Stephanie Gerra

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UKCP Accred, MBACP - Psychotherapist. Adults, Couples & EAP.
Available for new clients
Available for new clients

This professional is available for new clients.

Central London EC1R & London N1
Available for new clients
Available for new clients

This professional is available for new clients.

About me

I'm a highly experienced Psychotherapist, Counsellor and Supervisor who has been working with individuals and couples for over 15 years. I have very successful outcomes in treating both individuals and couples in crisis. Dealing with issues ranging from, anxiety, depression, relationship problems, work-related stress, bereavement, addiction, eating disorders, abuse but also with clients simply seeking personal growth and a new direction in life.

I also offer Walking Therapy in the squares of Bloomsbury and in Regents Park and offer regular individual and group supervision to counsellors and psychotherapists. 

Taking your next step/getting started with therapy

I know how difficult it can be to take that initial step to contact a counsellor but most of us who do so soon discover that the process is deeply rewarding. Also, research backs this up, increasingly telling us how and why psychotherapy works.

One of my commitments to you and to our work together is to keep up to date with the latest developments in the field so that I can offer you a dynamic approach and the very best possible therapeutic intervention in order to help you get the results you want.

If you would like to explore the possibility of working with me, please call or email to arrange an initial assessment session. We will then find a mutually convenient time to meet in person or online for a first appointment in which you will have plenty of time to let me know what is bringing you to therapy at this time.  This initial session is a very useful opportunity for us both to get a feel of how we might work together. Further to this first session, there is no obligation to continue working with me unless you decide to do so. However, if you are drawn to my page and to the way I work, don't hesitate to get in touch as I would be very happy to hear from you.

I offer individuals help with the following issues:

  • Anxiety and depression
  • Struggles/problems in relationships
  • Crises of self-esteem, confidence and identity
  • Emotional, psychological and sexual abuse
  • Eating disorders
  • Addictions
  • Loss of meaning and direction in life and general self-development
  • Existential dilemmas
  • Bereavement and grief.

I offer couples counselling with issues such as:

  • Breakdown in communication
  • Separation or divorce
  • Sexual issues
  • Relationship breakdown
  • Intimacy issues
  • Working towards a good ending.

How I work/my methodology

I work face-to-face, in a therapy room, online and outside with Walking Therapy. My style is integrative, imaginative and very relational. Most of what we will do in our sessions is talking therapy but occasionally, if it feels right, I will encourage you to draw or free-write as a way of helping your process to flow. We might, on occasion, make use of guided visualisations/meditations and I am a firm believer in creative-journal keeping as a way of enhancing the therapeutic process. Keeping notes is a great way of telling your unconscious that you are taking it seriously. It is also an unbeatable way of charting your growth and progress over time.

In the room, we will pay precise attention to what happens during our sessions and across our relationship, as what unfolds here tends to reflect what takes place outside, in daily life. Through this close observation, you will get a clear understanding of any unhelpful dynamics that keep repeating for you and will learn how to develop more effective and happier ways of being yourself and of relating to others.

Testimonials

“I arranged to see Stephanie because I was experiencing acute anxieties at business meetings out of proportion to the actual threats and issues around the table.  As a 50 year old Chief Executive I had to address the de-stabilising impact this had on my effectiveness and well-being.

Working with Stephanie helped me expose the source of these anxieties in childhood and in particular the lasting impact of being sent away to boarding school at a very young age, suffering abuse and bullying and living with an ever-present fear of letting down my father because I was not fitting in at the school.  With Stephanie’s help I was able to process these childhood experiences and manage episodes of anxiety triggered by them.

As a result I valued and still value Stephanie’s therapy very highly.  She had a quick grasp of the situations I described and was very perceptive at the dynamics within me in our sessions;  for example, she could tell if I was beginning to switch off as a means of evading an underlying issue I was on the brink of exploring with her.  This made her challenging but also made the sessions worthwhile.  She is extremely professional.

I was lucky to be introduced to Stephanie and am delighted to provide this testimonial as a result of what I have gained working with her.” - Mark (financial director)

“Having never had psychotherapy before, I found the whole experience difficult to start with but invaluable by the end. The therapy assisted me in dealing with my issues that I was so good at hiding. Through the assistance of therapy and Stephanie’s style, I managed to feel lighter, happier and make ground breaking revelations to help me continue valuable work even after my therapy concluded.

Stephanie’s style was comforting, genuine and gently probing in a way that facilitated my initial reluctance to delve into the deepest of issues. I would not hesitate in recommending Stephanie to anyone that needs help in dealing with the challenges that we face in life, no matter how big or small.”
- CA, (Solicitor) London

For more testimonials please view my website.

Where I work - these are my serene and comfortable practice rooms

I have had a Central London psychotherapy practice for over ten years, and more recently have opened up a second practice on the boundary between, Islington, central London and the City. Both places are very accessible and welcoming spaces dedicated to the process of healing, reflection, growth and transformation in the face of life’s on-going challenges and crises.

Terapia Consultancy is conveniently located for anyone working in, or living in, North London, Central London, Bloomsbury, the City, Farringdon, Clerkenwell, Holborn and the West End. With Kings Cross, Farringdon and Russell Square stations all within easy walking distance it can also work for people traveling in from further afield.

My Bloomsbury practice is very close to Russell Square tube station and equidistant to Kings Cross, St. Pancras and Euston mainline stations.

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Training, qualifications & experience

  • UKCP registered (United Kingdom Council for Psychotherapy)
  • MBACP (Full Member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy)
  • BA Hons, Dip Couns, Dip Psych
  • MA Psychotherapy
  • Training in Supervision at the Society of Analytical Psychology, 2022 - 2023.

I have diplomas in psychotherapy and counselling, an MA in psychotherapy and a BA Hons in English Literature and Dramatic Arts. Since 1999 I have run a busy psychotherapy practice in central London.

I was a trainer at the Institute of Psychosynthesis for 4 years and have also taught on a psychology Course at Birkbeck College (London University) and at the Central School of Speech and Drama. As well as running my private psychotherapy practice, I offer one to one clinical supervision for psychotherapists.

I speak four languages: Italian, French, Spanish and English and am happy to draw
upon these languages with anyone for whom English is not their first language.

My background is in media and the creative arts.

"All the arts we practice are apprenticeship. The big art is our life." M. C. Richards

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.

UKCP
UK Council for Psychotherapy (UKCP)

The UK Council for Psychotherapy (UKCP) is a leading professional body for the education, training and regulation of psychotherapists and psychotherapeutic counsellors. Its register is accredited by the government's Professional Standards Authority.

As part of its commitment to protect the public, it works to improve access to psychotherapy, to support and disseminate research, to improve standards and to respond effectively to complaints against its members.

UKCP standards cover the range of different psychotherapies. Registration is obtained by training or accrediting with one of its member organisations, or by holding a European Certificate in Psychotherapy. Accredited by the Professional Standards Authority.

BACP
British Association for Counselling & Psychotherapy (BACP)

BACP is one of the UK’s leading professional bodies for counselling and psychotherapy with around 60,000 members. The Association has several different categories of membership, including Student Member, Individual Member, Registered Member MBACP, Registered Accredited Member MBACP (Accred) and Senior Registered Accredited Member MBACP (Snr Acccred).

Registered and accredited members are listed on the BACP Register, which shows that they have demonstrated BACP’s recommended standards for training, proficiency and ethical practice. The BACP Register was the first register of psychological therapists to be accredited by the Professional Standards Authority (PSA).

Accredited and senior accredited membership are voluntary categories for members who choose to undertake a rigorous application and assessment process to demonstrate additional standards around practice, training and supervision.

Individual members will have completed an appropriate counselling or psychotherapy course and started to practise, but they won’t appear on the BACP Register until they've demonstrated that they meet the standards for registration. Student members are still in the process of completing their training.

All members are bound by the BACP Ethical Framework and a Professional Conduct Procedure.

Accredited register membership

UK Council for Psychotherapy
Accredited Register Scheme

The Accredited Register Scheme was set up in 2013 by the Department of Health (DoH) as a way to recognise organisations that hold voluntary registers which meet certain standards. These standards are set by the Professional Standards Authority (PSA).

This therapist has indicated that they belong to an Accredited Register.

UK Council for Psychotherapy
British Association for Counselling & Psychotherapy
Accredited Register Scheme

The Accredited Register Scheme was set up in 2013 by the Department of Health (DoH) as a way to recognise organisations that hold voluntary registers which meet certain standards. These standards are set by the Professional Standards Authority (PSA).

This therapist has indicated that they belong to an Accredited Register.

British Association for Counselling & Psychotherapy

Fees

£75.00 - £120.00

Concessions offered for

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

Health Insurance/EAP

  • Aviva
  • Axa Health
  • BUPA
  • Vitality

Additional information

The fee payable for the first session (the assessment) is between £85 - 120, dependent on referral source, time of day of the appointment and whether it is for an individual or a couple. The standard fee thereafter will also be between £75 and £120 per session depending on the time of day and location for the regular appointment. Evenings, early mornings and weekend appointments are more expensive than daytime ones.

A discount may be available to psychotherapy students (who are generally charged between £65 and £75 per session).

I also always reserve a few spaces (usually these are during the day, not at peak times) for those on lower income and am happy to negotiate an affordable rate.

Payment is in cash, or by cheque in the session, or monthly in advance by bank transfer. I do not accept credit or debit cards but am happy to provide a monthly invoice/receipt for your records.

If you have medical insurance

I am a recognised provider of services to BUPA, AXA and AVIVA insured members.

When I work

Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun
Morning
Afternoon
Evening
Night

Early mornings, daytime, evenings and occasional weekends available. Also Zoom appointments at other times and Walking Therapy in the Squares of Bloomsbury and Regents Park.

Further information

While, face-to-face contact is usually best, I am able to conduct sessions via Skype and if necessary by telephone. These can be useful alternatives for when meeting in person becomes difficult due to other pressures.

Typically sessions are taken in the English language, however as I am fluent in Italian, have good conversational French and good comprehension of Spanish, I am happy to draw upon these languages where necessary or helpful.

Please read my blog.

Terapia Consultancy, 9 Coldbath Square, Central London, London, EC1R 5HL

The Practice Rooms Islington, 150 Caledonian Road, London, N1 9RD

Type of session

In person
Online
Phone

Types of client

Adults
Older adults
Couples
Groups
Organisations
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

Additional languages

French
Italian
Spanish

The therapy will be conducted in English with occasional use of other languages where necessary.

Online platforms

Skype
Whatsapp
Zoom

Supervision

In person
Online
Phone

I offer creative, Psychodynamic individual and group supervision for Counsellors and Psychotherapists.

View supervision profile

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