Talking therapy in Hackney and Islington

It is very important to me that I create a space and work in a way which is inclusive for people of all races, genders, sexualities. classes, and bodies. I am deeply conscious of my privileged position as a white, cis-gendered woman, and am committed to learning about and remaining open to the experiences of others, and to remaining mindful of my own positionality (including its inherent limitations) as we work.

There are many similarities: both are based on the idea that talking about our lives and our difficulties with another person can lead to insight and change. Either can be beneficial. Counselling tends to be shorter-term and is often focussed on a single issue. Psychotherapy is usually open-ended in terms of time, seeks to understand deeper patterns and encourages the processing of experience. Psychotherapy training tends to be longer than that for counsellors.

I work primarily in person, but I do offer some sessions online.

Working on-line is different from working face-to-face. Some people feel safer and more able to express themselves in this setting. Others find that the screen creates an unhelpful barrier between them and their therapist.

Let me know if you would like to discuss this as a possibility.

Yes! Therapy is all about the relationship between us, and so it is important that you are confident that I am the right therapist for you. I offer a free 20 minute introductory call in which we can begin to discuss what is bringing you to therapy. I can also let you know a bit more about my approach, and you can ask any questions that you have. You can then decide if you would like to go ahead: there is no obligation to do so.

I offer open-ended therapy. If you are wanting to explore a specific concern or issue, it might last for just a few sessions. Or we may work together for months or years. If you want to go ahead after our introductory session, I suggest that we begin with a commitment to four or six sessions, and then review how the work is going at that point.

Each session lasts for fifty minutes.

My usual rate is £75.00 per session. I hold some spaces for lower-cost therapy, for those on low income or otherwise in financial hardship. Those spaces are currently filled, but if you are interested in working with me and cannot afford the full rate, do get in touch and we can discuss whether you would like to join my waiting list.

I usually begin with an intention to meet weekly. However, if that doesn’t feel possible or right for you, let’s discuss what other options might be available.

I practice in two North London locations: Hackney Therapy at 342 Kingsland Road, E8 4DA and HOMA Therapy Practice, 26 Lloyd Baker Street, Islington, WC1X 9AW.

Please provide at least 48 hours notice if you need to cancel our session. I will usually charge the full fee for cancellation with less notice.

Our work together will be entirely confidential. The only situation in which I may break confidentiality is in the unlikely event that you provide information which suggests that you may be a danger to others. Where possible, I would always discuss that with you in advance.

If it is self-indulgent to want to know your own self better, then yes, therapy is wonderfully, fabulously self-indulgent! And yet, in the words of Dar Williams, ‘Oh how I loved everybody else, when I finally got to talk so much about myself’’. It is my belief that having therapy is a gift to those around you, as well as to yourself!