Clinical Psychologist, London

People think about seeing a psychologist for a variety of reasons.  Some people are simply curious and want to understand themselves better.  They would like the opportunity to speak to a qualified and experienced professional in order to do this. 

Other people may feel they are not getting the most out of their lives.  They might have a sense that something inside is holding them back or preventing them from being truly open to the choices and opportunities that life might have to offer.

In other cases, a person might be in a phase where they feel anxious, confused and frustrated with their lives. These might be times of personal pain, when a person feels stuck and trapped by usual ways dealing with difficulties that are no longer working.  Often the person has come to notice that they have been repeating patterns (for example at work, in their family life or with friends) that are not helping them. 

Frequently these repeated patterns have their roots in our personal histories, where certain experiences in our lives have trapped us in particular ways of seeing and reacting to situations, for example at work or in relationships.

In many ways the painful feeling of being stuck, or unhappy, can be an opportunity, where the person is trying to break free from their shackles. What they may need from a psychologist, when considering therapy, is help to think about new ways of tackling these familiar problems. This work might involve looking back to early life experiences, in order to get a deeper understanding and see things afresh. 

Equally, some people work better when the therapeutic work focuses more on the here and now, understanding what maintains unhelpful patterns in their current daily lives.  This will involve problem-solving around finding practical strategies that they can put into practice.

My training and experience help me be able to listen with an open mind and work towards understanding a person in a way that is unique to them and their particular situation.  This then helps us work towards tackling their issues at their pace and to suit their current needs.

The areas of psychological and emotional difficulty I find myself most commonly consulted on are: 

• Anxiety
• Depression
• Self-esteem
• Relationship problems
• Existential difficulties

I am available for appointments on Fridays and Saturdays.