Elena Phrydas
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This professional has no current availability for new clients. Please enquire with them directly to discuss availability.
About me
I offer face-to-face long and short term psychotherapy in North London.
I am a qualified and insured psychotherapist that specialises in working with adults and young people.
People come to therapy from all walks of life and for many different reasons. One thing they have in common is that they are all seeking understanding and change and want to find ways to lead more harmonious and fulfilling lives. It also seems very natural for us to experience psychological distress from feeling a sense of misalignment with who we feel we are. The affect of this alone can cause inner-conflict; the experience of disconnection with your internal and external world can lead to feelings of anxiety, depression. This is recognised by the person-centred approach as an important part of a person to be explored and worked with rather than corrected and disregarded.
As your therapist I can be helpful in providing you with the conditions within which deeper understanding, empowerment and autonomy can be achieved, which can also help you to make the steps needed for you as an individual and towards fulfilling your potential. This process can directly bring about the major shifts you may be looking for. As perceptions and experiences are enhanced, relationships and the general coping with daily life are influenced in a meaningful and long-lasting way, which is facilitated by a therapist that is genuine, warm and present throughout the therapeutic encounter.
As a person-centred therapist my practice is largely influenced by the principles and philosophies of the person-centred approach. This means that you are central to the direction and pace of the therapeutic process and moves away from the notion of the therapist being the sole expert on your personal experiences. Fortunately, psychological services and expertise is evolving and there are many alternatives available today with mounting evidence pointing to a demand for humanistic approaches.
Evidence gleaned from my own research has shown that many people seek psychological services to be understood as an individual and within the context of their lives rather than categorised into a generalised box. This in fact limits the human experience, leaving anything that doesn't fit a criteria to be diagnosed as an abnormality or disorder. In my personal and professional opinion this approach, which is offered by a leading and trusted service provider in the UK today, dismisses the fundamental essence of what it means to be an individual and a human being.
I am interested to learn about you as a whole person and to work with you to understand and explore what is is that you are seeking therapeutic support for, rather than focusing solely on the symptoms that they cause and "treating them". Often these symptoms are a part of your personal experience - a way to cope with our environment that often provides crucial insights.
I work holistically which means that I invite the emotional, psychological, environmental and spiritual – so essentially all aspects of you into the room. I regard each person as unique with the right to be accurately heard and understood. For many clients this experience alone can be deeply therapeutic and empowering. A central part of my approach is a commitment to creating a safe and confidential space where you can express and explore parts of you in the presence of a therapist who is sensitive, attentive and empathic.
I welcome any questions you may have and look forward to hearing from you.
Training, qualifications & experience
I have a BA (Hons) degree in Humanistic Counselling Practice and an MA in Counselling Children and Young People from The University of Nottingham. I am a Registered Member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy and work in accordance with their ethical framework for good practice.
Student Services counsellor - Nottingham Trent University (2010-2014)
I offered short-term one-to-one Solution-Focused therapy to students. As sessions were time-limited it encouraged a focus on setting personal and academic goals to work through over the course of therapy. This safe and accepting space proved very helpful for work with supporting students psychologically and academically.
Psychotherapist, Committee member - Counselling Xtra, Nottingham (2009-2015)
Here I provided long and short-term therapy to adults and young people. Some of the issues I worked with and received further training in are: Depression, Domestic Violence, Cultural Oppression and Identity; Pre-Therapy; Therapeutic Drumming; Mindfulness; Sexuality; Energy Awareness; Counselling for Depression; Safeguarding, First Aid.
As a therapist and committee member I am passionate about developing humanistic counselling services that are accessible to all. During this time I attended monthly meetings to discuss effective management and development of the counselling service.
Practitioner, Researcher - Humanistic Therapies, Nottingham (2011- )
As the first of its kind, I became a member of the group, Humanistic Therapies, founded by a small number of researchers and practitioners from The University of Nottingham. Our aim was to increase the awareness and understanding of the person-centred approach and its potential benefits for human relationships in healthcare, education and other community organisations.
As a member I promoted and shared research and evidence of the person-centred approach outside of the counselling context. Our first workshop, 'The Impact of Practitioner Empathy on Healthcare Outcomes', invited medical staff to explore evidence and recent research which suggested how patient healthcare outcomes may be impacted by an empathic healthcare professional. The workshop received very positive feedback.
Psychotherapist, Private Practice - Awakenings, Nottingham (Jan 2016-Nov 2016)
As a psychotherapist in private practice practice I offered a face-to-face Humanistic counselling service that was accessible to all. Similar to my previous experience, we embraced creative approaches to therapy such as the Play Therapy Approach, which offered sand trays, figures and pictures to provide alternative means for communication and expression. Clients were invited to access counselling tailored to their needs in an environment that was compassionate, accepting and respectful towards each person.
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
£70.00 per session
Free initial online session
Concessions offered for
Additional information
Sessions are 50 minutes and usually take place weekly, at the same time.
Initial consultation: £40
Individual session: £70 per therapeutic hour (11am - 7pm)
When I work
Weekdays: Monday - Thursday from 10am - 8pm
