About me
Welcome to my profile and practice - www.aminasomers.co.uk
It is not easy to decide on the type of therapy or therapist. You can find details of two books that may help with this important choice at the end.
My practice is psychoanalytically informed. This is a very particular way of working, the very opposite of the new culture of “on demand” therapy. It is aimed at addressing the questions about your life and your way of being that concern and interest you.
People come to see me with a range of problems; nothing is off limits. It is more a question of whether something is bothering you enough. Sometimes the problems people have are so intolerable that they are driven to therapy. Other times it may be less acute, like wondering if there is a better way of relating to the world and themselves. There is however a commonality. Something is not working for them in their lives. They can’t resolve their problems on their own and they would like to do something about them, perhaps to find out what they want from their life and to address what seems to get in the way, to find a more satisfying way of being in the world.
Your problems may be very specific, OCD, ADHD, social anxiety, bereavement, relationship issues, anger, eating disorders or less specific like depression, anxiety or dissatisfaction with life or work or a general feeling of unease in the world. All these issues can be addressed through a psychoanalytically informed approach, an approach that is non-judgemental, and importantly, particular to you. I will speak about this more when we meet and I will be happy to answer your questions.
This way of working is focused on discovering what you don’t know, your blindside, what lies behind conscious rational thinking and ideas. It is a theoretical approach that considers the effect of unconscious ideas on your way of relating to yourself and others, the difficulties that you experience and that have brought you to therapy and how you make sense of situations you encounter in the present.
Finding a therapist to work with can be daunting. Initially, I will suggest we meet for several assessment sessions to discuss the issues that bring you to therapy and for you to experience the way I work. We can then decide whether to work together and if so on what basis. You are under no obligation to attend more than one assessment session if after the first you decide my way of working is not for you.
You can also call or email me if any of the above is unclear or you wish to discuss the fee before we meet.
Further reading: Are you considering Therapy? By Anouchka Grose
How does Analysis Work edited by Berjanet Jazani
Training, qualifications & experience
I am an accredited member of the BACP. I attend the clinical training program at the Centre for Freudian Research and Analysis. I run sessions with other therapists at Bubble and Speak, in North London, a psychoanalytically informed project for children and babies under 4 years and their parents and carers, including parents who are expecting a baby.
Previously I had a successful career in the City as a partner in a multi-jurisdiction law firm and remain a member of the Law Society of England and Wales and a non-practising solicitor.
Member organisations
school 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.
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
£75.00 per session
Concessions offered for
Additional information
Fees
The fee for the first session is £75.00.
Ongoing fees are agreed with you and are dependent on your circumstances and affordability.
Should you wish, you can contact me to talk about the fee before arranging a session.
I also offer a limited number of places at a concessionary rate.
When I work
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