About me
Hello, I'm Harriet Parker, an integrative psychotherapist working with adults in Marylebone, the City of London and online.
I offer a warm, thoughtful and non-judgemental space in which we can explore whatever brings you to therapy. I'm interested in understanding you as an individual, the experiences that have shaped you and what you might want to be different in your life.
Before training as a therapist, I spent fifteen years working in banking and financial services. This has given me a first-hand understanding of demanding professional environments and some of the pressures, expectations and workplace dynamics they can involve. I also saw how being seen as successful, professional and highly capable can sit alongside a private struggle to feel accepted, connected to others or fully yourself.
While my background gives me a particular understanding of professional life, my practice is open to adults from all backgrounds. I welcome people with a wide range of experiences, identities and ways of living, whether or not your concerns relate to work.
My route into psychotherapy developed alongside many years of volunteering in suicide prevention and emotional support at organisations including the Maytree Suicide Respite House and Samaritans. At Samaritans, I have supported people both by telephone and through its work in prisons, and I currently hold a senior leadership role.
I've always been interested in people: how they live, what shapes them. I have travelled extensively, living and working overseas. Through work, travel, friendships and a wide-ranging social life, I have got to know people from many different cultural and social backgrounds, professions, relationships, identities and ways of living. This has helped me appreciate just how many different ways there are to build a meaningful life, and, most importantly, to approach whatever someone brings to therapy with openness, curiosity and without judgement.
As an integrative psychotherapist, I draw on different therapeutic approaches, tailoring our work to you and what you bring to therapy. You don’t need to know exactly what you want to talk about, or even be able to put into words what is troubling you. We can begin wherever feels most useful, taking time to understand your experiences and what you hope to gain from therapy.
Three approaches particularly inform how I work:
Person-centred
A person-centred approach means that at the heart of my work is a genuine, accepting and non-judgemental relationship in which you can speak openly and feel heard and understood. Different ideas and therapeutic approaches may be useful at different times, but the relationship we build together remains central to the work.
Psychodynamic
Psychodynamic thinking helps us explore how earlier experiences, unconscious expectations and recurring patterns in relationships may continue to shape how you see yourself, relate to others and respond to situations in the present.
Existential
Existential thinking brings attention to the bigger questions of who you are, what matters to you and how you want to live. These questions may become especially important when life looks successful from the outside but feels less fulfilling than you expected, or when you find yourself wondering what you really want.
I welcome those new to therapy and people who have had therapy before. Reaching out can feel daunting, so I offer a kind, supportive and approachable space where you can feel heard and become more fully yourself. I am comfortable talking openly about life, including parts of yours that feel complicated or uncomfortable to share. You do not need to censor yourself, protect me from your feelings or worry about being judged.
Whatever you bring, I will meet it with care and curiosity. Together, we can explore what it means for you and what might help.
Training, qualifications & experience
I'm a registered member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (MBACP), with an undergraduate degree from Leeds University and a master's degree in Counselling and Psychotherapy from Regent's University London.
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
£90.00 per session
Additional information
My fee is £90 for a 50-minute session. If you prefer more time, I also offer 75-minute sessions for £130.
Further information
If you feel we might work well together and would like to explore this further, I offer an initial 50-minute session, in person or online, for £50. This gives us time to discuss what brings you to therapy, what you are hoping for and whether working together feels right.
I am happy to answer any questions by email before you book. If you would prefer to speak first, I also offer a free 15-minute introductory telephone call.
