Lara Just

I'm a UKCP accredited psychotherapist working in clinical practice since 2008. I have extensive experience working in clinic settings in central London, universities, charities, and the NHS.

I now mainly work online (and outdoors) with adults who are going through life transitions and may be experiencing a range of issues such as depression, anxiety, stress, trauma, loss and bereavement, addictions, LGBTQ+, relationship and family issues, low self-esteem, failure to thrive in life, emotional blocks, spirituality, and life purpose.

I utilise various approaches through my work which include psychotherapy, health and wellness coaching, energy and healing therapies, spiritual and intuitive counselling, and animal assisted therapies. I can be flexible and diverse in the way that I work, depending on what you need as a person.

You may be in the midst of break up or divorce due to an affair or because your relationship is not working and you're not sure what to do. It could be that there are issues around setting boundaries, communication problems, or you are finding it hard to find and keep a relationship and wondering what is wrong with me?

It could be that you are feeling like a 'failure' or struggling to thrive; or the way you react to situations and environments leaves you feeling shame or discomfort. Maybe you are struggling to be yourself, constantly entangled in family restrictions and expectations.

I have a special interest in working with grief, loss, and bereavement. You may be feeling hopeless, distressed and in a dark place after a loss. I offer a safe, nurturing, and unbiased space to talk, giving you the freedom to speak openly as we work through tricky and uncomfortable feelings.

Looking for a therapist can sometimes feel confusing or even overwhelming as you wonder who may be the right person for you.

Maybe you are experiencing quite specific difficulties in your life right now, or maybe you are not sure what it is or where to start. I offer a free initial session where you can ask me any questions and get a feel for what working with me would be like.

You can be assured that I work in a respectful and non-judgemental with you, and as our work progresses you will find more clarity about ways forward that are best for you.

If you have any questions about therapy or would like to book your free initial session, then please get in touch. You can WhatsApp me on 077919 91199 or send me an email.

About Me

I have spent much of my early career as a psychotherapist in the usual clinic settings in private practice, universities, charities and NHS. After living and working over a year abroad in South Africa, I continued to work online with my UK clients and completed an intensive year-long diploma programme for online psychotherapy and counselling, while also working outdoors utilising equine-assisted therapy with a colleague near Cape Town. When returning to the UK, it was at that point that I decided to set up an outdoor therapy clinic in Hampstead Heath in North London, which grew quickly. Finally, my need to be in nature and countryside surroundings was pulling me to leave the city again just before the COVID 19 pandemic hit. First working from Somerset, I then moved to Cornwall, where I now reside. Apart from my work with my clients that I see as my calling, I love spending time in nature, enjoying photography, surfing and swimming, creating colourful meals, and walking my therapy dog, Alba, along Cornish coastal paths and discovering new coves and moors. 

Formats of Working

• Video (Zoom or FaceTime)
• Phone
• Instant / Live chat (Zoom)
• Email
• In Person (if local and by arrangement)

We can discuss more of this in our initial session. You are welcome to try different formats to see what works best for you.

Next Steps

Please email me or WhatsApp message me to: 07791 991199 to arrange a first appointment.

You can find more information on my websites: http://adadsu.com/. 

Online Therapy

Most of my work is done via Zoom (video), FaceTime or Telephone. My clients are from all over the world including ex-pats in the USA & Canada, Middle East and Africa. This can be an efficient and effective way to connect at your own time in your own space, reducing need for travel and delays. It works well with all modalities, including nature, energy, and spiritual healing elements.

Energy, Healing & Spiritual Counselling

In the past decade my work and further training has evolved into a more body-mind-spirit focus by including energy therapies, healing, spiritual and transpersonal aspects of work. I work intuitively and utilise various mindfulness-based strategies including meditation, visualisations, processes for grounding, energy clearing, protecting, manifestation, EFT, Theta Healing, and various other strategies.

Nature Therapy

Working therapeutically in nature outdoors in person or online. In-person one-to-one work is currently only offered in and around Tavistock, Devon and Callington, Cornwall areas. For online sessions, when sitting down, being inside or in front of a screen feels harder to focus, then on the phone or a video ‘walk and talk’ can be a useful alternative.
I have found that ‘Nature’ can help us, wherever we live:
- It can calm us, ground us, and helps build resilience.
- It can feel easier to talk about something difficult.
- When we move, it can help our flow and moving forward is a literal and symbolic process.
- Nature can provide plenty of opportunities for useful insights via metaphors.
- This is particularly useful for people in transition, grief, life crisis, relationship difficulties or feeling stuck.
Research has shown improvements in wellbeing, depression, anxiety, mood and self-esteem, amongst many other symptoms.

Specialism

Life Transitions and Purpose

I support clients going through various life transitions, questioning their goals and life purpose. This may show up in failure to thrive in life or experiencing emotional blocks when we want to move forward. We are multidimensional beings, which means that relationship issues, depression, ‘stuckness’ and trauma can come from different levels of our being, and not ‘just’ from childhood trauma. We would explore different areas of personal and transpersonal aspects relevant to your current issues to seek ways to resolve them so you can move forward with what you really want in life. 

Grief, Loss and Family Trauma

One area of interest is working with people going through deep grief and survivors of trauma. Relationship issues and failures to thrive in life can be routed in our childhood and family experiences but could also be caused by seemingly unrelated intergenerational trauma in our ancestry lineage, as latest research has shown. This is often linked to recurring patterns and problems in a variety of relationships, including with ourselves, in the present. 

LGBTQ+

I work with a variety of age groups around relationship, sexuality and gender diverse aspects and identify as part of the LGBTQ+ community. Therefore, supporting individuals in this group is close to my heart.

The sessions are 50 minutes long.

First session is free of charge.

Concessions will be discussed on a case by case basis.

Payment through internet banking (UK and International).

Testimonials

“The sessions were life changing for me. We explored things I was initially not expecting. It helped me understand more than I expected, and I managed to change my relationships as a result of it. My symptoms of anxiety have completely improved now.” Kelly (25) 

“Originally I felt helpless, alone, depressed, unhappy, I disliked myself and felt stuck/trapped. I felt that I didn't have anyone to turn to, so decided I needed therapy. I am now a happier and more confident person and I understand myself much better. Looking at my childhood has helped me realise a few things. I also now know how to better manage and maintain my mental health.” Jen (34)

“When I initially contacted Lara, I was in a dump. I was severely broken with anger, pain, lack of trust, vindictiveness, emotional neglect from my parents, childhood trauma and highly insecure and in secret competition with others in the rat race with me.” Taylor (26)

“I really appreciate Lara’s way of working - it's safe and gentle but also forthright/straightforward. She calls me out on things that I wouldn't offer up myself and I'm grateful for that.  I'm gaining insight and awareness and turning new corners inwards and outwards all the time, slowly making my way up the mountain to a better view of myself and the world.” Sandra (32)

“The sessions totally surpassed my expectations. I didn’t expect for a minute that I would have grown and developed in such a short period of time.” Holly (28) 

“I now have hope and belief that I can live and survive without a therapist- something I never dreamed possible in my 10 years of therapy, with psychiatrists before I met Lara. I have learnt so much that there isn’t enough space here to write it all!” Heike (28) 

 “My expectations were surpassed as a result of the sessions. I had initially spoken with 4-5 therapists before meeting Lara which also naturally diluted my expectations. I can now say that these sessions have been instrumental in my personal and emotional growth. They have helped me learn more about myself, be at ease with who I am and love that person for who he is.” Thomas (28) 

“I found the sessions challenging at first as it took time for me to appreciate the ‘here and now’ and to trust myself to just ‘be’ in the therapy session. I am off my anti-depressants and I haven’t self-harmed in over two years. I have found the sessions to be totally life changing.” Hetty (29)  

“I absolutely loved every session I attended. Lara really helped me approach each "component' of what was upsetting me and understand them which really helped." Jason (18)

“I have noticed a clear change in myself and my behaviour over time and the insights I have gained are invaluable to me. I never thought there would be quite as much to discover as there was!” Kerry (29)  

“It was really helpful having someone to talk to about my everyday life and work, and how I feel about things. Some of these sessions were like a light filled oasis. I would come out of some of these sessions ready to take on the world. So energised, and sometimes in such a serene state of mind.” Charles (32) 

“I think some of the most helpful sessions for me were linking back things that happened in life and why I may be feeling and doing (or not doing) certain things today." Krista (37) 

“I would have to write an essay to say everything I have learnt! The main thing I learnt was to value my feelings and emotions, to listen and accept them. I learnt to love myself and to be brave in new situations." Heidi (35) 

“I’ve had a phenomenal experience with the sessions and Lara truly changed my life. Confronting rejection, fear, loss, comparison, abandonment, anger, regret and confusion [all the way] to also navigating getting married, quitting my job to start my entrepreneurship journey. My expectations were surpassed as a result of the sessions." Timothy (29) 

"Lara is a great therapist – she created a safe and secure atmosphere for me to share my stories whilst offering insights and guidance but not insisting or pushing. She asked inquisitive questions that helped me “arrive” at the answers without just “handing them out” to me. The benefit of this is, in moments / seasons where I am not in therapy, I have developed the toolkit to navigate strenuous emotional situations." Terence (30) 

“These sessions gave me a safe space to talk about anything without being judged. I felt validated and I felt that my issues were taken seriously…most importantly I learnt to set my boundaries.” Bea (32) 

“I am now a happier and more confident person and I understand myself much better. Looking at my childhood has helped me realise a few things. I also now know how to better manage and maintain my mental health.” Jen (34)

“I wanted to work on my lack of self-esteem and self-worth as well as trying to reconcile feelings of anger and bitterness towards family for past events. Self-worth is not a linear journey, and I have learned more compassion for myself and others. It feels not as though I am 'cured', but that I am better equipped to go forth into this next phase of life. I feel independent not through necessity, but a new found inner strength.” Tara (43)

"I felt I had no one to talk to about my mental health because I wasn’t taken seriously - I had unresolved childhood trauma affecting my everyday life. I now have tools to identify and express my emotions, and notice if something is triggering a trauma response ." Alexa (32)

“I really appreciate how the sessions helped (via Lara) to link together themes and pieces of stories that thread across sessions and play them back in ways that I would otherwise not have seen.” Cara (38)  

“I thought the online setup allowed for flexibility yet the sessions were still very engaging. I also really enjoyed the outdoor experience (via video/phone) as it allowed me to disconnect from work and focus during session time.” Kris (37)