Existential Counselling & Psychotherapy for individuals and couples
Blackheath & Virtual
Hello, I am a BACP Accredited Psychotherapist and Counsellor, working full time in private practice and qualified since 2008. I offer counselling sessions from Blackheath, Southeast London (SE3), and online, offering long term, short term and Single Session Therapy interventions. I work with individuals and couples.
My specialisms are in ADHD and narcissistic abuse. I also have extensive experience working with binge eating, anxiety, depression, relationship problems, and life transitions.
My interests in couples therapy include neurodiversity, communication, infidelity, and navigating life transitions together.
My practice is inclusive and affirming of all genders, sexual orientations, cultures, ethnicities, and backgrounds.
If you're interested in learning more about my approach please feel free to reach out, and we can arrange an informal conversation.
Approach
My approach is Existential and Humanistic, grounded in your lived experience and how you make meaning in your world.
We’ll start by identifying ‘obstructive meanings’—unhelpful connections formed in the past that still shape your present. We’ll work and experiment on changing how you understand your past and tell your story, so it supports who you are now and where you want to go.
I take an active role in sessions, asking questions and offering gentle challenge to help you see things from new perspectives. I believe meaningful change requires honest exploration, held within a respectful and caring relationship. Compassion and curiosity guide my work, both in how I relate to you and in helping you relate to yourself. By looking at your inner dialogue and where negative self-talk began, we can develop a more supportive and compassionate inner voice.
When suitable, I incorporate bodywork and inner child work to facilitate trauma healing and access deeper layers of experience that talking alone might not reach.
Although my specialisms are in ADHD, narcissistic abuse and couples therapy, the existential psychotherapy is a fluid approach that can be applied to a wide range of issues including depression, anxiety, bereavement, life transitions, and questions of identity
My Approach page explains my therapeutic approach in greater depth. There you'll discover how existential therapy addresses different life challenges and what our work together might look like in practice.
Specialisms
ADHD
I have a keen interest in working with clients with ADHD, and my approach isn't just about going through diagnostic criteria. Instead, I aim to help you understand your unique experience and how it shapes your life story.
Given the wide spectrum of ADHD and its varied impact on individuals, I will help you understand your own experience and embodiment of ADHD symptoms, as well as the impact of growing up with (often undiagnosed) ADHD.
Together, we will explore personalised strategies to address ADHD symptoms in a way that fits your unique experience. If required, I can also guide you through the assessment process.
I also work with couples where one or both partners have ADHD, helping them understand how neurodivergence influences communication, connection, conflict, and intimacy. My approach aims to increase mutual understanding and support, while helping couples develop practical tools for navigating challenges together.
In addition, I offer a 12-session ADHD Awareness & Strategies Programme, focusing specifically on deepening self-understanding and developing personalised strategies for everyday life — from executive functioning and time management to emotional regulation and self-acceptance. You can read more details about the programme here.
Narcissistic Abuse
Narcissistic abuse can occur in various relationships, including those with partners, parents, siblings, or friends. It can also be found in different settings such as institutional (e.g., medical) or spiritual (e.g. cultic systems) contexts, and even in the workplace. This type of abuse is deeply traumatising and confusing, often eroding a person’s sense of identity and reality.
Psychotherapy offers a safe, compassionate, and non-judgmental space where we will focus on validating and making sense of your experiences. We will work on psychoeducation to help you comprehend what happened, which is essential for rebuilding your sense of reality and processing your trauma. Additionally, we will work towards empowering you to take control of your life after the abuse. Empowerment is crucial for breaking free from the abuser’s control and reclaiming your autonomy.
Find more details about how existential psychotherapy can assist in healing from narcissistic abuse on my blog here, as well as how it impacts on and shapes family dynamics and relationships [here].
Binge Eating
I have extensive experience supporting individuals dealing with disordered eating, particularly binge eating. My approach treats binge eating as a symptom of emotional difficulties rather than the root cause. We will start by addressing the underlying issues that lead to binge eating. Once we have a good grasp of this, we will work towards addressing the binge eating itself and finding strategies to manage it.
Working existentially with binge eating means that I will focus on your unique experience with food and try to understand what functions this has had in your life. That means taking into account any cultural, familial and personal meanings around food and unravel their layers. Often disordered eating feels like something that is happening to us, an external force that leaves us completely disempowered. By gaining insights into its functions and origins, we can reclaim ownership and empower ourselves to reshape our relationship with food.
Other Issues
Existential analysis addresses a variety of psychological and emotional challenges by focusing on the core aspects of human existence, such as meaning, freedom, responsibility, and authenticity. If you're experiencing anxiety and stress, existential analysis delves into the root causes, including existential anxiety about life's uncertainties and inevitable mortality. By helping you understand and confront these deep-seated fears, existential analysis fosters greater resilience and a sense of empowerment.
The Existential approach can be highly effective if you're dealing with depression, as it encourages you to explore your values and find personal meaning, which can alleviate feelings of hopelessness and despair.
Additionally, existential analysis is particularly beneficial for navigating significant life transitions, and relationship issues. Whether you're facing career changes, retirement, or the loss of a loved one, this therapeutic approach provides a supportive space for you to process your experiences and adapt to new circumstances. It helps you rebuild your sense of identity and purpose during times of change, fostering emotional resilience.
Qualifications
MA in Psychosocial Studies - University of East London
PgDip in Counselling - University of West London
Foundation in Psychotherapy and Counselling - NSPC
BSc Psychology - Middlesex University
Selection of CPD
Narcissistic Abuse Conference - Birmingham - October 2024
Working with the Fallout of Narcissistic Abuse with Ramani Durvasula - PESI
Single Session Therapy (Level 2) - The Association for Psychological Therapies
ADHD Clinical Services Provider (ADHD-CCSP) Certification Course - PESI
Working with clients who experience an eating disorder – The Metanoia Institute
Working with narcissistic behaviour – Trauma training - UK
Neurodiversity and Eating Presentations – NEDDE
Traumatic bereavement; working therapeutically with young people - Anna Freud Centre and the Trauma Council
Fundamentals of Gestalt Therapy Theory - The Gestalt Centre
Certificate in Bereavement Counselling - Cruse Bereavement Care
