Cara Mackley

I am a qualified, experienced, and accredited couple and individual psychodynamic counsellor and psychotherapist. I completed my specialist relationship training at the internationally renowned Tavistock Relationships (TR) clinic in London.  I continue to work at TR as a Training Tutor, Senior Therapist in the Online International team and the Divorce & Separation team as well as delivering Mentalized-Based Therapy (MBT) to parents in conflict.

I have worked as a RELATE couples counsellor, a psychotherapist at The School of Life and have completed training by Imperial College London so that I can offer short term counselling to those diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease.

I have experience working with young people 11-16-years in a school setting as well as supporting young people who are not in education, employment or in training (NEET).  My experience of working with young people has further demonstrated the need for parents and couples to feel supported.

My standard session fee is £120.  This is reflective of my specialist training and experience in Relationship Therapy.  However, I can appreciate this fee for some may be unaffordable and for this reason I do offer a reduced fee option, starting at £80 for those who may not otherwise seek therapy. Please do contact me for more information and/or ask for a reduced fee. 

Therapy - I practice a psychodynamic approach which means that we will work together to explore your past and what lies beneath your patterns of behaviour, beliefs and thought patterns. The aim is to understand and process - without judgement - how the past may be impacting your relationships in the present day. 

Couples therapy - I see couples who want to understand more about their relationship.  Couples come to therapy for many reasons, perhaps they find themselves stuck in a cycle of bickering, poor communication, cross cultural issues, contemplating separation or an affair.   Some couples come for a relationship MOT, empty-nesters, pre-marital therapy, starting a family, fertility issues and many many more reasons.  Working with a therapist can help the couple untangle what is happening between the couple, giving an opportunity to see patterns of relating.  This process and understanding affords the couple the opportunity to transform the dynamics.

Individual therapy - I see individuals who want to understand more about themselves and their patterns of relating - either romantic, family or work relationships. They might be choosing the 'wrong' person, trying hard to hold onto a partner, having difficult relationships at work, or being single feels relentless.  Alternatively, they maybe in a relationship but the partner, for many reasons might not be ready or want to participate.  Working with a therapist can help the individual explore how they are relating to others, looking back at first relationships with parents and siblings. 

The therapeutic relationship is central to psychodynamic therapy. Whilst we explore how you interact with loved ones, the interaction between you and me allows for an intimate understanding of how you experience others and how they experience you. 

What to expect - I will invite you to meet with me initially for two 50-minute consultation sessions to think together about your concerns and what you hope to achieve from therapy. If we agree to proceed, we will agree on a day and time to meet weekly - this time is reserved just for you. 

Sessions - I see couples and individuals online using the platform Zoom or from my consulting room in Ashford, Surrey.