Dr Uma Priya Vigneswaran

I am an experienced child and family therapist and clinical psychologist with a doctorate in Clinical Psychology.

I lead the Engage Therapy team of clinical psychologists, family therapists, child psychotherapists and assistant psychologists. 

We have recently welcomed Rebecca Shirley, Clinical Psychologist to the team who specialises in working with individuals from pregnancy through to the early stages of their little one’s life. She can help if you are:

• Struggling with strong emotions during pregnancy, after birth or in parenthood, such as feeling anxious, stressed or overwhelmed, or perhaps low, flat or not quite yourself.
• Worried about birth or finding it difficult to overcome your experience of birth (including assessment and support for birth trauma)
• Having difficulty adjusting to becoming a parent or expanding your family, or wanting a space to explore who you are or want to be as a parent

GENERAL CLINICAL SUPPORT ENGAGE THERAPY OFFERS 

Family life is often joyful but can sometimes be difficult. Many families with children experience periods where life can seem more difficult and problems arise in their lives that can cause anxiety and distress.

These feelings may be experienced by one individual or as part of the relationship between partners or between parents and children. Engage therapy offer a supportive, caring and non-judgmental space where individuals and families can reflect on the situation at these times and explore different solutions to their problems.

We develop a collaborative and respectful partnership with children, young people and their families that places them as the expert on their lives and honours the skills, experience, knowledge and significant relationships of the people who come to meet with us.

We help people understand their situations and their behaviours by examining together the stories they use to shape their lives. We have found that even in the face of distressing, frightening or desperate situations, people still maintain a sense of hope and a wish for life to be better. We acknowledge the pain and difficulty of the situation, and help people harness their unique imaginative and creative problem-solving resources that allow them to discover new choices. As they do so stories of hope and change begin to emerge.

Young people and families' difficulties are unique and unlimited, however, to give you a sense of the sorts of issues we have helped some people with, they include:

• coping with pregnancy and a new baby
• antenatal and postnatal parental issues including postnatal depression and responses to birth trauma,
• Infant related issues including sleep issues and feeding problems
• toileting issues
• temper tantrums
• Social and emotional difficulties
• lack of confidence or self esteem
• Separation anxiety
• Worry and anxiety (including panic attacks, phobias and Obsessive-Compulsive traits)
• Traumatic experiences
• Sleep difficulties
• Low mood and depression
• School-based difficulties (e.g. peer relationships, bullying, social media issues, attendance, examination stress/anxiety)
• Adaptation to life events (e.g. the arrival of siblings, divorce, bereavement, chronic illness)
• Neurodevelopmental assessments for ADHD and Autism
• Neuroaffirmative therapy for those with ADHD and Autism
• loss and bereavement
• impact of chronic illness on children and family members
• school refusal and school issues (e.g. bullying)
• conduct problems and setting limits
• parenting advice and support

Therapy service

Our therapeutic style is based on a systemic narrative therapy approach and cognitive-behaviour therapy that incorporates questions and conversation to explore your situation, information and support in parenting techniques as well as play therapy techniques when appropriate.

We work with individuals or family members depending on the nature of the problem and the age of your child. Usually a session lasts fifty minutes. For individual work, usually at least 12-16 sessions are required.

We usually want to meet with the whole family first, but may also work with people on an individual basis, or suggest individual sessions within a series of family meetings.

Sessions take place in consulting rooms in the Old Town Hall in Bromley which are accessible by bus or train and there is metred parking nearby.

We have an associate clinical psychologist in Blackheath. 

Autism and ADHD assessments

Fee information available on enquiry. 

Testimonials

"Priya Vigneswaran was the first counsellor I felt at ease with. She was great and helped me tremendously. I would recommend her without hesitation and will certainly go back to her should i need any help in the future. "

"Dr Priya was great - involving the whole family. Friendly and empathetic, Dr Priya was still a composed professional throughout. She gave us great ideas to help, with good success. I would recommend Dr. Priya to anyone."

"Priya is fantastic, very sensitive and understanding. It was a pleasure to work with her."

"As soon as [my daughter] met with Priya it was such a relief ... [my daughter] felt so much better in such a short time."

I welcome any questions you may have either by email or phone.