"Change the way you look at things, and the things you look at change."
Counselling and psychotherapy for adult individuals, in a safe comfortable and private setting
I am a registered, accredited, and passionate psychotherapist integrating humanistic and psychoanalytic approaches. I offer short term counselling, and long-term psychotherapy, to adult individuals from my therapy room based in Kingston upon Thames, South-West London, or online via Zoom.
Throughout our lives we are in relationships with others. Starting with our primary caregivers, peers in our formative years, and later as adults. I believe these relationships set the template for our patterns of relating to others, and ourselves.
For some of us, our relationships were safe and secure. For others, they may have been difficult, painful, or perhaps did not meet our needs sufficiently. These experiences can impact us at a deeper level effecting most importantly how we feel about ourselves, others, and the world.
This can lead us to feeling stuck, anxious, self-loathing or critical, depressed, isolated, scared or angry. Blame is not necessary but understanding what happened to us is, as making sense of our story can help us to move forwards with self-compassion, heightened self-esteem, and with the power of insight and informed choice.
Relationships are fluid and change as we move through life. You may have suffered the loss of a relationship or a loved one via ending or bereavement. You may have experienced abuse in a relationship past, or present. Perhaps you are in relationships with others that leave you feeling confused, powerless, and out of control. Or it may be that you have questions around your identity and the relationship you have with yourself.
Many people find relief and gain clarity when exploring these challenges with a professional. Seeking therapy is a courageous step. I hope that the therapeutic relationship we will co-create, will empower you and help you to find clarity.
How Counselling & Psychotherapy Can Help
The aim of counselling and psychotherapy is to gain deeper self-awareness. The therapeutic relationship is unique and offers a confidential space that is for you to explore and express your genuine thoughts and feelings. I believe that my role as a psychotherapist, is to listen and hold a mental account of the whole of the content you bring. You will be supported to stand back from your story, and to reflect on your life and experiences openly and honestly. This can be challenging yet can aid you in discovering new possibilities and more rewarding ways of living.
People come to counselling and psychotherapy for many reasons. Perhaps you notice unexplainable emotions, unhelpful relationship patterns, or addictive behaviours which you would like to change. Maybe something has happened to you that you would like to make sense of or come to terms with. Or it may be that you struggle with low self-esteem or find it hard to say no. Psychotherapy is about understanding yourself and how you construct the world which surrounds you, empowering you to live a life that is meaningful for you on your terms.
What do People Come to Talk About?
People come to me for help with a wide range of issues. Here are a few of the more common difficulties that can be supported through therapy:
Relationship difficulties
Sadness, depression, emptiness, low self-esteem, shame
Anxiety, stress, panic, fear
Obsessive or addictive behaviour
Eating disorders
Family issues
Identity, purpose, loneliness and isolation
Anger, guilt, mood swings
Bereavement or other loss
Lack of confidence
Death and dying
Sexuality or sexual activity
Career and work-related issues
Life balance, feeling overwhelmed
Self-harm or suicidal thoughts
Feeling stuck and uncertain
Divorce and separation
Domestic abuse
Trauma
Childhood issues
Anxiety, depression
Infertility, miscarriage
Cultural issues
Spirituality
Existential angst
My Approach
My approach to counselling is integrative, which means I draw from the valuable theoretical contributions of person centred, gestalt, existential, and psychoanalytic psychotherapeutic perspectives, allowing me to tailor my approach to suit your preference and individual needs.
I work relationally, meaning I will bring my own subjective experience and when appropriate share my feelings, thoughts, and opinions. I use the therapeutic relationship as a strong foundation for our work, and as an indication of how you relate to yourself, others, and in turn how they respond to you.
Together we can explore how you manage difficult feelings and why this may be. Your core beliefs and defence behaviours so you can decide what is helpful, or alternatively what is no longer needed. Past events and relationships and how they have impacted you and may be unconsciously effecting you presently.
Taking into context your personal, social, and cultural environment, we can consider labels which may have been placed upon you and subsequently how this impacts you. I may share my observations with you which can be explored, shedding light on how an others subjectivity/mind impacts you.
It is up to you, with my support, to reach your own conclusions and decisions. This lays down important ground for you to be able to move on from therapy and in many ways, become your own therapist.
What creates effectiveness in counselling, and is supported by academic research, is the relationship between client and therapist. Therefore, it is important that you feel comfortable and relaxed, so that you can express all versions of yourself. Then together, we can share curiosity around what it is like to be you, and how life looks from your perspective.
About Me
I am originally from South-West London. In my previous career I worked with individuals from varied cultural, racial, and social class backgrounds, in which I spent long periods of time developing close interpersonal relationships.
I find both people and the mind fascinating, and found I could empathise with others. It was this passion for people which ignited the spark to train as a psychotherapist.
In addition to this, I myself have experienced personal difficulties and adverse life experiences like a lot of us. This led to a yearning for knowledge, and a desire to know myself on a deeper level so that I could improve my life.
This journey has allowed me to understand myself and others, so that I can now walk alongside them. Exploring at depth, the different layers and versions of myself, has given me the courage to now hold others safely whilst they do the same.
I offer my clients a warm, respectful, and compassionate therapeutic relationship, in which we move at your pace, and hopefully in time develop trust. It is also my hope, that the therapeutic space we create, will allow you to truly express yourself without feeling judged. You can expect me to wholeheartedly support you and empower you throughout your journey.
I see it as a privilege to help my clients on their journey’s back to themselves where they can feel positive about the future, finding within themselves peace, safety, and renewed strength. The mind and body can be used as a powerful tool, allowing us the opportunity to heal - I believe that this could be the case for you too.
Qualifications
I have completed a Foundation (FdSc) and a BA Honours Degree in Counselling at the University of Greenwich, which are accredited by the British Association of Counsellors and Psychotherapists (BACP). In addition to this, I am currently studying a MA in Advanced Clinical Practice at Middlesex University, accredited by the United Kingdom Council for Psychotherapy (UKCP).
I am committed to my ongoing growth as a therapist and regularly attend Continued Professional Development (CPD) and training. All clinical work is overseen by a supervisor, in which client details remain confidential and is a requirement of the BACP Ethical Framework which I adhere to.
Historically I have provided psychotherapy at Kingston Women's Centre, The Eaves Psychological Services in Guildford, and I also offered counselling at the University of Surrey where I formed part of the Equality Diversity and Inclusion team.
Getting Started
Please do get in touch via email at carmen.counselling@gmail.com or via the contact form to arrange your 20 minute telephone call, prior to the initial assessment session. I will aim to get back to you within 48-hours.
This is an opportunity to see if you feel I am the right psychotherapist for you, to explore what brings you to therapy, and for us to discuss your therapeutic goals.
All correspondence will be treated confidentially.
Once you have had your assessment session and if we decide we would like to work together, I would suggest we meet once a week for 6 weeks then review your progress.
At this point, you may feel you would like to take a break to consolidate your experience, or continue meeting on a weekly open ended basis where our work will be regularly reviewed.
A note on terms counselling and psychotherapy: Counselling and psychotherapy are interchangeable terms. Counselling is usually short term, between 6-12 sessions where focus is placed on one issue. Psychotherapy is longer term and open ended, with focus on numerous issues with deeper exploration.
Fees & Availablity
- Session fees- £85
- Sessions take place weekly and are 50 minutes in duration.
- Cancellations without 48hrs notice for any reason are chargeable at the full rate.
- Please contact me to arrange a 20 minute initial telephone call prior to initial assessment.
Get in Touch
Please email me at carmen.counselling@gmail.com or via the contact form to arrange your 20 minute call and assessment session, or with any questions you may have.