About me
Are you feeling weighed down, struggling with anxiety, depression, loss, or going through a major life change? Are you always in your head and struggle to switch off? Maybe feeling lonely or stuck in the same patterns of behaviour that make it hard to move forward? Feeling disconnected from yourself or others? Deep down you know that you want something different but somehow, you can’t believe in yourself enough to work out what to do.
Perhaps you are not sure whether your personal relationships are healthy, and you want space to explore what is right for you. Maybe life feels like it is changing, and you are no longer in control. You might be so used to putting others first that it is difficult to hold on to your own self-worth and the value that you bring, leaving the future feeling uncertain.
Add in experiences of sexism, micro-aggressions, abuse, and ageism, and your confidence can be knocked. It’s not much fun feeling anxious, depressed, or stressed all the time.
It may be hard to speak to friends and family because you don’t want to burden them, are not sure what to say, or end up getting advice from them that feels unhelpful.
I am experienced in supporting people to make meaningful changes that improve their quality of life. This can include becoming more comfortable creating and holding boundaries, learning how to feel grounded and centred, and growing a sense of being valuable and lovable.
I believe that it is possible for all of us to move from just surviving our lives to thriving.
As a somatic therapist I work with both the mind and body – somatic means ‘relating to the body’. Our experiences affect our thoughts, emotions, and memories as well as our nervous system, physical sensations, and automatic responses to stress. I help you notice what happens in your body when you feel anxious, overwhelmed, or unsafe, such as where you hold tension, what happens to your breath, or other signs of emotional overwhelm. We will gently work to develop a greater sense of grounding and safety so you can feel more present, stable, and more in control of your reactions. We will work at a pace that feels manageable and does not need you to revisit difficult experiences before you are ready.
My approach is grounded in curiosity, collaboration, and respect for your individual experiences. Together we will pay attention to your body, lived experience, and emotions. I offer space to slow down, explore what feels difficult, and consider what feels helpful so that you can feel confident saying “yes” to what you want and “no” to what no longer fits.
I am also an Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT) therapist and offer support through a method commonly known as ‘tapping’. This combines focusing on a difficult emotion, thought, or experience with gently tapping on specific points on the body that are also used in traditional acupuncture. This approach can be helpful if you feel anxious, stressed, emotionally overwhelmed, or are struggling with processing distressing experiences. I also incorporate breath work to help you feel calmer when you feel body sensations of anxiety.
I work with people experiencing anxiety; emotional overwhelm and overthinking; low self-esteem; feeling stuck; feeling low or depressed; trauma-related difficulties including PTSD; domestic and sexual abuse, including childhood sexual abuse; and relationship difficulties.
My practice is gender and neurotype affirming, embedded in feminist and anti-racist theory and practice.
I work face to face in Shoreditch E1 and in Queen’s Park, NW6. I also work online. I believe that it is possible for all of us to move from just surviving our lives to thriving. I provide a warm, non-judgemental and safe space in which we can explore who you are and what you want in your life. Together we can unravel the difficulties that are getting in your way, creating space for you to make sense of your place in the world and what you want from life.
If my page resonates with you, contact me to book a 15 minute consultation for you to get a feel for what it would be like to work with me.
To find out more, email me at carena@towardinsights.com.
Both my East London and North West London practices are easily accessible by public transport.
Training, qualifications & experience
Qualifications
- EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique) Practitioner for PTSD, depression, anxiety, and emotional eating (EFTi, 2025)
- MA Integrative Psychotherapy and Counselling (The Minster Centre, 2023)
- Advanced Diploma in Integrative Psychotherapy and Counselling (The Minster Centre, 2023)
- Post Graduate Diploma in Integrative Counselling ( The Minster Centre, 2019)
Continuing Professional Development training
- Somatic Trauma Therapy
- Anti-racist therapeutic practice
- Gender and sexual identities in and out of the therapy room
- Mental Health First Aider
- Safeguarding Adults at Risk
- Safeguarding - Awareness of child abuse and neglect
- Self care: A somatic and trauma informed approach
Experience
- Somatic Trauma Therapist in private practice
- Emotional Freedom Technique practioner
- Trustee at the Minster Centre (2024 - present)
- Psychotherapist at the Maya Centre women's organisation, offering therapy for domestic abuse; adverse childhood experiences; sexual abuse; generalised anxiety; and depression (2020 - present)
- Counsellor at the Woman's Trust, offering counselling for domestic abuse (2018 - 2021)
- Private Practice (2019 - present)
- Delivering psycho-educational workshops for groups focused on supporting wellbeing and understanding the effects of trauma on our bodies and sense of selves (Maya Centre, 2022 - present)
Additional information
- Registered member of BACP
- Fully insured
- MA Gender, Society, and Culture (Birkbeck College, University of London 1996)
I worked for over 20 years in public policy and community engagement in the voluntary sector, working to ensure social justice for groups that found it hardest to have their voices heard. A redundancy in 2014 gave me space to evaluate what I wanted in my life and provided an opportunity to retrain as a therapist. I have never looked back!
I bring my wealth of different experiences to my therapy practice. I have helped many clients through my work in the community and individual therapy to feel more equipped to face what life brings.
If my page resonates with you and you think that I could help, please get in touch to find out more. I offer a 15 minute consultation where you can get a feel for what it would be like to talk to me, with no pressure to commit.
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
Photos & videos
Fees
£85.00 - £95.00
When I work
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Further information
It can feel daunting to take the first step in seeing a therapist and I keep this as simple as possible. I offer a 15 minute phone consultation where you can get a feel for what it would be like to talk to me, with no pressure to commit.
I am currently working online or face to face in Shoreditch E1 and Queens Park NW6. Please email and I will respond within 48 hours.
