NHS Therapists

Adam Day

Adam Day uses his knowledge, experience and counselling skills to create a safe, non-judgemental space so that his clients can tackle the problems they may be experiencing. He believes in building a therapeutic relationship and working together to explore the client’s own ability to find their own solution that suits them best. Adam works with warmth, reliability, understanding and empathy. He genuinely cares about offering the best service to all his clients whilst working primarily with person centred theory. Adam ensures that he can offer a wide range of skills and techniques to help various presenting problems. He specialises in relationship counselling, depression, anxiety, addiction, family issues and stress.

Adam’s life experiences have been varied including some time spent in the military and volunteering in a local hospital. He understands that a person’s internal narrative about themselves can be disruptive to a fulfilling life so being able to discuss techniques and ways to improve this cognitive pattern can help clients to reach their full potential. He has always worked with people from all different walks of life and can easily put himself in someone else shoes to try and understand their world view. This helps him to work with multicultural clients, people of any gender, sexual orientation or disability.

Adetoun Adams  

Adetoun Adams provides a confidential, non-judgemental and safe space where clients can explore issues which they feel may be affecting their life. She is good listener whose aim is to establish a good therapeutic relationship which enables her clients to share their difficulties, which can be explored in the sessions together. As a psychodynamic counsellor, she uses the frame of reference that a client’s present situation may be influenced by past experiences and traumas. She also draws on Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) to focus on changing dysfunctional thinking and actions that influence a person’s mood and behaviour in the present.

Adetoun’s background is in therapeutic radiotherapy and breast cancer support, She also has experience and a special interest in working with clients presenting with attachment issues and childhood trauma and understands how to manage the clients’ expectations. She is fluent in Yoruba and can work with clients in both English and Yoruba.

Adetoun is a qualified Psychodynamic counsellor and Cognitive Behavioural Therapist working towards accreditation. She is a professional member of British Association of Counsellors & Psychotherapists (MBACP) and also a registered member of the British Association of Behavioural & Cognitive Psychotherapists (BABCP). She is currently working towards her training in couple’s counselling. Adetoun works for the Awareness Centre at a GP’s surgery in NHS Lambeth.

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.

Alex de Ville

Alexandra Cupar

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.

Andreas Economides

Andreas Economides provides a compassionate and non-judgmental environment, where clients can explore and process difficult thoughts and emotions. He works with clients to enhance their self-awareness and self-acceptance, while helping them to utilize their own strengths and experiences to build better coping mechanisms. Andreas believes that the relationship between the client and counsellor is the most important factor for achieving psychological change and works collaboratively with clients to identify healthier ways of managing their difficulties.

Andreas is an integrative counsellor and combines ideas and techniques from different counselling models including Humanistic, Psychodynamic and CBT. This allows for a more flexible approach to best suit the issues that the client brings into therapy. Andreas is from a multicultural background and has an interest in cultural conflicts and the difficulties within family relationships. He also has experience in working with issues such as anxiety, anger, depression, grief, guilt and shame. With a background in Management, Engineering and Teaching, Andreas is familiar with workplace issues and conflict resolution. He understands the daily pressures people can put on themselves, which may lead to unhelpful coping strategies.

Andreas is registered with the BACP and currently sees patients within The Awareness Centre's NHS counselling service at a GP surgery in Wandsworth. He has previously worked with NHS patients in Lambeth, Hounslow and Islington. Andreas is currently in his final year studying for a Masters in Integrative Counselling and Psychotherapy.

Andy Hibberd

Andy Hibberd works by having an unconditional regard for clients, offering acceptance, empathy, and non-judgment which he believes helps to free up the client’s own healing resources. His approach is non-technical and focuses on maintaining a genuine person to person contact with openness, respect, and attentiveness. The direction of the therapy comes mainly from clients, this allows a more natural process to emerge that isn’t restricted to a set framework. Andy believes this results in effective and lasting change that is essentially unique for each person.

Andy worked for eight years in the insurance industry and has an understanding and appreciation of the stress in the modern workplace and the factors that influence it. Having been deeply interested in how and why people change for over ten years Andy values the vibrancy and relief generated in honest, authentic human contact and strives to bring more of that into the world.

Andy is a Person Centred Counsellor and member of the BACP. He works with clients at a GP surgery in Wandsworth within The Awareness Centre's NHS counselling service and is in his final year studying towards a diploma in Person Centred counselling.

Angarad Roberts

Angarad Roberts is working towards a BSc Honours Degree in Integrative Counselling. Being an integrative therapist allows Angarad to draw on different therapeutic approaches that best suit the issues brought by each client to the therapy room. She works with the Awareness centre seeing NHS clients on a short-term basis at a GP surgery in Lambeth.

Angarad aims to provide a non-judgemental, empathic and supportive environment in which to build a strong working alliance with clients. Counselling can be used to process difficult thoughts and feelings.  Along with this, it can also be used as a space to facilitate a deeper understanding of themselves, and help focus and work with inner potential and strengths. Being integratively trained, Angarad may choose to use person centred or existential therapy to build self-esteem and self-worth and CBT to recognise negative thought patterns to help clients break the negative thought cycle.

After spending many years living and working abroad in Bulgaria, Egypt and Thailand, Angarad has created an understanding of how to work with clients from different ethnicities and backgrounds. Previously working as a school teacher, she has gained a strong interest in working with children and teenagers, but also with parents, as she has come to understand the internal and external pressures surrounding parenthood. She also has a special interest in trauma recovery and anxiety.

Anita Rampat

Anita Rampat is an integrative counsellor/psychotherapist, and a member with the British Association of Counsellors and Psychotherapists- BACP. Anita has a degree in Integrative Counselling and Psychotherapy and a Masters in War & Psychiatry. As an integrative therapist, Anita draws upon the three main approaches in therapy; Psychodynamic, Person-Centred and Cognitive Behavioural Therapy- CBT. Anita is currently working with short-term clients with at the Hub in Wandsworth. Anita is currently working towards accreditation with the BACP.

Anita believes through empathy and unconditional positive regard, she can provide an environment for the client that gives them permission to explore their emotions and feelings in a non-judgemental space. Anita believes the process of talking through painful thoughts and feelings are the steps forward to understanding emotions clearer. Anita’s approach as an integrative therapist, means she may use psychoanalytical approaches to facilitate client identification of present behaviours and past traumas, emotions and feelings. And through the use of CBT, Anita works with the client to create solutions and targets which best suits the client, to aid their process. Anita facilitates the therapeutic relationship through Person-Centred approach; she works from a client lead stance and providing a safe space for clients to understand and process their emotions. Anita uses empathy and unconditional positive regard to facilitate the client process. Anita understands for some clients, verbal expressions of their emotions may not be effective. She can draw upon creative therapies such as drawing, sand tray work and guided mediations.

Anita has two years’ experience as a bereavement therapist based at a hospice. Anita has worked with adults’ long term. Anita understands the complexity and pressures of living with grief and the different feelings and emotions clients may experience. Through her experience, she works to increase client autonomy. She also specialises in complex grief and trauma, anxiety, anger and depression. Anita has extensively travelled, which has given her the openness to appreciate and respect people as individuals, and when we come to moments of stuck, Anita understands there are many coping strategies for processing difficult moments.

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.

Annakay Jhagroo

Annakay Jhagaroo believes therapy works with respect and that is why she welcomes clients with warmth and empathy. She hopes to provide a safe environment which will help clients to feel welcome and at ease to speak. Annakay understands that the environment will provide the clients with time to help them reflect on themselves, their world and how they think about their relationships. Her main focus will be on supporting clients to be able to grow. Annakay works with individuals from the age of 18 upwards and will ensure the sessions are properly adjusted for each individual.

In the past, Annakay has worked as a qualified nursery nurse working with children from 0 to 5 years. She has worked as a mental health support worker in the past and within the addiction field. Annakay has a great passion to help and support people in the health and social care sector. Working within this field has helped her to recognise the difficulties that people in the community experience and how such issues can leave people feeling isolated. Annakay feels that it is vital to help her clients to work to overcome negative thoughts and to deal with any intrusive thoughts that are keeping them from their true selves. Annakay’s main areas of interest are anxiety, depression, post-traumatic disorders (PTSD), addiction and family dynamics.

Annakay is a member of the BACP and is a CBT and integrative counsellor. She works with NHS clients in a GP surgery in Lambeth. She has completed an MSc in addiction psychology and counselling. Annakay is also currently working towards a post-graduate in CBT for anxiety and depression.

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.

Aslihan Apat

Aslihan Apat is an integrative therapist who draws on the approaches that best suit the issues that clients bring into the therapy room. She is currently studying a Professional Doctorate in Counselling Psychology, and is registered with the British Psychological Society. Aslihan works short-term with NHS patients at GP surgeries in Lambeth.

Aslihan aims to help her clients discover their difficulties and identify ways to resolve them by providing an empathic and supportive environment, which allows the clients to feel safe and open up. She works with clients to enhance their self-awareness and self-acceptance, which also draws up on their inner strength, and consequent ability to develop coping strategies. Although Aslihan uses an integrative approach in her practice, she acknowledges that every client and their needs are different therefore her approach is tailored to the individual client. Aslihan may use Person Centred Therapy to support individuals in the process of discovering their own deeper difficulties and possible resolutions. Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for individuals seeking therapy for specific problems, anxieties or phobias, in an aim to change unhealthy thought patterns and behaviours in to more functional ones.

Coming from a multicultural background, Aslihan has an interest and significant understanding about difficulties in family relationships and cultural conflicts. She understands the emotional and social pressures people may experience, and the consequent difficulties that could manifest. In her therapeutic work, she aims to help individuals develop healthier thought patterns and coping strategies to manage their difficulties. She also specialises in depression, anxiety disorders and schizophrenia.

Aurora Pulici

Aurora Pulici provides a safe and supportive space in which an authentic dialogue and relationship between client and therapist can grow. Aurora remains curious, respectful and strives to have a non-judgmental approach to the clients' experience of being in the world.

She encourages clients to enquire into previous ‘unfinished’ experiences which are still affecting the present and re-enacting painful and traumatic patterns. She supports clients in exploring embodied and cognitive processes in the here and now of the therapeutic relationship, clients can gain awareness of self, which is perceived as the precursor of change.   

Aurora has experience of working in the corporate world as a Learning and Development consultant and trainer. She appreciates the challenges of living in a busy world which often allows little space for vulnerability and authentic relationships. She aspires to support clients to identify their needs and how to best fulfil them by gaining a sense of self-worth and what one's potential may be.

Aurora holds a BSc in Psychology, she is a Gestalt trainee therapist, currently working towards her dissertation and a student member of the UKCP. She has experience of working within the NHS settings on a short-term basis as well as on longer term with private clients. She feels honoured and humbled by the opportunity of being part of her clients' therapeutic journey.

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.

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.

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 in The Awareness Centre’s low-cost service in Tooting.

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 their place in the 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 encourage them to create a life around what they value most. The most important aspect of Ben’s practice is developing a trusting, honest relationship that enables people to feel comfortable and safe enough to say what they need to say in order to begin the process of healing.

With a background in teaching, Ben has experience and understanding in 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 a broad range of difficulties including suicidal thoughts, depression and anxiety, isolation and loneliness. His research interest is in the experience of meaninglessness and how therapy that deals directly with meaning can act as a catalyst for change.

Bettina Bestebreur

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

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

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

Brennan Holt

Brennan Holt is a Person-Centred Counsellor and is Registered with the BACP. He works with NHS Wandsworth patients at the Awareness Centre in Tooting. He is close to finishing his training and attaining his FdSc in counselling.

Brennan believes that a gentle, non-judgemental approach can open up a space of trust for clients to explore what they are experiencing more fully. He seeks to create a genuine empathic relationship with each client which will give them the opportunity to change the way they see themselves, their stories and their futures in a way that feels safe and lasting. Brennan works in a Person-Centred way, ensuring that it is the client who decides what to address and how they would like to proceed. He believes that the body is a good source of understanding and so his practice includes mindfulness practices when appropriate and desired.

Brennan is originally from America and has travelled extensively abroad for many years. He is aware of cultural differences and this knowledge and experience has further solidified his belief in coming to clients with an open, non-judgemental attitude.

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, both in private practice, and in the NHS.

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.

Carley Sime

Carley Sime understands that therapy is very personal work and endeavours to create a supportive, non-judgemental space where her clients are able to feel heard and their frame of reference understood. Within this space clients are able to process challenging or painful emotions and experiences. They are also able to unpack and better understand their feelings, relationships, thoughts and behaviours. Carley believes that her work with clients should always adapt to fit whatever thinking, processing or development they wish to undertake. As a result, Carley works integratively which allows her to draw on a range of resources and tailor how she works to her client’s individual needs. Working with genuineness, respect and compassion is at the heart of Carley’s approach and she is aware of how hard it can be to reach out for support when times are tough.

Carley has a background in psychology (BSc Psychology, MSc in Positive Psychology and Coaching Psychology) and has volunteered with organisations such as The Samaritans, Mencap and NHS mental health services. Carley is passionate about supporting the increasingly open dialogue around mental health and wellbeing. None of us are superheroes and we all struggle sometimes but unhelpful expectations and both internal and external pressures can often prevent us from taking a step back and consciously identifying what’s going on for us personally and in our relationships. Carley works in partnership with her clients to support the development of their self-awareness and self-perception before going on to introduce tools and techniques focused on identifying strengths and resources and developing more helpful coping mechanisms, expectations and ways of managing emotions.

Carley is currently studying for her PGDip in Integrative Counselling and coaching and is a student member of the BACP (British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy). She works within the NHS counselling service in Lambeth.

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.

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.

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.

Dalanya Morris

Dalanya Morris is a qualified Integrative Psychotherapist who is currently working towards accreditation and is a registered member of the BACP. As an Integrative therapist Dalanya draws upon a combination of approaches and tools which are client led, based upon the issues that the client chooses to present. She can work with short term intervention as well as open ended basis. She currently works short term with NHS patients at a GP Surgery in Lambeth.

Dalanya believes that the most important aspect of counselling is the relationship between client and herself. Because of this her focus is on the level of understanding, trust, empathy and a safe and accepting space for clients to be themselves. She works with clients helping them to identify their thoughts, feelings and behaviours and assisting them to facilitate changes needed to become the best version of themselves through empowerment and self - development. Dalanya combines approaches of Gestalt Therapy to look at the here and now, psychodynamic therapy to bring the unconscious into the conscious, as well as person centred therapy to ensure a genuine, empathic, understanding to provide the client with a non- judgmental acceptance. Dalanya believes in the Humanistic Therapy for the client’s self- development and growth.

With various experience and background working with young people, youth and adult offenders, a woman’s refuge for domestic violence and addiction Dalanya is very much aware of external factors that can impact our lives and mental well-being. Dalanya also specialises in Addiction, Depression, Self-Esteem and Anxiety.

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.

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.

Duane Yon

Duane Yon is a qualified Counsellor, Trainer and Clinical Supervisor. He is a psychosexual, integrative and inter-cultural therapist accredited and registered with the British Association of Counsellors and Psychotherapists. He works with individuals with issues including childhood trauma, sexual abuse, PTSD, life challenges and relationship difficulties, both long and short term. Duane provides a safe and confidential setting for clients to explore their concerns.

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

Elinor Ohayon

Elinor Ohayon is currently working towards a Master’s degree in Counselling and is a member of the BACP. She uses a psychodynamic approach to respond to the needs of her clients. Elinor works within within The Awareness Centre's NHS service in Wandsworth. She holds an undergraduate joint honours BSc in Psychology with Abuse studies. She is a graduate member of the British Psychology Society (BPS).

Elinor currently works with people who suffer from a range of different Mental health Illnesses. She aims to create a safe, empathetic and non-judgmental space where clients are encouraged to open up and explore their own thoughts and past experiences for a deeper understanding of themselves and the relationships that they form with others.  Her approach allows clients to talk freely about their problems, with the objective of the client being able to understand their own unconscious process. Elinor works to create a therapeutic environment that is honest and respectful; she works within the guidelines set out by the BACP ethical code of conduct. She is a firm believer that  the relationship between client and therapist is a key aspect in maintaining a good therapeutic working alliance.

Elinor has spent the last two and a half years working on a forensic psychiatric ward, supporting patients with complex mental health illnesses. She has a deep understanding of what it takes to help support the client to live a happier and healthier life. Elinor Hopes to provide a space where the client does not feel judged or stigmatised by their mental illness.

Elizabeth Feigin

Elizabeth Feigin provides a secure and sensitive space for clients to explore personal matters at their own pace. She believes therapy is not just about speaking things through, rather it is about working with the unique therapeutic space formed together. Elizabeth helps clients work through difficult and painful experiences, whilst helping them recognise and access their own core resources that will help them thrive. Elizabeth practices with an integrative approach, drawing on a range of modalities, depending on the client’s needs. For example, she might draw on CBT techniques or remain within a more person-centred approach. Most of Elizabeth’s therapeutic work is against an existential backdrop, whereby the focus will be brought back to the here and now, and what that means for the individual.

Elizabeth has a background in educating teens, with particular focus on philosophy, relationships and intimacy. She has also worked with employee engagement, communication and resilience in the corporate world. Elizabeth understands the difficulties of social interactions, external pressures and personal development. She has worked with a variety of ages, particularly young adults. Elizabeth has worked with ranging of cases of neglect and abuse, including physical, psychological, emotional, financial and sexual abuse. She has also worked with social anxiety, the development of a sense of self, confidence and self-esteem, as well as with issues surrounding sex and intimacy.

Elizabeth is registered with the UKCP, BACP and BPS and works with The Awareness Centre at HMP Brixton. She is currently working towards her Doctorate in Counselling Psychology and Psychotherapy.

Elli Kimpouropoulou

Elli Kimpouropoulou is a Trainee Counselling Psychologist working towards a Doctorate in Counselling Psychology. She is a member of the British Psychological Society and holds Graduate Basis for Chartered Membership as well as In training membership within the Division of Counselling Psychology. In addition, Elli holds masters in Educational and Developmental Psychology as well as Child and Adolescent Mental Health. As part of the Awareness Centre she supports clients on a short-term basis within the centre’s NHS service in Wandsworth as well as offering open-ended therapy within the Centre’s low-cost counselling service.

Elli strives to provide a safe, empathic and confidential space that will allow her clients to feel supported in exploring a range of concerns and difficulties they might be experiencing. Honouring the human need for genuine connection, she provides a sensitive and warm environment where, through working together, her clients can gain insight into their thoughts, feelings and behaviours, enabling them in making informed decisions about their life and their way forward. She describes her approach as integrative, drawing from various modalities including person-centred, psychodynamic, cognitive-behavioural and systemic depending on the individual needs of her clients.

Elli has experience in working with children, young people and adults with a plethora of presentations of various complexity in both Greece and the United Kingdom. These include residential, inpatient and day-patient services. She has a special interest in complex trauma, striving to support survivors towards empowerment and post-traumatic growth as well as an interest in supporting individuals that are experiencing suicidal thoughts and issues around self-harm, shame and guilt.

Emma Adjei

Emma Adjei is a qualified integrative counsellor and is registered with the BACP. She works with NHS patients at a GP surgery in Lambeth. Emma is currently working towards BACP accreditation.

Emma provides a warm and comfortable space where clients can be supported to explore their often difficult or painful thoughts and feelings. She works with her clients by supporting them to gain self-awareness, foster personal growth and develop helpful skills to cope with their difficulties, so that they feel empowered to make positive changes. Working integratively means that Emma incorporates a ‘person centred’ and ‘psychodynamic’ approach to counselling. She focuses on both the past and present of her clients’ experiences, exploring with them the ways in which their past may be influencing their current thinking and behaviour. Emma is also qualified as a Cognitive Behavioural Therapist and can offer CBT when it is requested by individuals.

With a background in working with children and young people and in adult mental health, Emma has an interest in promoting mental-wellbeing and has experience as a counsellor working with a range of emotional difficulties, such as, anxiety and depression, self-harm, low self-esteem, low self-confidence, stress, family/relationship difficulties, cultural differences, intimacy, loneliness and loss.

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.

Eva de Marchi-Taylor

Eva de Marchi-Taylor tailors her psychotherapeutic approach to each individual client, on what they bring into the therapy room and to their specific needs. She believes that creating an empathic, non-judgmental and confidential environment, where clients feel safe and supported, is essential to help them in exploring their inner selves. She supports clients in the process of identifying and processing thoughts, feelings and experiences that are difficult and painful, helping them to better understand themselves and their behavioural patterns, so they can move towards personal awareness, autonomy and growth.

With a background in corporate Communications and Public Relations, Eva understands how internal and external pressures can significantly impact individuals and during stressful times unresolved issues can become unbearable. She believes that it is during these stressful times that it is important to be open to receiving help. She has a particular interest and training in bereavement and trauma.

Eva’s integrative training draws from psychodynamic and humanistic approaches. It focuses on the therapeutic relationship and on how she can help clients to identify recurrent patterns in their behaviours so to help them to understand the underlying causes of their conflicts and fears. Eva is completing an MSc/PGdip in Therapeutic Counselling and is a member of BACP. She works with patients at a GP surgery in Lambeth within The Awareness Centre's NHS counselling service.

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 currently studying for a Diploma in Counselling at Lambeth College. She works within The Awareness Centre NHS counselling service at a GP surgery in Lambeth.

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.

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.

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 with NHS patients at a GP surgery in Lambeth.

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.

Jennifer Oh

Jennifer Oh offers a warm and empathetic space to help an individual explore difficult, and perhaps at times painful, thoughts and feelings. She works to the psychodynamic understanding that by converting the unconscious parts of our mind into the conscious one is able to create choice. Jennifer aims to offer new and alternative perspectives to embedded patterns of behaviour. She highly values the unique relationship forged between client and therapist and draws on this to locate and align herself with a client’s hope and potential.

Jennifer has had a varied working life, with a background encompassing fashion merchandising to working with a mental health charity and understands the journey an individual may take to tap into their unique qualities and capabilities. Having lived in multiple countries thereby exposing herself to new cultures, diverse perspectives and varied traditions she is able to connect with a wide-range of individual experience. Her work benefits from this multi-dimensional point of view assisting her to creatively and successfully work with experiences of anxiety, depression and life transitions (e.g., a relationship breakdown, redundancy, moving to a new place). Jennifer also has specialised clinical experience working with adolescents for a council-funded service and has cultivated a deep understanding of the developmental phase of young people transitioning though to adulthood.

Jennifer is a qualified psychotherapist registered with the BACP. She holds an MSc in Psychodynamic Counselling & Psychotherapy. She currently works with patients within The Awareness Centre's NHS counselling service at a GP surgery in Wandsworth, as well as in private practice.

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 Hobbs

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

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

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

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.

Josephine Bey

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

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

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

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.

Julia Usher

Julia's approach is guided by a client's individual needs that present in the therapy room, with an interest in stress and related issues, family and relationship difficulties, cross-cultural differences, shame; issues of identity, low self-esteem and narcissism (excessive self-interest). Having worked in design, events and tourism, Julia has spent 18 years living in Europe and the Middle East, acquiring a knowledge and understanding of diverse cultures.

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.

Lee White

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

Lee uses an integrative approach, combining Person-centred, Existential and Psychodynamic theory to create a safe, non-judgmental, therapeutic environment which allows the client to work through and explore issues, whilst feeling supported and held. He believes in working in a relational way and in the healing power of the relationship, which can allow the client to work through past trauma as well as staying in the hear-and-now, allowing the client to work towards growth and therapeutic change.

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

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.

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.

Lorna Francis

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

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

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

Louise McDowell

Louise McDowell is a final year Diploma in Therapeutic Counselling student and is a member of the BACP (British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapists). She offers short term, face-to-face counselling to individuals at The Awareness Centre as part of the NHS Wandsworth service. She practices an integrative model of therapy drawing on a number of different theories, ensuring the right approach for every unique person.

Louise offers a warm, approachable and authentic therapeutic space that is non-judgmental and supportive, enabling her clients to feel empowered to grow and make the changes necessary for greater life fulfilment. Her philosophy is a holistic approach using the gift of weekly therapy to look at lifestyle and historic patterns of behaviour that may be affecting everyday life. She believes that everyone has the right to feel like a whole person and she draws on her own experiences from the corporate world in marketing and as a parent and a wife.

Louise is particularly aware of the challenges of modern day parenting and can offer therapy for emotional, personal or relationship problems including; confidence and esteem issues, work related stress, depression and compulsive addictive patterns of behaviour.

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.

Louise Veitch

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

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

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

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

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.

Lucy Roberts

Lucy Roberts is an integrative counselling psychologist, drawing especially on existential and positive psychology approaches. She is a member of the UKCP and works short term with NHS patients at a GP surgery in Paxton Green. Lucy is currently in her third year of a doctorate in counselling psychology. She has experience working with addiction, depression, anxiety and with adolescents.

Lucy provides a non-judgemental, empathic space where clients can feel supported to reveal and explore their issues and identity. Lucy works integratively. She may use existential ideas to help clients explore identity and meaning, psychoanalytic approaches to explore the impact of the past on the present, or C.B.T. approaches to help identify patterns in their thoughts and behaviours. She also has extensive experience working with relational issues and addiction.  Whilst she helps clients process difficult or painful thoughts and feelings, Lucy also draws on positive psychology approaches to focus on their strengths, potential and inner resources. Here she combines a range of CBT and goal setting approaches, combined with mindfulness exercises. She believes everyone has the potential for a deeply fulfilling life in which they flourish. Her approach is tailored to the individual client.

Having spent 5 years working in positive psychology, Lucy is Interested in the practices and thinking that lead to wellbeing and how flourishing can be contagious within networks of people. Here and in her work in addiction, she has learnt the importance of sustainable positive connections to: others, community, culture, goals, purpose, belonging, and meaning, from a place of: honesty, acceptance, openness and trust. She specialises in depression, anxiety, relationships, anger, and addiction. With a background as an artist and designer, Lucy has a creative approach to counselling.

Magdalena Adamczyk

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

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

Majella Victor

Majella Victor understands and values the importance of the therapeutic relationship in enabling clients to empower themselves and realise their potential to achieve change. Majella offers empathy and acceptance of her clients’ experiences and works collaboratively with them to help them integrate different parts of themselves that have been affected by pain, trauma and loss. She uses strategies and techniques from a number of therapeutic modalities including: Transactional Analysis, Psychodynamic, Person Centred, Gestalt, CBT and solution focused therapy. Majella adapts techniques and integrates these different approaches into her practice, this enables therapy to be individualised and tailored specifically for the individual needs of her clients.

With a background in education, consulting and training, Majella has extensive experience working with different client groups, giving her insight into how the stress and anxiety caused by our external circumstances can trigger unhealthy coping mechanisms, negative thoughts and behaviour patterns which can lead us to re-enact past situations in the present. Majella works collaboratively with her clients to identify and target these patterns and help them find ways to work through these feelings using solution based strategies, allowing clients to initiate positive changes in their lives which resonate with their values.

Majella is an integrative therapist and is completing her Masters in integrative counselling. She specialises in trauma, depression, stress, family and relationship issues and has a special interest in addiction. Majella works with NHS clients within The Awareness Centre's NHS Lambeth counselling service.

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 Galani

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

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

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

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.

Martin Connell

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

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

For two years Martin was a trustee of the National Association for People Abused in Childhood (NAPAC) and through his work with NAPAC has developed a particular interest in working with clients who suffered sexual, emotional or physical abuse in childhood and how it impacts them in later life.

Martin was born in Dublin but has lived and worked in London for more than 30 years. He originally trained as an accountant and worked in the Financial Services industry for nearly 30 years before retraining as a counsellor. He has also been an active football referee for over 20 years.

Melanie Baldeo

Melanie Baldeo is an integrative counsellor working towards BSc Honours degree in Counselling and a member of the BACP. Melanie has trained in an integrative model, working with clients to focus on their needs and the best way to facilitate them. With experience of working the young adults and children in a primary school setting, she also works with adults short-term with The Awareness Centre's NHS counselling service at a surgery in Wandsworth.

Melanie offers a warm, safe environment for clients to explore difficulties and challenges people can face with daily life and relationships. Through using empathy and drawing upon a range of therapeutic approaches and techniques to assist the individual client’s needs and working with them at their own pace, exploring the emotions and behaviours, helping the client to work on using their strengths and abilities. And look at what discomforts and challenges that are hard to face.

Prior to training as a counsellor, Melanie has experience of working in social housing for over 10 years. Working with single parent families, young people, people with disabilities and vulnerable people that experienced issues such as emotional distress, working through financial difficulties and providing them with services to help. I assisted them with housing needs and provided support in various areas including anti-social behaviour. What became clear to me was so many people need support and someone to talk to when life can seem extremely tough at times, and I wanted to help where I can and provide that support when people feel lost and isolated.

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.

Nadia Abdul Bari

Nadia Abdul Bari is a warm, attentive and empathic therapist who provides an open space for her clients to explore the problems and issues they are facing. Nadia helps her clients to identify problematic patterns which may occur in their lives and explores how these patterns may be a cause of a client’s current dilemmas. Nadia works using an integrative approach where she draws upon several therapeutic modalities in order to give her client the best help that they may need. Nadia uses humanistic approaches such as Person Centred and Existentialism to really understand and accept her clients regardless of what issues they may bring to therapy. Nadia also works using a Psychodynamic approach where the following concepts may be explored; defence mechanisms, attachments, early relationships, transference and countertransference. Nadia adapts her approach to her individual clients and their problems.

Nadia’s background in the NHS and working for several mental health services provides her with a vast amount of experience with people who have problematic mental health problems. Nadia is especially interested in working with people with depression and anxiety. Nadia has a keen interest in working with anger and people who have difficulty in relationships.

Nadia has completed her BSc in Counselling and is due to qualify as a Counsellor. She is currently working towards accreditation with the BACP. Nadia works in Brixton Prison as part of The Awareness Centre and also works for MIND (NHS) in Newham. Nadia also has experience in working with children and young people.

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.

Oliver Pool

Oliver Pool works from a person centred approach, offering an empathic nurturing relationship so that clients are supported to achieve their goals, whether it would be personal development and self-actualisation or to overcome distressing/traumatic events, thoughts or feelings. Oliver utilises the client’s innate strengths and abilities within the therapy process to achieve a healthy and positive sense of self. He actively listens to clients to deeply understand their world and lived experience, in order to help with many issues such as depression and anxiety. As a person-centred practitioner he values client’s internal natural tendency for growth and development. Therefore, Oliver espouses a client-led approach to therapy. Oliver believes in empowering the client within the therapeutic process to facilitate positive health and well-being.

Also, Oliver works in health and social care sector assisting young adults with physical impairments to employ their own care team to enable independent living to study at university. Having a diagnosis of spinal muscular atrophy type II has enabled Oliver to empathise on deep levels with clients from marginalised groups within society, particularly physical impairments. His research interests aim to contribute to fresh ways of transforming society to be more inclusive, equal and accessible for physically impaired individuals. Oliver has worked previously as a therapist within the NHS primary and secondary services in Manchester, working with depression, anxiety, relationships, bereavement and many other difficulties. Combining personal, research and professional experience of physical impairment, Oliver specialises in working with disability.

Oliver Pool is a qualified integrative counselling psychotherapist licensed with the BACP. Originally trained in person centred, CBT and psychodynamic approaches to therapy, presently Oliver draws from a wide range of person centred and existential skills. Currently he is working towards a BPS accredited doctorate in counselling psychology and works with patients within The Awareness Centre’s NHS counselling service in Tooting.

Owen Morgan

Paul McManus

Philippa Drew

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

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

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.

Riana Lewis

Riana Lewis offers a confidential, supportive and accepting space where clients can feel free to share their experiences, feelings and be heard for who they are. She seeks to engage with clients within a co-created and supportive therapeutic relationship, facilitating the client’s self-exploration, increased self-awareness and a deeper connection to their resources and true self. Her approach holds you, the client, at the centre of the work. She believes only you truly know what goes on for you and where you want to be. She believes it is the client that holds the key to their personal growth.

With a background in sales, customer care and administration, Riana has experience in workplace, stress and conflict resolution. She understands the pressures people can face so aims to create a safe space to listen and facilitate the client through their growth. Riana appreciates that entering into a counselling relationship can bring up difficult and painful feelings, however she believes ‘the relationship is the therapy’, and that this can be a life changing and enhancing process.

Riana is a Person-Centred Practitioner working in private practice at The Awareness Centre in Clapham and Tooting and for The Awareness Centre's NHS counselling service in Lambeth. Her qualification is a Higher Professional Diploma in Person-Centred Counselling & Psychotherapy. She is also a registered member of the BACP. Her other qualifications include CPD certificates in Combined L2 & L4 Certified in Substance Misuse, Anger Releasing, Understanding Suicide and Suicide Prevention, Women Survivors of Domestic Abuse and Child Safeguarding.

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.

Ruth Richardson

Ruth Richardson offers her clients a confidential, empathic and accepting space, in which she hopes clients will feel safe enough to examine any issues that are causing them discomfort. She understands that taking the step to see a counsellor may feel daunting. Ruth will offer her clients an opportunity to feel seen and heard for who they truly are. Through her collaborative work with her clients Ruth believes they will gain a deeper self-awareness and strengthen their own sense of self. She believes that this can lead to finding new perspectives, allowing clients to overcome problems and to find a more authentic way of living.

With a background in international Human Resources, Ruth has an interest and experience in workplace issues and conflict resolution. As an immigrant and having lived and worked in different countries, Ruth brings an awareness of cultural diversity to her work, as well as an awareness of the different issues and feelings, such as feelings of isolation and loss of identity, which may occur after having uprooted to a new environment. Ruth also has an interest in working with gender identity issues. A fluent German speaker, Ruth is comfortable working with clients in both English and German.

Ruth is a person-centred counsellor and is a member of the BACP. She works within The Awareness Centre’s NHS service in Lambeth. Ruth is currently working towards a BA (Hons) degree in Person-Centred Counselling.

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.

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 Walkden

Sarah Walkden believes that everyone has the potential to live their best lives but in order to do so they need to be able to have a safe space to work through their worries, everyone has had trauma of differing degrees and it is her aim to help people to deal with this trauma. Working with the psychodynamic approach she aims to help her clients achieve insight and understanding around the reasons for their troubles and to be able to find a way to cope with current and future difficulties, her belief is that no behaviour is without cause, childhood experiences greatly affect emotions and behaviour as adults.

Sarah believes in valuing people and treating them with dignity and respect, she achieves this by offering a safe, non-judgemental and confidential space for people to feel open and willing to share their deepest emotions. Sarah also uses a person-centred approach in her counselling which has an emphasis on empathic understanding, in sessions listening to her clients, thinking together, coaching and sharing ideas and putting ideas into practice, she hopes to help her clients reach their full potential and improve their self-image. She knows that sometimes people just need someone to listen to them and in this listening, clients can make sense of their own inner world. She has experience in addiction, family and relationship issues, depression and pregnancy and childbirth.

Sarah has been working as a hairdresser for a number of years so knows the importance of building up trusting relationships and knows the significance of having someone to stop and listen to you in a non-bias, non-judgemental way. Sarah’s experience with listening to her clients is what led her to counselling.

Sarah is working towards an advance diploma in therapeutic counselling and is registered with the BACP. She is an integrative counsellor and works for The Awareness Centre’s NHS Counselling Service at a GP surgery in Wandsworth.

Shereen Flam

Shereen Alexander is working towards a Diploma in Transpersonal Integrative Counselling and Psychotherapy and is registered with the UKCP. As a transpersonal integrative therapist, she applies a spiritual aspect to different models of psychotherapy in order to create a bespoke practice best suiting the needs of the client. Her method can be best described as ‘meeting the client where they are.’

Shereen focuses on providing her clients with a safe and empathetic space in which work can be done to guide a person to his/her highest potential.  The therapy focuses on self-development and awareness in order to unblock the barriers to living a more satisfying and complete life. Shereen understands the process can be challenging and may bring about difficult or distressing thoughts and feelings. Her work thus focuses on supporting clients to identify how their patterns of thought and behaviour are helping or hindering their lives. Using an integrative approach, she may make use of Gestalt to support a client working with anger and relationship issues, CBT to identify and manage depressive or anxious thoughts, or guided visualisations that bring awareness to patterns of thought and behaviour.  She is also experienced in working with dreams. Her approach is personalised to what the client needs.

Her prior experiences as a teacher and behaviour specialist have allowed Shereen to work with many different people from various cultures and backgrounds, whilst also giving her a deep understanding of the myriad difficulties a person may be facing in his/her life that make change seem impossible. Shereen specialises in working with anger, anxiety, stress, depression, bullying and trauma.

Shonali Ray

Shonali Ray provides an empathic and non-judgemental space where clients are able to express themselves openly and feel listened to. While counselling helps clients through difficult and painful challenges and anxieties, she believes that our attachment styles often shape the way we respond to these. Shonali believes that exploring the attachment styles of her clients can help the client gain a better understanding of who they are and how they feel. She works with them to identify how past patterns may be affecting their present life in order to work on ways of having healthy relationships, not just with other people but most importantly themselves. Shonali’s approach is tailored to the needs of her client. She may use Humanistic therapy to help the client develop a stronger sense of self, Psychodynamic therapy to help clients understand their unconscious and mindfulness to help relieve anxiety and destructive thoughts.

With a background as a care worker and various volunteer work with organisations connected to mental health, Shonali has always been passionate about helping those less able or judged due to stigmas created. Working with people that are physically incapable or struggling with mental health has allowed Shonali to have a broader mind and gain a wide range of experience. Shonali has worked with adults, young adults and children in a counselling capacity, exploring issues such as bullying, anxiety, eating disorders, personality disorders, anger management and self-harm.

Shonali is an attachment-based counsellor, working towards accreditation with the BACP. She has a degree in Psychology and Counselling and a diploma in Attachment-based therapy. She works with The Awareness Centre seeing NHS clients at a GP Surgery in Lambeth.

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.

Stella Kyrimi

Steve Langstaff

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

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

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.

Tanya Perrin

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.

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.

Varsha Punjabi

Varsha Punjabi is a trainee psychologist, working towards a professional doctorate in Counselling Psychology. Varsha is a member of the BPS, and has obtained Graduate Basis for Chartership with the BPS.  As a Counselling Psychologist, she draws on the approaches that best suit the issues that clients bring into the therapy room. She works with NHS patients at a GP surgery in Putney.

Varsha aims to provide a safe and comfortable atmosphere for clients, and to offer a service in which they feel accepted, mutually understood, and important as individuals. Her personal philosophy of therapy considers the importance of congruence, unconditional positive regard and empathy for clients; a non-judgemental environment is essential. Varsha works with clients to identify and draw on their inner resources to live a fuller, more satisfying life. As a trainee counselling psychologist, Varsha may use CBT to help clients identify patterns in their thoughts and behaviours, psychodynamic therapy to help guide clients to discover their own unconscious processes that may lead them to feel or act in certain ways in their daily lives, and humanistic therapy helping clients through the process of self-awareness. Her approach is tailored to the individual client.

Varsha has worked for several years as service manager of several adult mental health residential care homes and supported living services in London. Varsha has also had experience in supervising a staff team in group and individual settings. She understands the internal and external pressures people can put on themselves, which can lead to unhelpful or damaging coping strategies. She works to identify healthier ways of managing emotions and stress. Varsha is also interested in the practice of yoga, including yogic breathing techniques, and is a certified yoga instructor.

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 Bachelors in Psychology and a Masters in Industrial Psychology. She currently works short-term with NHS patients at a GP surgery in Lambeth.

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. Working integratively Venaifa draws on Person Centred Therapy, Gestalt Therapy, Cognitive behaviour therapy and Rational Emotive Behaviour Therapy. Taking on a person centred approach and understanding that the client has with in him or herself vast resources for self-growth and development, she tries to tap on these resources by providing an appropriate therapeutic climate .She is  non-judgemental, warm, empathetic, genuine, understanding and accepting toward clients, giving emphasis to the quality of relationship between the client and counsellor. She helps clients get in touch with their automatic thinking patterns and reframe any thoughts or behaviours to function more effectively in life. She uses Gestalt to assist individuals become aware of how they think, feel and act in the present moment, providing insight into ways in which they can alleviate their current issues and distress in order to aspire to their maximum potential.

Venaifa has the experience of working in the industrial sector 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. 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. She is able to understand each individual’s unique requirement so that they can be assisted to reach to their highest potential and live a more meaningful life

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.

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.

Viktoria Szabo

Viktoria Szabo is an integrative psychologist, working with person-centred, CBT and psychodynamic modalities. She is currently working towards her registration with the BACP.  She is trained to a postgraduate level as a Health Psychologist and has experience working in Psychiatry and Neurological Departments of hospitals alongside working in her private practice. She is a member of the BPS and offers therapy at the Paxton Green Clinic for NHS patients. She is a motivated practitioner who considers her profession a vocation.

Viktoria provides a space where clients can feel safe to open up and feel valued for who they are. She creates an environment where one can freely explore themselves, connect with their feelings, and realise their potentials. She tailors the therapies to the client’s needs, presenting issue, and personality. She accepts that the client is the person who knows their needs the best, and the therapist is there to support her to explore them and accompanies them on this journey, which means In this way her approach is essentially person-centred. On the other hand she realises that certain clients can benefit more from a CBT approach, to explore how their thoughts can trigger feelings and behaviours and learn to change their dysfunctional patterns. Other clients might feel the need to explore and make peace with their past in order to open up the doors to their future and would benefit more from a psychodynamic approach. Viktoria believes everyone is capable of growth if they are in an environment where they can freely be who they are. She believes real self-esteem originates from self-exploration, which is getting to know and accepting ourselves.

Having worked in hospitals with patients living with chronic illnesses, Viktoria understands what it means to grieve the loss of health and abilities, get used to a new state of being, and grow from your experience, She has been working in her own practice for the past six years where she has gained experience with a variety of issues, including anxiety, self-confidence, chronic illnesses, depression, bereavement, relationships, abuse with an interest in addictions and personality disorders.

Wendy Collidge

Wendy Collidge approaches clients as unique individuals and works through an integrative approach to match client needs. She takes a support stance to allow clients a safe space to explore their thoughts, no matter how painful, to help move towards a fulfilling and positive life. An integrative approach allows Wendy to draw on a broad range of tools and techniques that clients may find useful to unravel the meaning behind their behaviours and thoughts, to build up resilience and shift away from negative thought patterns. Wendy will progress in a gentle manner with clients, moving at their pace.

With decades working in competitive office environments and leadership roles in banking, technology and public sector, Wendy has experience with stress, anxiety; the depression both can lead to, and the workplace conflicts that can arise. She works on building confidence to understand how to manage difficult circumstances and healthy strategies to cope. Wendy also has experience in bereavement, and serious physical health issues and the unexpected thoughts and behaviours both can lead to. She will work alongside clients to bring about a self-awareness and enable learning the skills to enjoy life.

Registered with BPS and BACP, Wendy works within The Awareness Centre’s NHS counselling service within the borough of Wandsworth. She is working towards her Doctorate in integrative psychology and psychotherapy.

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.

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.

Zinn Momoh

Melanie Baldeo is an integrative counsellor working towards BSc Honours degree in Counselling and a member of the BACP. Melanie has trained in an integrative model, working with clients to focus on their needs and the best way to facilitate them. With experience of working the young adults and children in a primary school setting, she also works with adults short-term with The Awareness Centre's NHS counselling service at a surgery in Wandsworth.

Melanie offers a warm, safe environment for clients to explore difficulties and challenges people can face with daily life and relationships. Through using empathy and drawing upon a range of therapeutic approaches and techniques to assist the individual client’s needs and working with them at their own pace, exploring the emotions and behaviours, helping the client to work on using their strengths and abilities. And look at what discomforts and challenges that are hard to face.

Prior to training as a counsellor, Melanie has experience of working in social housing for over 10 years. Working with single parent families, young people, people with disabilities and vulnerable people that experienced issues such as emotional distress, working through financial difficulties and providing them with services to help. I assisted them with housing needs and provided support in various areas including anti-social behaviour. What became clear to me was so many people need support and someone to talk to when life can seem extremely tough at times, and I wanted to help where I can and provide that support when people feel lost and isolated.