About me
Hi, I'm Alex. I'm an integrative psychotherapist, which means that I draw on different therapeutic approaches to suit my clients' needs and preferred ways of working. In the UK, the term psychotherapist is typically used interchangeably with the terms therapist and counsellor. I am a registered member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP), one of the main governing bodies for psychotherapists and counsellors.
People seek therapy for many reasons…
Sometimes that might be in response to a big life event, such as losing a loved one or ending a relationship. Even seemingly positive life events, such as getting a promotion or having children, might bring challenges whilst we adapt - therapy can help with that.
Other times, people seek therapy to try and process something that has happened to them (for example, a difficult childhood experience, witnessing something traumatic, experiencing abuse of any kind) or to help them manage a condition or coping mechanism that is negatively impacting their day-to-day (i.e. stress, anxiety, addiction, depression, disordered eating).
Increasingly, people seek therapy to learn more about themselves or because they have the sense that something isn’t quite right in their lives. Therapy can help such individuals to live more consciously and in alignment with their values and beliefs.
Others still seek therapy to deal with existential challenges, such as climate anxiety or the challenging geo-political situation we are experiencing.
In short, people seek therapy for all kinds of support and often for a combination of reasons. Perhaps some of these speak to you? If so, therapy can be a really useful tool for short and longer term support as you navigate the various challenges in your life.
How we’ll work together
- Our therapy sessions will be approximately 50 minutes long.
- Generally, weekly sessions at the same time, on the same day work well - this ensures consistency and helps with accountability, both of which are key in therapy.
- This noted, some people prefer to work on a fortnightly basis. Where appropriate, I’m open to this - please just ask.
- Sessions can take place in-person or online; many say that face-to-face therapy allows for a therapeutic relationship to develop more quickly as well as providing a safe space outside of the day-to-day routine, whilst working online might allow for more flexibility. It’s worth thinking about what would work best for you.
- I recommend informally committing to at least 8 sessions in order to see progress from our work together. We can agree a specific number of sessions upfront (which is, of course, open to renegotiation) or work in an open-ended way.
- This said, for session 1, I suggest that we meet one another with no expectation of commitment which will allow you to decide whether or not you wish to continue (in fact, it’s highly normal to try out a few different therapists whilst you figure out what works for you, so don’t be afraid to engage with a few therapists in this way!). I offer a reduced fee for this trial session - see fees.
Services and Availability
- I offer a free, 15-minute consultation for anyone wishing to ask questions or find out more about how we might work together.
- I offer 50-minute, online sessions (delivered via Teams) Monday - Saturday.
- I offer 50-minute, face-to-face sessions in Hackney (E8) on Monday and Wednesday evenings and Tuesday and Thursday daytimes.
- I offer 50-minute, walk-and-talk therapy sessions around Victoria Park, East London on weekdays and Saturday mornings. This can be a great alternative to the more typical format of sitting in a therapy room (especially for people who might struggle to sit still for this long, for new parents who might struggle with childcare arrangements and for those who feel more comfortable talking whilst walking side-by-side). It is, of course, more difficult to ensure full confidentiality in such a setting and as a result, this format may not be appropriate for all. Please drop me an email or book a 15-minute consultation and we can discuss whether walk-and-talk therapy feels appropriate.
Training, qualifications & experience
- Postgraduate diploma in Integrative Counselling and Psychotherapy (from University of East London; BACP accredited).
- Postgraduate certificate in Psychology (from Glasgow University; BPS accredited).
- 6 years experience working in Mental Health / Wellbeing sector.
Member organisations
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
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.
Areas of counselling I deal with
Therapies offered
Fees
£50.00 - £75.00
Concessions offered for
Additional information
- Initial 15-minute consultation - free
- Trial session - £50
- Online / walk-and-talk sessions - £65 per session
- In-person sessions - £75 per session
- Block of 8 sessions (online / walk-and-talk) - £480 (£60 per session)
- Block of 8 sessions (in-person) - £560 (£70 per session)
- Students / low earners - I appreciate that therapy can be expensive. Please reach out if you would struggle to meet the above price and we can try to come to an arrangement that works for us both.
When I work
| Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Early morning | |||||||
| Morning | |||||||
| Early afternoon | |||||||
| Late afternoon | |||||||
| Evening |
