Diego Avila

My name is Diego Avila and I am a Counselling Psychotherapist. I am an accredited member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP), and fully uphold their Ethical Framework.

I work using a Relational Integrative Model, which puts the emphasis on the way that we, as humans, relate to each other, both inside and outside of the therapy room.

I am also a Clinical Supervisor as well as a Lecturer in Counselling, currently working in Adult Further Education.

My aim is to provide you with a safe and contained space for you to talk, share and explore your feelings, in your own time and at your own pace. Within our therapeutic relationship I will aim to facilitate a space for self-growth and exploring your own personality, how you relate to others and to yourself.

​The first session will be an assessment to explore what you feel you need help with and how we can work together. I will ask you to complete a brief questionnaire beforehand, which will give us a clearer picture of your presenting issues.

My areas of focus and expertise include:

General-Lifestyle: low self-esteem, depression, anxiety, fears, general lack of motivation, dissatisfaction with home, work and/or social life.

Relationships: break ups, break downs in communication, inability to establish intimacy, bullying, childhood "life scripts", caring for vulnerable dependants, domestic violence, abuse.
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Gender, Sexuality and issues faced by the LGBTQ+ community.

Grief and Loss: past, present or future bereavement, major life-changing situations

Jungian Dream Exploration and Analysis: based on the works of Swiss Psychiatrist Carl Jung, we will be looking at the symbolism behind your dream, engaging in a unique dialogue to allow you to make better sense of the possible messages underneath. This work can be done as a one-off or series of sessions.

Couples'/Relationship Therapy: Whether you are in a romantic union of two (or more) people, a parent and adult child, work colleagues or friends, Relationship Therapy can help you take a deep dive into the dynamics of the way you relate, explore where it comes from and work out how best to use it for the benefit of all involved. This space can also help you identify your differences in personality, values and needs, and how best to accept these for the enrichment of the relationship.

Compulsive Sexual Behaviours: Sometimes referred as "sex addition", Compulsive Sexual Behaviours are repetitive and unwanted sexual behaviours that are having a negative impact on your life:

. Sexual activities and behaviours that are difficult to stop despite them bringing negative impact and consequences to life and relationships

. Feeling bad and ashamed about certain sexual behaviours

. Engaging in regular non-consensual non-monogamy (commonly known as "cheating") on partner/s

​. Problematic use of pornography to the point of it having a negative effect on life

. Gay men and Chemsex

I am currently undergoing specialised training in this area and am able to offer some limited reduced fees to clients presenting these issues for the duration of my training, expected to finish in September 2024.

My approach to working with Compulsive Sexual Behaviours is sex-positive, psychotherapeutically framed and based on contemporary psycho-sexological interventions. I do not work from a "Sex/Love Addiction/sexual sobriety" model.​

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I am available for short, fixed-term work as well as longer, open-ended counselling. In any case, my recommendation is to commit to an initial minimum of 6 (six) sessions, which is an optimal time to develop our therapeutic relationship and explore your presenting issues to a better extent.

Individual counselling sessions lasts for 50 (fifty) minutes and the cost is £60 per session, payable at the end of the session. I offer a sliding scale fee in the negotiable range of £40 - £60 for counselling students as well as those on low income/social welfare benefits.

Couple's/Relationship Therapy can either take place weekly for 60 minutes (at a cost of £80 for the sessions) or fortnightly for 90 minutes (£100 per session).

​The cost of supervision is of £45 per one hour session (pro-rata if you wish to extend the duration) for individual sessions. Please enquire for small group supervision. 

​Please note that I review my rates annually, and may bring small increases in line with inflation and cost of living.

​Depending on the type of therapeutic work required, I may request for an advanced, non-refundable payment for a block of sessions. I will discuss this with you on our first session if relevant to your circumstances.