Enrica Balestra
About me
I am an experienced integrative psychotherapist and supervisor based at The Farringdon Practice in Clerkenwell EC1 (http://www.thefarringdonpractice.co.uk/). I am a member of the BACP, and I am registered with the United Kingdom Council for Psychotherapy (UKCP).
I have over 14 years’ experience in private practice, employee assistance programmes, education and the voluntary sector. Alongside my private practice, I have held the post of counsellor/coordinator in an inner city college working with students and staff. Originally from an academic background in comparative literature, I draw from the humanistic and the psychodynamic tradition to help clients explore and move beyond their sometimes limiting and painful life stories.
Some of the issues I have worked with include, but are not limited to: Stress, Anxiety, Panic, Depression, Relationship and Family issues, Abuse, Trauma, Bereavement, Infertility, Abortion, Self-esteem, Self-harm, Suicidal thoughts, Identity, Life transitions and Self development.
I am Italian, fluent in English and conversant in French and have experience of working with a wide range of clients of different ages, sexualities, linguistic and cultural backgrounds. I have a special interest in relational trauma, narrative and the arts as well as in the way in which cultural norms and social expectations affect our sense of self and wellbeing. I have specialist training in Somatic Trauma Therapy, CBT and have extensive experience working with young adults.
Training, qualifications & experience
Supervision training (Gestalt Centre)
Postgraduate Certificate in CBT (Metanoia)
Somatic Trauma Therapy (Babette Rothschilds)
MSc Integrative Psychotherapy (Metanoia)
Postgraduate Diploma in Integrative Psychotherapy (Whittington Hospital)
MPhil Comparative Literature (Columbia University)
MA Italian Studies (Columbia University)
PgDip American Studies (Smith College)
BA Modern Languages and Literature (University of Rome)
Psychotherapist at The Farringdon Practice 2015 (ongoing)
Student Counsellor: City and Islington College 2015
College Counsellor, Supervisor and Service Coordinator: Havering College 2009-2015
Psychotherapist (Time Reclaimed) 2000 (ongoing)
Associate Counsellor (WHCM) 2007-2008
Associate Counsellor (The Place to Be) 2007-2008
Honorary Psychotherapist (St Luke's Hospital) 2004-2005
Associate Counsellor (London Metropolitan University) 1999-2003
Honorary Psychotherapist (Whittington Hospital) 1998-2000
Member organisations
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.
British Association for Counselling & Psychotherapy
BACP is one of the UK’s largest professional bodies for counselling and psychotherapy. Therapists registered with the Association fall into a number of different membership categories such as Individual Member, Registered Member MBACP and Registered Member MBACP (Accred), each standing for different levels of training and experience. MBACP (Accred) and MBACP (Snr Accred) members have achieved a substantial level of training and experience approved by the Association.
Registered members can be found on the BACP Register, which was the first register to achieve Accredited Voluntary Register status issued by the Professional Standards Authority. Individual Members will have completed an appropriate counselling and/or psychotherapy course and started to practise, but will not appear on the BACP Register until they've progressed to Registered Member MBACP status.
All members are bound by a Code of Ethics & Practice and a Complaints Procedure. Accredited by the Professional Standards Authority.
UK Council for Psychotherapy
The UK Council for Psychotherapy (UKCP) is a leading professional body for the education, training and regulation of psychotherapists and psychotherapeutic counsellors. Its register is accredited by the government's Professional Standards Authority.
As part of its commitment to protect the public, it works to improve access to psychotherapy, to support and disseminate research, to improve standards and to respond effectively to complaints against its members.
UKCP standards cover the range of different psychotherapies. Registration is obtained by training or accrediting with one of its member organisations, or by holding a European Certificate in Psychotherapy. Accredited by the Professional Standards Authority.
Accredited register membership
Accredited Register Scheme
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.
Accredited Register Scheme
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
Availability
Monday 9am-8pm, Wednesday 8am-10am, 3pm-7pm Thursday 1pm-6pm, Friday 9am-2pm