About me
My name is Esther Titilayo Akinola, BACP Registered Therapist and founder of Safe. Heard. Seen. I specialise in therapy and psychoeducation for children and teenagers (ages 8–18), university students and young adults (18–27), and parents and carers who want to better understand and support their children's emotional world. My practice is grounded in neuroscience, attachment theory, and developmental psychology, and I believe that understanding yourself is one of the most powerful things you can do. I also have clinical experience and understanding of cultural nuances, faith, and neurodiversity.
I work integratively, drawing on Humanistic, Trauma-Informed, CBT, Compassion-Focused, Play-based, and Psychodynamic approaches. In practice this means I don't apply a formula. I pay attention to the person in front of me, their age, their story, their background, and their strengths, and let that shape how we work together.
If you are looking for a space to feel safe, heard and seen, I would love to hear from you.
Training, qualifications & experience
I have completed academic training in counselling psychology at postgraduate level, developing a good foundation in both theory and practice. My training includes experience in a range of therapeutic approaches, including Humanistic, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), and Compassion-Focused Therapy (CFT).
I have experience working with individuals across a variety of settings, supporting clients with anxiety, low mood, trauma, emotional regulation difficulties, and complex personal challenges. My work has involved both one-to-one therapeutic support and group-based interventions.
I am committed to ongoing professional development and reflective practice, and I receive regular clinical supervision to support safe and ethical practice.
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
Concessions offered for
Additional information
Children and teens: £55 / University students: £45 / Parents: £65 / Hardship sliding scale and block bookings for 6 sessions in advance available at a discounted rate
No charge for: Free 15 minute initial consultation
Payment options: Bank transfer or cash
When I work
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