Daniela Szukiel

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Chartered Counselling Psychologist and EMDR Therapist
Limited availability
Limited availability

This professional is accepting new clients but may have a waitlist. Please enquire with them directly to discuss availability.

London SW4 & Faversham ME13
Limited availability
Limited availability

This professional is accepting new clients but may have a waitlist. Please enquire with them directly to discuss availability.

About me

Hello and a very warm welcome to you! I am an experienced Chartered Counselling Psychologist with over 15 years of clinical practice.  I offer a free 30 minute informal chat over Zoom which can give you more of a sense of working with me would be like.  I look forward to hearing from you!

My approach is active and transparent:  My clients tell me that they appreciate that with my support they are quickly able to identify what keeps them stuck and get an understanding what could help them make the changes they want.   

I specialise in helping people with:

  • Low Self Esteem / Lack of Confidence / Lack of Motivation that can keep you from achieving your goals and building fulfilling relationships
  • Depression (including mixed anxiety and depressive disorder as well as mild to moderate depression, which often goes unrecognised for years but can have profound effect on our life)
  • Anxiety related problems,  in particular: Generalised anxiety disorder (GAD)- anxiety with uncontrollable worry, ruminations, which can be accompanied by often relentless critical and demanding "inner voice"  Social  Anxiety including avoidance of social situations, fear of public speaking, communication difficulties, problems with assertiveness, feelings of inferiority etc and  
  • Relationship/Attachment difficulties which may include difficulties regulating intense feelings of anger, fear and hurt which can result in  expressing them in a way that creates arguments and distance 
  • Work-related difficulties, including burn-out, interpersonal difficulties, role conflicts, lack of assertiveness, lack of focus and motivation
  • Adjustment difficulties - when our mood/mental state worsens after a change in life, such as a break-up of relationship, change in a family structure, retirement,  illness or a new diagnosis (for ourselves or a family member), new care responsibilities, change of place of residence, bereavement etc
  • ADHD-related difficulties including interpersonal and work-related role conflicts,  difficulties with self-esteem

As an experienced Counselling Psychologist with over 15 years of practice across a number of NHS settings (primary, secondary and acute mental health care) I also have wealth of experience of working with:

  • Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) - anxiety disorder caused by very stressful, frightening or distressing events, as well as Complex Difficulties due to Childhood Trauma and Neglect  (often termed CPTSD)
  • Specific phobias- irrational fear and avoidance of a specific object (e.g. animal) or situation (e.g. heights)
  • Trichotillomania (compulsive hair pulling) and Dermotilomania (compulsive skin picking)
  • Panic Attacks - periods of intense fear with physical symptoms such as rapid breathing and increased heart beat; Health anxiety - persistent worrying about your own and/or others health

My skills and training

I am trained in a number of different therapeutic approaches: both traditional approaches such as CBT,  EMDR, Psychodynamic and Humanistic approaches,  as well as the newer approaches such as Somatic Psychology and MBT (Mentalisation-based Therapy). 

This allows me to find the most effective approach for the type of difficulties you have.  If you have had therapy before,  some of the newer approaches can help approach difficulties in a different way.   

In particular, somatic approach allows us to work with the symptoms of eg anxiety directly in the session in a way that allows anxiety signals be experienced and understood and processed in the session.

Why choose a Chartered Psychologist?

Counselling Psychologists specialise in providing psychological therapy of a highest quality, aiming to reduce psychological distress and promote psychological well-being in clients.

Counselling Psychologists are trained to a doctorate level through courses that focus on both research and practice of different schools of psychotherapy as well as underlying knowledge of psychology, neurobiology, ethics, social justice, anti-oppressive practice etc. The involves a minimum 7-year training, including a 3-year undergraduate psychology degree and a 4-year post-graduate training.

Our training model is that of a "Scientist-Practitioner": it includes an in-depth study and a supervised practice of a number of contrasting therapeutic approaches, but also puts emphasis on developing our ability to critique each model by dissecting its underlying assumptions and possible limitations.

This means that, as practitioners, we are able to integrate different treatment models into bespoke treatment plans that are tailored to client' needs  rather than trying to fit the client's needs into a specific model.

Counselling Psychologists are Chartered Members of the British Psychological Society. It is a legal requirement that Counselling Psychologists register with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC), meaning that the protected title “Chartered Psychologist” ensures peace of mind that you are working with someone trained to the highest level.

Training, qualifications & experience

I am a Chartered Counselling Psychologist, with a full professional registration with the British Psychological Society (BPS) and Health and Care Professions Council, and a full professional indemnity insurance.  I am also registered as an Applied Psychology Practice Supervisor with the BPS.

In addition to my core training, I have done training in EMDR, CBT, Somatic Psychotherapy, Mentalisation, Dialectical-Behavioural Therapy (DBT), Compassion therapy, Emotion focused therapy, Mindfulness and Focusing.  

I have a strong interest in the application of neurobiology to understanding how the mind works and how change can be created.  This allows me to see your difficulties and solutions through different theoretical lenses and effectively tailor my approach to your needs and goals.

I have experience of working as a NHS psychologist, senior psychologist and service lead for over 11 years, prior to that I worked as a counsellor in voluntary services with young people and in the forensic setting.  Before/alongside training in mental health I worked as a Associated Tutor for the Open University (teaching on an undergraduate Social Psychology course), for a Jobcentre as an employment adviser and team leader, for a Careers Service as a Connexions worker with youth at the risk of disengaging,  for a City law firm as a marketing officer,  for a geophysical consultancy as a Russian-English translator/interpreter.  I also worked as a private tutor, waitress, kitchen porter, chambermaid and an apple picker.   I believe this gives me a rich lived experience and a personal understanding of a variety of working/life contexts and stages.

Professional Registrations

- British Psychological Society Chartered Counselling Psychologist (Membership No 96128)
- Health and Care Professions Council accredited Counselling Psychologist (Membership No PYL27878)
-  Member of the British Psychological Society Register of Applied Psychology Practice Supervisors                                                                                  - EMDR Association UK Member (Membership No  S0752)                                                                                        

Core Trainings

MSc Counselling Psychology (Roehampton University, 2010), Postgraduate Diploma in the Practice of Counselling Psychology (Roehampton University, 2011), Postgraduate Diploma in Counselling Psychology (Roehampton University, 2007), Conversion Diploma in Psychology (Open University, 2000), BSc Psychology and Business Studies (London Guildhall University, 1998).

Other trainings

Certificate in Counselling Skills and Attitudes (Westminster Pastoral Foundation, 1998),  Diploma in the Application of Psychodynamic Theory to the Principles of Counselling (Westminster Pastoral Foundation, 2000);  Foundation Certificate in Biodynamic Massage (Cambridge Body Psychotherapy Centre, 2003), Mentalisation Based Treatment (Anna Freud Institute, 2016); Reflective Parenting: Increasing Mentalising in the parent-child relationship (Anna Freud Institute, 2016,); Multi-family mentalisation based group training (Anna Freud Institute, 2016); Applied Psychology Practice Supervisors Training (Canterbury Christ Church University, 2017); Use of Imagery in CBT (BABCP training, 2017); Environmental Arts Therapy (London Arts Therapy Centre, 2018-2019) and with Ian Siddons Hegginsworth 2019-2020), EMDR Therapy (EMDR Academy, Parts 1-3),  Safe and Sound Protocol (2020), Mentalisation Based Treatment for Children (Anna Freud Institute, 2022).

Member organisations

Registered / Accredited

Registered / Accredited

Being registered/accredited with a professional body means an individual must have achieved a substantial level of training and experience approved by their member organisation.

BPS
British Psychological Society (BPS)

British Psychological Society

HCPC
Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC)

The HCPC are an independent, UK-wide health regulator. They set standards of professional training, performance and conduct for 16 professions.

They keep a register of health professionals who meet their standards, and they take action if registered health professionals fall below those standards. They were created by a piece of legislation called the Health Professions Order 2001.

Registration means that a health professional meets national standards for their professional training, performance and conduct.

Photos & videos

Fees

£90.00 - £110.00
Free initial online session

Concessions offered for

  • Low income
  • Keyworkers
  • OAPs
  • Students
  • Trainee counsellors
  • Unemployed
  • Refugees

Health Insurance/EAP

  • Aviva
  • Axa Health
  • BUPA
  • Vitality

Additional information

Initial 30-minute Zoom Consultation - FREE - Simple and easy to book. We meet over Zoom to chat and see if working together could be a possibility.

Introductory 50- minute Consultation - £40 -  A more in-depth opportunity to understand your needs and help us decide if the approach I offer is suitable for you.  

Individual Psychological Therapy

£90 off-peak (weekday until 3pm); £110 peak-time (from 4pm).  

Insurance companies: I am registered with AXA, Aviva, Vitality Health and BUPA.  I can obtain registration with other insurance providers - please enquire.

PLEASE NOTE: All London sessions take place online for the foreseeable future.  In person sessions available in Faversham only. 

When I work

Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun
Morning
Afternoon
Evening
Night

Online 1:1 sessions: Weekdays 9am-9pm, Sat 9am to 1pm.  

Further information

In the course of my own life, I experienced many of the challenges, losses and set-backs as well as joys and accomplishments that are experienced by people who come to me for help. I have also received my own in-depth therapy over several years so I am able to appreciate how it feels to be a client and what is needed for a successful change.

Through both my personal life and professional practice, I learned that the sooner help is received, the better. Modern life can be complex and stressful, demanding an individual to have good psychological adaptation. If that adaptation is fragile, a person may lose their “inner compass” and respond by withdrawing from life’s demands or from their own inner life or by overcompensating, ie responding too aggressively to the perceived threat. This often leads to making decisions that are not conducive to their well-being or achievement of life’s developmental tasks. The longer this continues, the less options may be available.

However, I also discovered that it is never too late to improve something in your life that you really want to change, to learn new skills, treat yourself with compassion, to connect to yourself and to others and to find meaning and valued directions. In other words, it is never too late to start doing what you can with what you have, wherever you are right now.

16 Old Town, Clapham, London, SW4 0JY

Hertford House, Chapel Street, Faversham, Kent, ME13 8EP

Type of session

In person
Online

Types of client

Children
Young people
Adults
Older Adults
Families
Groups
Employee Assistance Programme

Key details

DBS check

In England and Wales, the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS, formerly known as CRB) carry out criminal records checks for individuals working with vulnerable groups, such as children. To find out more, visit gov.uk , or contact this professional directly

Wheelchair user access
Wheelchair user access

Wheelchair-accessible premises should have step-free access for wheelchair users and individuals who are unable to climb stairs. If a Counsellor's premises aren't step-free, they may offer alternative services such as telephone/web-based appointments, home visits, or meeting clients in different location, so you can choose the option that suits you best.

You can contact the Counsellor to discuss the options available.

Under the Equality Act 2010 service providers have a duty to make reasonable adjustments to ensure that individuals with disabilities can access their service. You can read more about reasonable adjustments to help you to access services on the CAB website.

Faversham - wheelchair accessible. London - therapy room is on the upper ground floor, there are about 5 steps to access the ground level.

Additional languages

Polish

Online platforms

Zoom
Google Meet

Supervision

In person
Online
Phone

I am a Member of the British Psychological Society Register of Applied Psychology Practice Supervisors.

View supervision profile

Daniela Szukiel
Daniela Szukiel