Sivan Keidar-Halevi

Sivan Keidar-Halevi East Finchley Consulting 104D High Road East Finchley London N2 9EB View map
tel: 07766 705884 Click here to Email me

Profile

I am a qualified Gestalt Psychotherapist and have 14 years experience of working therapeutically. I am passionate about my work and get a lot of satisfaction from watching the progress people make through our work. I love the fact that every individual brings to the therapeutic work their different experiences and their unique ways of coping with the difficulties and opportunities they faced in their life. Every meeting with a client is singular and unlike others.

I have a varied experience working with individuals, couples and children:

Have worked for many years in a women's centre, offering individual counselling and facilitating a support group, I repeatedly dealt with issues of childhood abuse, low self esteem, eating disorders and parenting concerns.
In my private practice I have worked with individuals and couples, supported them in resolving conflicts, intimacy issues and sexual difficulties.
I have also worked with children in primary school setting.

How therapy works:

As children we all develop patterns of behaving that are crucial to our emotional survival but may not serve us so well at our present life. Many of us had to push some of our feelings (like anger or vulnerability) out of awareness as these were not acceptable to our environment. Therapy can help us increase awareness of our feelings so that we can make choices based on our real needs, and recognise our old patterns and beliefs. In the safe and non judgemental therapeutic environment clients can experiment with new ways of thinking and behaving.E.g.: A person that has grown up to be self reliant can learn to ask for support when it's needed, and a person that never expressed anger can start by telling me when they disagree with me.

Therapy can help in developing a less harsh, more supportive way of relating to oneself. Once people are able to feel compassion towards themselves, they become more compassionate as partners and parents.

Couples Counselling :

When Partners have many unresolved conflicts both tend to feel painfully rejected and criticised. Understandably they find it difficult to listen to the other's point of view without feeling attacked. Therapy offers a safe space where both sides will be listened to with empathy. Partners will face the challenge of accepting the fact that both of them hold different and valid views and feelings. We would look at destructive patterns of relating, and learn to communicate more effectively. Often relational difficulties express themselves in the sexual and intimacy sphere. I am aware of how exposing and sensitive these areas are for most people. Some of my interventions would be validating the partners' differing needs and longings and identifying beliefs and personal experiences that may inhibit them.

What to Expect:

When you call we will have a short chat on the phone and then arrange an introductory session. In this session you will have an opportunity to talk about what brought you to therapy and get an idea about my way of working, and a sense of whether I would be suitable for you. In case we both feel I can be of assistance to you, we will agree to meet for a short term 6-8 sessions, or for an open ended work. Therapy sessions last 50 minutes, and I would allocate a regular weekly time for our sessions.

Training, Qualifications & Experience

UKCP Registered
MSc Gestalt Psychotherapy
MA Counselling
Certificate in Couples Counselling
Dipl. Dance Movement Therapy

Areas of expertise: Individuals, Couples Counselling, Children's counselling in schools.