolled in the third year of the four-year post graduate advanced diploma in Cognitive-Behavioural Psychotherapy (CBT) and Rational Emotional Behavioural Therapy (REBT) and she also completed a Certificate in Humanistic Integrative Counselling. She is registered as a graduate member with the British Psychological Society (MBPsS) and she is also a member of The British Association for Behavioural and Cognitive Therapies (BABCP). Roberta is also EMDR Europe trained. She draws on the Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) and she follows a person-centred approach too in her work with clients. She works with patients at a GP surgery in Roehampton within The Awareness Centre's NHS counselling service.

Rosaleen Owens

Rosaleen Owens offers clients a safe space where they can feel free to open up and discuss freely issues that may be causing problems in their lives. Rosaleen believes that sometimes people can get 'stuck' in patterns that are unhelpful. While looking at the past can be appropriate for some, Rosaleen recognizes that for others looking at the here and now is more relevant. Being able to identify patterns can be very useful in shifting any negative thoughts or actions and enabling clients to move forward. Rosaleen also believes that working collaboratively is a key component to achieving a positive therapeutic relationship. The client is always in the driving seat with Rosaleen there to guide the way. Working integratively, Rosaleen tailors her support to each client but draws on her theoretical model, which underpins her work.

Rosaleen has experience of working with clients that have experienced substance misuse. She worked for a number of years in the drug and alcohol services in Camden. She understands that people can seek emotional comfort and that sometimes a trauma can lead to issues with addiction. Rosaleen also believes that the lives of those supporting loved ones with addiction issues can be equally traumatic and can leave a huge mark on them. Offering a space to off load and guiding people through these tough times, Rosaleen aims to support all in her care.

Rosaleen Owens is an Integrative Therapeutic Counsellor and is a member of The British Association of Counsellor's and Psychotherapists (BACP). She works within The Awareness Centre's NHS counselling service, offering therapy to patients at a GP surgery based in Brixton. Rosaleen is currently working towards accreditation with the BACP.

Rose Milford

Rose Milford adopts a person-centred approach that is founded in a deep respect for the person in front of her. She believes that each person is unique and each has to find their own path through life and their own solutions to the difficulties that they face. In her experience, counselling can help people, of whatever age, to overcome whatever may be blocking them emotionally so that they can find a way through. She tries to meet each client with acceptance and understanding, as well as a degree of challenge, so as to encourage the growth of self-acceptance and the capacity to reflect. While holding these principles in mind, Rose nevertheless adapts her approach and style to suit each individual. Rose has experience in working with anxious, depressed and angry clients, clients suffering from low self-esteem and those affected by traumatic experiences. She has much experience of clients whose family lives and relationships are causing unhappiness.

Before becoming a counsellor, Rose taught in both Primary and Secondary schools. She particularly enjoyed teaching English. She also has a background in the performing arts. She was at one stage a violinist and, at another, she commissioned new music and organised a series of concerts to encourage young composers. All this gives her some insight into the pressure that people put on themselves to perform and the effects that this can have, as well as the pleasure and satisfaction of being involved in the arts.

Rose Milford qualified as a counsellor with The Place2Be and is a registered member of BACP, working towards accreditation. She has developed during that time into an empathetic and skillful person-centred and humanistic therapist. She is currently working with adolescents in schools, and is also counselling NHS patients in a GP surgery in Lambeth.

Ruxandra Anghel

Ruxandra Anghel has a client-focused approach in her practice, guiding and encouraging her clients in developing independence and in developing their best potential for a more fulfilling life. She offers a supportive space where clients can feel free to have an open conversation about any topics that they would choose to discuss. Ruxandra might use CBT, mindfulness and person centred techniques in her practice, her main approach being existential. That means that she will encourage her clients to explore their own experiences, reflect upon their individuality and the meaning of their experiences.

Ruxandra is developing her second career in Psychology, after a successful career in Communications. She is currently training as an existential psychotherapist, undertaking a doctoral programme in psychotherapy at the NSPC. Ruxandra has extensive work experience in international work environments, being passionate about making a difference, leadership and creating social campaigns. Ruxandra has worked as a copywriter, strategist, project manager, senior mentor, medic interpreter, Childline school service volunteer. In Psychology, she has experience working in clinical settings as a brain injury rehabilitation assistant. She is also a psychology teaching fellow in academia and she is the founder of a wellbeing programme for students.

Ruxandra is a trainee counselling psychologist, member of the BPS and BACP. Her therapeutic approach is existential, focusing on individual experiences, choice and personal responsibility and the meaning life experiences have for the clients. Ruxandra is working towards a Doctorate in Existential Psychotherapy. She sees patients at the Hurley Clinic in Lambeth for The Awareness Centre's NHS counselling service and offers therapy in English and Romanian.

Sabine Tendas

Sabine Tendas' approach is relational, which means she focuses on the person and his or her history and identity. In her opinion, psychotherapy is a safe and warm place to express freely without judgement. She believes psychotherapy helps to find our own personal resources creating tools to deal with and prevent difficult situations. She considers it important to work together to reach the change that person would like to obtain, working towards improved awareness.

Sabine has a background as a psychologist in Education and Health Psychology in Italy, Spain, Brazil and UK. Her interest is in well-being and life transitions. She works identifying strength points that help people to go out from stuck places in their lives. She also specialises in anxiety, stress, self-esteem and anger and has experience of working with cultural differences and migration. Sabine is fluent in several languages and can work with clients in Italian, English, Spanish or Portuguese.

Sabine is a Transactional Analyst Psychotherapist in training and a student member of the BACP. She works with NHS patients at a GP surgery in Lambeth.

Sacha Barlow

Sacha Barlow is an integrative psychotherapist and a member of BACP. She holds an MA in Counselling and Psychotherapy and a Diploma in the supervision of therapists. She has completed a course for previously qualified counsellors at London Marriage Guidance. She currently works with clients in TAC's NHS service at a GP surgery in Wandsworth.

Sacha has completed a number of trainings from different modalities, but believes that the most important part of any therapy is the counselling relationship and reliance on Carl Rodger’s key fundamentals of empathy and authentic communication.  She also realises that no two people are the same and the cure for one may be the downfall of another. She believes in the humanistic concept that when appropriately supported the client more often than not, will know which direction to follow, and it should be the therapist’s role to support and aid in this growth.

Sacha has also worked for many years as a classical musician as well as a teacher and mentor. Her role as a teacher for seven years enabled her to understand how very important is it to equip people with all the relevant required skills in any situation. Her musical training has highlighted the value of listening to others in order to work collaboratively in a timely fashion.  She is pleased to have helped people with anxiety issues and stage fright as well as more generalised anxiety and depression. She has seen patients in the NHS in Psychiatric outpatients as well as working with students in adult education. She has also worked extensively with couples with various kinds of relationship concerns (including infertility and loss) at London Marriage Guidance.

Samantha McDonnell

Samantha McDonnell’s approach is empathic and non-judgemental. She aims to create a safe environment where her clients can feel truly accepted for who they are, whatever they might bring to therapy. She is genuine, trustworthy, compassionate and willing to validate clients’ feelings. Samantha uses a humanistic, integrative and client-centred framework, drawing on a range of methods to best fit the unique needs of the individual. She doesn’t analyse and direct her clients or follow a one-size-fits-all process, but instead aims to enable them to deal with painful memories and to empower them to make difficult decisions for themselves. Her belief is that, with the right help, all of us have within us the ability to realise our potential and find contentment.

Samantha’s first career was as a classical singer and teacher, and she maintains her passion for the arts. Through her professional training and work, she is familiar with how to adopt healthy approaches to managing nerves, anxiety and stress in tense environments. Her background helps her collaborate with clients to find creative ways to adjust to their situation. More recently, she has worked for a number of years as a case worker at Victim Support: she has a particular interest in trauma, and has specialised in historical abuse, rape, domestic violence and homicide, with experience in family, relationships, LGBTQ, mental health, PTSD and personality disorders.

Originally from Scotland, Samantha is currently studying for a Masters in Humanistic Psychotherapy and is a member of the BACP and UKCP. She works as a counsellor in a Lambeth GP surgery for the NHS IAPT service.

Sanna Mughul

Sanna Mughul offers a supportive, caring and safe environment where clients are listened to and are heard in confidence. As a person-centred and humanistic therapist, she works with her clients to explore whatever issues they wish to bring and ensures she is working with the best interest of her client in mind. Sanna’s therapeutic approach helps a client to find the potential within themselves. She hopes to help clients to promote their personal growth, self-awareness and well-being and aims to help clients to work towards a happier, more fulfilling life.

Over the last 12 years, Sanna’s background has comprised of many different forms of customer services ranging from retail and the food industry to the corporate world. She has experience in working with people with a broad range of issues including anxiety, workplace issues, isolation and loneliness. She understands that at times it is difficult to cope in life and she is here to offer a helping hand.

Sanna is a member of the British Association of Counselling and Psychotherapy and is working towards an Advanced Diploma in Therapeutic Counselling. Sanna works within The Awareness Centre’s NHS counselling service at a GP surgery in Lambeth.

Sara Pearson

Sara Pearson builds strong empathic bonds with the people she works with, allowing them to feel safe in sharing their innermost thoughts and feeling. She works with them in identifying barriers to growth and fulfilment and to build self-esteem and confidence. Sara works as an integrative counsellor, adapting her approach to the needs of the client at any given time. At times she will help them to explore underlying feelings and motives through psychodynamic work, at other times where the client maybe more vulnerable, she will be there to listen and hold their pain.

Sara’s background is in the field of Human Resources and Equality. She worked a Senior Manager within the Civil Service for 15 years in a number of government departments. Much of her work has involved coaching people through challenging times and helping them to manage change.  She is skilled in conflict resolution and supporting people through workplace grievances. Sara spent the last 3 years of her career working as the national Head of Prison Equality. Here she exposed to the very difficult situations people can find themselves in for reasons relating to their race, gender, disability or class. This led her to change her career path and retrain in the field of counselling and psychotherapy so that she might have a more direct impact on the lives of people who find themselves marginalised in society.

Sara is an integrative counsellor and is a member of the BACP. She works with patients at a GP surgery in Stockwell for The Awareness Centre's NHS counselling service in Lambeth. Sara holds a High Education Certificate in Counselling and Counselling Skills and is currently working towards a Master of Science degree in Therapeutic counselling.

Sarah Janes

Sarah Janes is a qualified BACP-registered therapist who uses a person-centred approach. She believes in the healing relationship between client and therapist and her sessions have a highly supportive, open and empathic quality. She believes in counselling as an inside-out approach to self-discovery, and is passionate about helping people gain further insight into themselves, and to understand and accept their feelings. She is experienced in working with a wide range of emotional, identity and relationship difficulties and specialises in bereavement and loss, depression, anxiety, LGBTQ and identity issues.

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. In her spare time she enjoys travel and has an interest in yoga, meditation and Eastern philosophies. Sarah is a Person Centred Counsellor and a member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP). Further to her core training, she is trained in Bereavement and Loss counselling working in a bereavement and loss agency with with clients who have lost someone close to them. She also works for a charity counselling people affected by HIV and Aids. Other trainings and experience include complicated grief disorder. Sarah works with NHS clients at a GP surgery in Lambeth.

Sarah Preston

Sarah Preston provides an empathetic, supportive space where clients feel heard and valued; a place where they feel able to process difficult thoughts and feelings without judgement, and are empowered to draw on their own resources to live a more fulfilled life. Working integratively she draws on ideas from a number of additional approaches such as CBT, NLP and SFBT to best suit her clients and the issues that they bring.

With a background in communication disorders, Sarah has extensive experience of working with adults and teenagers who suffer from anxiety in speaking situations and she uses her knowledge of mindfulness based approaches such as MBSR and ACT to help her clients manage stress and anxiety in their lives.

Louise Newton is currently working towards an integrative psychotherapy and therapeutic counselling Diploma and has a BSc Hons in Psychology. She works within The Awareness Centre's NHS counselling service at a GP surgery in Lambeth.

Seda Albay

Seda Albay is a counsellor and psychotherapist; she is working towards a Masters in an integrative approach, and is a member of the professional body (BACP). She works as an integrative therapist drawing on the approaches (existential, humanistic and psychodynamic) she finds are most suitable for the issues that arise in the therapy room. Seda works with The Awareness Centre's NHS counselling service in Wandsworth.

Seda is a warm and welcoming therapist who is able to provide her clients with the supportive and holding environment in order to explore during sessions. She draws from the core conditions of the humanistic approach (empathy, unconditional positive regard and congruence) in order to set the safe therapeutic relationship enabling an open and comfortable space for her clients. Though therapy is a space for clients to process painful thoughts, feelings and experiences, Seda believes in the importance and strives towards working with clients to unravel their potential to live a life that is more satisfying. She has a natural ability to work alongside her clients to listen and understand what they would like to work towards. The approach Seda uses during her work is dependent on her individual client.

The good listening skills and level of empathy come from Seda’s work in a special education needs school before psychotherapy. Her background of working with a diverse range of people from a different religion, race, age, gender, sexual orientation enables her to understand the importance of the diverse needs of her clients.

Shaheda Akthar

Shaheda Akthar works in an empathic and non-judgmental manner, providing a confidential and safe space in which clients can explore and process difficult or painful thoughts and feelings to gain a deeper understanding of self. Shaheda believes that enhancing self-awareness is a key which unlocks a fuller and more authentic life. She respects that every individual’s subjective experience is unique therefore uses an integrative approach, drawing upon useful insights of different modalities to tailor her approach to the individual client's needs. Shaheda may use cognitive-behavioural approach to identify and challenge negative patterns in clients’ thoughts and behaviours, psychodynamic approach to probe the roots of clients’ childhood experiences to make links with their present lived experience and existential-phenomenological approach to search for clients’ own meaning of life.

Shaheda’s first class degree in Psychology has equipped her with a holistic understanding of human nature and particularly psychological difficulties. She has worked closely with individuals suffering from Dementia in care homes, supporting them physically, mentally and socially. Shaheda learnt first-hand how the severe decline in brain functioning can cause psychological difficulty, detrimentally affecting the daily lives of people with Dementia. She further has extensive experience providing tailored support to clients who have experienced trauma as a result of crime at Victim Support. She is especially aware of how stress, low self-esteem, anxiety and loneliness can prevent clients from taking control of their future and reaching their full potential. Shaheda is on a journey yet to find her speciality but she has a special interest in post-traumatic stress disorder, eating disorders, depression and anxiety.

Shaheda is a trainee Counselling Psychologist and graduate member of the British Psychological Society. She works within the The Awareness Centre’s NHS counselling service at a GP surgery in Lambeth. Shaheda is currently working towards completing the Professional Doctorate in Counselling Psychology. Shaheda can speak fluent English and Bengali (Sylheti dialect).

Sheri Ayinla

Sheri Ayinla provides a safe and secure place for clients to bring whatever issues they need to within sessions. She holds the belief that despite the diverse nature of clients’ need counselling that the presence of an attentive third party can have healing and reparative properties that can be beneficial to the client. She works with clients in a way that makes them feel a sense of empowerment within themselves, enabling them to feel more fulfilled within their lives. Sheri use’s Clarkson’s integrative model in the assessment and formulation of clients and their issues, with the model putting the therapeutic relationship at the forefront of her work. Her way of working with clients varies in terms of the individual.

With a background as a psychology student, Sheri has an interest in individuals and the underlying issues of their behaviour. She has an understanding that unresolved issues can manifest itself in one’s life. She works in a way that helps to identify significant themes or patterns in one’s life that they may not be aware of. She has some experience working with clients diagnosed with depression/ anxiety and has a special interest in bereavement.

Sheri is working towards a Masters in therapeutic counselling and has a membership with the BACP. As a counsellor she works in an integrative manner, with the needs of the client and their presenting issues informing her approach within the therapeutic relationship. She works in with clients at HMP Brixton.

Sibel Sahin

Sibel Sahin provides a safe, warm and welcoming space where clients can explore the depths of their thoughts and feelings, allowing them to speak the unspoken, thus encouraging the clients’ potential. Sibel believes that the relationship between therapist and client is key for successful therapy. As an integrative counsellor she understands that each individual experience is unique and therefor tailors therapy to the needs of each client separately.

With a background as a mental health worker, Sibel has developed an understanding of common mental health issues and how the lack of guidance and support can trigger the onset of these issues. She is also experienced in working with more complex mental health problems such as schizophrenia, bipolar and multiple personality disorders. Sibel works towards identifying a healthier way of dealing with difficult emotional stress and helping clients recognise strengths within them to become more aware of whom they are as an individual.

Sibel has a BSc (Honours) degree in Psychology and is currently working towards an Advanced Diploma in Integrative Counselling. She works short-term with NHS clients at GP surgeries in Lambeth. Sibel is a student member of the BACP.

Sophia Appleby Machin

Sophia Appleby Machin provides a safe, supportive and empathic space allowing her clients to feel that they can open up and share thoughts and feelings that are difficult to process. Sophia provides unconditional positive regard with her clients and helps them to draw on their own inner selves in order to enjoy a more satisfying, fuller life. Sophia uses an integrative approach which allows her to ensure that she uses the very best approach to suit the issues that her clients bring to the therapy room. Within this framework, she prefers to use a Person Centred approach with her clients with Psychodynamic and CBT approaches when she feels they are appropriate. Her approach is tailored in order to ensure her counselling relationship with her clients is bespoke.

Working within a large organisation in a local resolution and mediation role, Sophia is very experienced in helping people resolve inner conflict. She has a keen interest in mental health and the internal and external pressures that can result in poor mental health. Sophia is experienced in helping clients to manage stress, anxiety and anger. Sophia has also held a voluntary bereavement support role and is experienced in helping clients through the bereavement process.

Sophia is currently working towards a Level 4 Diploma in Therapeutic Counselling and is registered with the BACP. She works with NHS patients at a GP surgery in Lambeth.

Stephanie Waters

Stephanie Waters offers a warm, safe environment, encompassing the Person Centred conditions of empathy, congruence and unconditional positive regard, allowing the client to bring themselves and their experiences without fear of judgement. Stephanie works together with her clients, through guidance and support in the process of self-discovery and healing.

Stephanie is a Trainee Psychotherapist, currently studying for an MSc in Contemporary Person-Centred Psychotherapy and Applications (BACP registered), and is a member of the BACP. She holds a BSc in Business and Psychology. She works within The Awareness Centre's NHS counselling service, at a GP surgery in Wandsworth.

Stephen Langstaff

Stephen Langstaff works within The Awareness Centre's NHS counselling service in Lambeth and believes in helping people process their struggles, internal conflicts and thought patterns whilst working towards the wellbeing of his clients. He works integratively with clients, which means he draws upon a variety of modalities and help his clients establish a way of working that will suit individual needs from exploring what clients would most benefit from. Stephen also embraces cognitive behavioural therapy principles where appropriate.

Stephen provides a warm empathic and supportive space for clients whilst holding onto a strong belief in the importance of the therapeutic relationship between client and counsellor. He believes the building of the therapeutic relationship is key in clients being able to trust and feel comfortable exploring issues which could form sensitive and distressing parts of their history.

Stephen worked previously in staff management and has a keen interest in workplace issues and organisational behaviour, having seen a strong link between stress, confidence, anxiety, self-esteem and anger in the workplace. He was inspired to embark on counselling training to help provide more insight into wellbeing issues and impact on life outside work alongside issues involving bullying, fear and intimidation. Stephen gained a combined certificate in Counselling and Counselling Theory prior to obtaining a Diploma in Counselling.

Stephen has an interest in attachment behaviour, especially how people relate and attach to each other and the impact of past formative and family relationships alongside current relationship patterns. Stephen has benefited from extensive experience of working within various mental health and well being services such as The Samaritans, Wandsworth Bereavement and NHS counselling services. In addition to these Stephen has worked within two community counselling services providing longer term counselling. He has worked with diverse client groups and presenting issues including work with cultural, sexual and racial identity, learning difficulties, disability and addictive behaviour.

Suriellah Young

Suriellah Young offers clients a safe and supportive space where they can feel accepted and not judged. Suriellah’s focus is on developing trust in her therapeutic relationships with clients and with sensitivity, encouraging them to find ways of resolving their current difficulties. Clients are free to explore their innermost struggles, hurts and unmet desires, discovering new, creative ways of coping with present challenges. Within the counselling process, clients are able to gain meaningful insights into limiting thoughts, feelings and fears and realise their potential to make positive, lasting lifestyle changes. Suriellah applies an integrative method, using tailored person-centred and psychodynamic approaches to meet clients' needs. Clients who are committed to personal therapy can look forward to feeling more confident, empowered and in control of their life.

Suriellah has worked extensively over the years with individuals and families within various health and social care settings, as both a qualified social worker and support worker. Her experience in supporting individuals and families covers a wide range of issues: individual/family relationships and breakdown, addiction, domestic violence, bereavement and stress. Suriellah creates a supportive environment for clients whereby they are able to engage in the process of identifying patterns of self-defeating behaviour and experience the benefits of healing and enjoying more satisfying ways of living. She specialises in issues relative to depression and anxiety, family and relationships, self esteem and self confidence and communications.

Suriellah is a placement counsellor who applies an integrative approach in therapy. She works with The Awareness Centre's NHS clients in Wandsworth. Suriellah is pursuing a CPCAB accredited diploma in Therapeutic Counselling and is a registered member with the BACP. She holds a BA (Hons) in Psychology and Master's Degree in Social Work.

Surjeet Bahra

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.

Tammy Fabian

Tammy Fabian is at the last stage of her counselling psychology training, currently working towards a professional Doctorate in the field and is a graduate member of the BPS. She works short and longer term for the Awareness Centre with NHS patients at a Lambeth GP surgery. She also has experience working with those in emotional crisis and/or experiencing suicidal thoughts in both telephone and face-to-face contexts.

Tammy works in an intuitively empathic way to provide a safe and supportive space in which clients are able to - at their own pace - explore with her what has brought them to therapy. She sees the therapeutic relationship as key and it is through this relationship that her warmth and authenticity help enable clients – in a unique and confidential context - to be heard and supported through emotional difficulties and the general complexities of life. Working from a person-centred stance, Tammy focuses on the client as opposed to the problem and it is through this focus that positive psychological growth, autonomy and self-actualisation can be achieved.

With a background in photography and the arts Tammy always holds creative openness at the core of her counselling practice. Originating from a dynamic and transitioning multicultural place she has a strong sense of and belief in the transitional capacity of the individual as well as how our own cultural backgrounds shape us. She is currently writing her dissertation on the potentially enhancing effect death awareness could have on our ability to live fuller lives. Practicing yoga and partaking in triathlons help her to maintain a more balanced and activated life.

Temi Peters

Temi Peters is an integrative therapist who aims to provide adaptable and flexible therapy blended to fit the specific needs of the client. With a strong basis on the person centred approach, Temi hopes to provide a safe space for clients to open up and processes their own thoughts and emotions with undivided attention, a space where clients can be met with empathy and no judgement. She hopes to provide a positive environment for empowerment, self-development and actualisation. Temi will be working with her clients to identify and tap into their inner resources, so that they can experience a fuller and more satisfying life.

With a background in Customer services and Quality Management, Temi brings a wealth of people's skills and conflict resolution. She is aware of how the everyday internal and external pressures of life can affect the individual and how their responses and coping mechanisms may cause more damage than good. She strives to assist in identifying these factors to encourage a healthier and sustainable approach to managing the stress and anxiety of life. Most importantly, she works to ensure that her clients feel that they have been heard and completely understood.

Temi is working towards an MA in Integrative Counselling & Psychotherapy and is a member of the BACP. She currently works with NHS patients at a GP surgery in Lambeth and in Wandsworth.

Valeria Fleury

Valeria Fleury is a psychodynamic counsellor and is registered with the BACP. She works at The Awareness Centre with NHS patients in Wandsworth. Valeria is currently working towards an MSc degree in Psychodynamic Psychotherapy and Counselling.

She works empathically with her clients to bring unconscious issues to consciousness in order to form a therapeutic dyadic alliance. By exploring deep-rooted, painful memories and feelings which may have been repressed, causing anxiety, depression, and other disorders, she helps her clients to overcome traumatic situations and develop resilience. She has a special interest in working with patients going through anxiety and/or depression due to life changing events, such as bereavement/loss, having a baby, “empty-nesting”, separation/divorce, job loss, retirement, emigration, illnesses, to name a few.

Valeria was born and raised in Brazil and has lived in the UK for 14 years, where she has raised her children. With a background in Education, she has extensive experience working one-on-one and identifying strategies to adapt to and thrive in different, sometimes alien situations, in the several stages of life.

Velma Dennis

Velma Dennis provides a safe, confidential and non-judgemental environment in which clients feel free to express their thoughts and feelings. 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 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 unaddressed. Velma aims to work with clients to live a full and happy life. She specialises in stress, depression, anxiety, and bereavement and loss.

Velma has successfully completed her PG Dip in Integrative Counselling and Coaching and is now working towards her Masters. She is registered with BACP. She works with The Awareness centre’s NHS counselling service in Lambeth.

Venaifa D’costa

Venaifa D’costa is an integrative counsellor working towards a Master’s Degree in Therapeutic Counselling. She has a background in Psychology with Bachelor’s degree in Psychology and a Master’ in Industrial Psychology. Having completed her Post Graduate Diploma in Guidance and Counselling, she has worked as a counsellor with University students helping them with personal, emotional and behavioural issues. She is registered with the BACP. She works with patients at a GP surgery in Wandsworth for The Awareness Centre's NHS counselling service.

She uses a combined approach to psychotherapy that brings together different elements of specific therapies. She takes a view that there is no single approach that can treat each client in all situations. She believes that each person needs to be considered as whole and counselling techniques must be tailored to their individual needs and personal circumstances. Venaifa draws on Person Centred therapy, psychodynamic therapy; Gestalt therapy, Cognitive behaviour therapy and Rational Emotive Behaviour Therapy. Taking on a person-centred approach and understanding that the client has within him or herself vast resources for self-growth and development, she tries to tap on these resources by providing an appropriate therapeutic climate. She would also help clients to get in touch with their automatic thinking patterns and reframe any thoughts or behaviours to function more effectively in life. When applicable she uses a gestalt approach to counselling by helping individuals to become more aware of how they think, feel and act in the present moment.

Venaifa has the experience of working in the industrial sector, in the HR where she grew in her understanding of practical work-related issues and pressures that people face in life due to work, this experience along with her counselling experience with young adults has given her a fair understanding of the issues faced by people as they prepare for the world of work and progress into it. She also had the opportunity to teach Psychology at Junior College level for about 4 years. Venaifa greatly enjoys having the opportunity to make a real difference to someone’s life by helping them to resolve and cope with problems and various issues.

Venetia Elphick

Venetia Elphick tailors her integrative approach depending on the client’s needs, supporting them to reach their full potential and accepting each person and their unique differences in a non-judgemental approach. Venetia believes that each client can find the resources within themselves to self-heal and supports clients to do this by creating a safe space for the client to explore patterns of behaviour, thoughts, fears and feelings, enabling the client to make sense of their past and present and dreams for the future

Venetia blends her creative and therapeutic skills in her client work. She previously gained a BA in Theatre Studies and has worked as a photographer, as well as working as nursery nurse, including working with children and families. For the past 10 years she has worked as a massage therapist, helping people to locate and work on areas of tension and pain, she uses her extensive experience of working with the body to help clients access feelings and emotions through their own body.

As a LGBTQ member, Venetia has a special interest in issues regarding sexuality, gender and identity. Venetia has experience working with people with substance misuse issues, including alcohol, drugs, and other addictions such as food, love and sex addictions. Venetia also works with clients who have anxiety, anger, stress, relationships issues, work related problems and helping clients to gain clarity about their lives.

Venetia Elphick is working towards a diploma in integrative counselling and is registered with the BACP. Using a combination of a person centred and psychodynamic approach she adapts her skills to work with the individual client. She presently offers  counselling with NHS patients at a GP surgery in Wandsworth for The Awareness Centre's NHS counselling service.

Vicky Mercer

Vicky Mercer is an empathetic and supportive counsellor who draws upon theories that she has learnt in order to best support clients. Vicky specialise in depression and anxiety, and incorporates basic CBT with talking therapy to help clients work through their issues. Vicky supports clients to find the core reason for their depression and/or anxiety and find a structured way to work through these. Vicky also specialise in communication issues, and provides a space where clients feel safe and secure, listened to and supported to find the underlying issues to their communication difficulties, working through these in a safe and confidential environment.

Vicky comes from a background of working in care and with children. She has experience with clients who have had difficult life challenges. She has worked in end of life care and dementia care. Through her work she has learnt to support clients from all different walks of life and is committed to supporting clients through difficult and painful memories. She uses her knowledge in Humanistic and Buddhist counselling theories to support clients in coming to terms with life events. Vicky also specialises in communication issues and issues surrounding self-esteem.

Vicky is working towards a Diploma in counselling. She is a member of the BACP and works as a trainee counsellor with The Awareness Centre's NHS counselling service in Lambeth.

Victoria Jeffries

Victoria Jeffries is working towards a Master’s degree in integrative counselling and is registered with the BACP. Victoria also has an undergraduate degree in counselling skills. As an integrative therapist, she draws upon various therapeutic approaches including person centred and psychodynamic in order to fit the individual client, as Victoria believes one size doesn’t fit all in therapy.

Victoria feels that all individuals should be able to access a calm and therapeutic space where they feel understood. She is highly empathic and draws heavily on the person-centred approach, meaning clients are met in a non-judgemental way, enabling them to improve their sense of well-being and gain a better insight into themselves and how they function.  Victoria believes that this approach will ultimately lead to the client reaching a stronger place emotionally.

Victoria has an extensive background in mental health, working in both the public and private sector. She has worked for the NHS with patients experiencing mental health crisis for the past four years in a mental health crisis unit and recovery house. This had led to Victoria developing strong skills in depression, suicidality and risk assessment. She specialises in supporting clients to explore their distressing, and sometimes frightening feelings and experiences. Her work in crisis has also lead her to gaining experience in a range of mental health diagnosis, such as schizophrenia, bi-polar and personality disorder.

Victoria works within the NHS seeing patients on a short-term basis as part of The Awareness Centre’s NHS counselling service in Wandsworth.

Wayne Holness

Wayne Holness offers the space to be heard and supported empathically without any judgement. He believes that counselling gives the individuals a safe space to explore themselves and address issues that have been difficult with them in life to give them an improved self-worth.  Wayne has an integrative approach to counselling which is using more than one method to achieve greater awareness depending on the requirements of the individual. He may use the person-centred approach to explore their feelings at the present time or the psychodynamic approach to look at past events in their lives and understand how they have affected the present time.

With a background as an immigration consultant, Wayne is accustomed to dealing with sensitive issues with patience and understanding. The role has given him experience of many cultures which has helped him develop an understanding of differences in society. Wayne also cares for individuals with mental health issues under the Croydon Council’s Shared Lives scheme. He has an instinct for seeing things through people’s frame of reference in order to help them cope with their emotions more effectively. Wayne has experience with anxiety, anger, drug addiction and depression.

Wayne is an Integrative counsellor and is registered with the BACP. He works at patients at the Edith Cavell GP in Streatham within The Awareness Centre's NHS counselling service. Wayne is currently working towards a Level 4 Diploma in Integrated Therapeutic Counselling.

Will Midlane

Will Midlane believes in creating a therapeutic relationship grounded in equality, embracing compassion and creating an empathic space for clients to heal. He supports his clients in their journey to becoming aware of what might be getting in the way of them living a happier, healthier life and to be mindful of their own ability to change how they relate to themselves and others. Will acknowledges the need for consistency, reliability and to be heard. He works hard in supporting his clients in a calm space, without judgement, appreciating their individuality.

With a background in Executive Search and Leadership Development, Will has experience in coaching senior executives and guiding them through their professional career. He has experience in supporting clients through conflict resolution, managing stress and increased anxiety. Will has also spent time volunteering with a charity that specialises in supporting children with special needs through therapeutic yoga.

Will is working towards an MSc in Transactional Analysis at the Metanoia Institute and is registered with the UKCP. He has experience with addiction, anxiety, personality disorders, depression, bereavement and family relationships. He has been running twelve step recovery groups in HMP Wandsworth Prison for a number of years and works within the Metanoia Institute’s low-cost counselling service. Will sees patients at a GP surgery in Wandsworth within The Awareness Centre's NHS counselling service.

Yasmin Kermali

Yasmin Kermali believes that individuals that come to counselling do so because they want change; either within themselves or their lives. Through the use of several different approaches, Yasmin provides a safe, supportive and confidential environment that is tailored to the needs of each individual. She provides an empathic and non-judgemental space whereby a client can explore their situation; enabling them to recognise triggers and patterns of relating to themselves and others. This allows a client to reach a deeper level of self-awareness, which will empower them to make positive changes to their lives.

As someone who works with victims of domestic abuse, Yasmin understands that life can sometimes be very distressing and challenging. This can have a powerful and negative effect on an individual’s self-esteem and self-confidence, that can result in unhealthy ways of expressing emotions. This can leave an individual feeling vulnerable, confused and quite frustrated. She also understands that with patience, respect and honest communication, she can support clients in finding new insights and perspectives to their lives; which will bring about a heightened sense of self-awareness, confidence and growth.

Yasmin is registered with the BACP and abides by their ethical framework. She is currently working towards her Diploma in Therapeutic Counselling. As a counsellor, she uses an integrative approach when working with individuals which allows her to focus on the therapeutic relationship, in order to understand which approach will be best suited to the client’s needs. She works on a short-term basis within The Awareness Centre’s NHS counselling service in Wandsworth.

Yoni Ben-Haim

Yoni Ben-Haim is an integrative counsellor, which means he utilises different approaches to suit the client and the presented issues stated during sessions. He believes that counselling is not about tailoring theory or approaches to a client, but rather an opportunity to build a trusting and safe relationship. Yoni works within The Awareness Centre’s NHS counselling service in the borough of Wandsworth.

Yoni aims to create an empathic atmosphere which facilitates empowerment, confidence, awareness and trust. Working integratively, He may identify areas to help clients achieve their innate potential, working together to confronting painful and unresolved feelings. Yoni’s personality exudes calmness, support and authenticity and he aims to aid his clients connect with the person they wish to be in the here and now.

Yoni has a varied work history, which has encouraged his road towards training in therapy, in particular by exploring stress and anxiety management. He has experience of working within the private financial sector, working in a foreign country and engaging with music and art. This life experience has provided manageable solutions, and he understands the demands of a stressful environment. Yoni recognises the importance of being attuned to clients by helping give negative thoughts and feelings a voice. Yoni is working towards an advanced diploma in Humanistic Integrative counselling and is registered with the BACP.

Zeynab El-Murad

Zeynab El-Murad provides a secure, supportive environment in which clients feel able to express themselves and share the feelings, thoughts and experiences that may be causing them distress. She believes that we all have the capacity to change and grow, and that counselling provides a space to explore ourselves in support of this. By noticing patterns in feelings and relationships, and where these may have come from, she believes that clients can gain a better understanding of themselves, which is the first step to making changes.

Coming from a multicultural background, Zeynab is interested in how different aspects of our identities interact and affect our sense of self and wellbeing. She is also interested in the experiences of living in a multicultural society and the influences this can have. She has experience working within charity and NHS services with issues including low self-esteem, bereavement, relationship difficulties, anxiety and others.

Zeynab is currently working towards a Professional Doctorate in Counselling Psychology and is a graduate member of the British Psychological Society. As a therapist her work is grounded in humanistic values, and she draws from a psychodynamic approach, which considers how our past experiences can influence how we feel and behave in our current life. She works within The Awareness Centre’s NHS counselling service at a GP surgery in Lambeth.

Zia Mattocks

Zia Mattocks works in a person-centred way, providing a compassionate, caring, non-judgemental and supportive environment in which the client is free to explore and work through any difficulties or concerns they may be experiencing. She works collaboratively with her clients in an empathic and reassuring way as they address any painful thoughts and feelings, identify unhelpful patterns or ways of dealing with emotions, and ultimately strive to regain their sense of balance and develop a healthier and more positive outlook on life.

Having worked as an editor and writer in the publishing industry for 25 years, Zia has a great interest in people and what has brought them to where they are in life, what drives them and what may have held them back. She has strong communication skills and is experienced in offering support to others while examining and clarifying thoughts and ideas. She is a volunteer counsellor with Cruse Bereavement Care and has a particular interest in issues surrounding bereavement, loss and separation, relationship difficulties, midlife and ageing, and the life changes that may occur as a result.